Telkom Fault, or Mine? Please Help!

[Confuzzled]

So, simply put, I’ve been having problems with my internet line, a situation that has been affecting me quite severely.

Telkom insists that the issue lies with either myself or my ISP and I’m concerned that they may be right, but I am running out of ideas and was hoping someone here might see something that I can’t.

If anyone can help, please, I am growing more than a little desperate…

Before I start, I have to say, the Telkom operators have been extremely sympathetic and helpful, but the technicians seem to be trying to brush me aside. I have had my fault closed multiple times without any resolution, once within LESS THAN A MINUTE after opening it.

The issue? While the DSL light flashes a solid green, the internet light is either off (TP-Link) or orange (Netgear).

I’ve phoned Telkom and confirmed that my connection is VDSL, 40mb. I’ve also phoned MWEB and confirmed my login and my password, multiple times. I’ve reset the routers and entered my details multiple times. I’ve also used several different Telkom Guest accounts to test the authentication, all with the same results. Telkomsa.net remains inaccessible, even on the guest accounts.

I’ve tried four different routers, one old TP-Link without VDSL capabilities, two brand new Netgear AC1600s with VDSL capabilities, and one new TP-Link AC1200 with VDSL capabilities. I’ve also tested these routers on several different outlets in the house, with and without splitters. The issue remains the same.

I’ve phoned Telkom and they’ve recreated the port several times to no avail.

I’ve had Telkom technicians come to the house and test their own routers, only to point out what I already know. I’ve then had them leave and close the fault the next day. I even begged one to remain at one point, to wait for fifteen minutes, so I could get home and show him where my concern was and he left before I could arrive. He closed the fault the next day, despite admitting on the phone that the router failed to show a stable green light for the internet.

I’ve confirmed all the settings on all the routers, with both Telkom and MWEB, such as VPI being 8, VCI being 35, Encapsulation being PPPoE, and Multiplexing Method being LLC. The TP-Link routers were a little simpler and I selected MWEB_VDSL and input the account name and password.

TL;DR
No internet connection, stable green DSL light, have tried everything I can think of to fix the issue. I'd appreciate any ideas on what I might have missed as I'm currently at a completely loss...

 

[Johnatan56]

Telkom fault, not much you can do but escalate the fault until you get someone competent.

 

[andres]

if fibre is an option, i suggest u jump ship. alternatively, go with the lte deals from telkom even, and stay far away from 24 month contracts

 

[TheChamp]

If you reset the router to factory settings do you have all leds solid green? has this 40meg vdsl ever worked or is this a new installation?
Have you tested you ISP credentials somewhere else?

 

[Confuzzled]

Telkom fault, not much you can do but escalate the fault until you get someone competent.

Unfortunately, you need to wait some time before you can escalate, and each time the report is closed the time is refreshed. So you basically have to start at the test centre all over again. It's mind-boggling that they don't take previous, related, faults into account.

if fibre is an option, i suggest u jump ship. alternatively, go with the lte deals from telkom even, and stay far away from 24 month contracts

I wish I could jump ship but after researching several service providers, I'm feeling a little despondent. South Africa's choices are not exactly sterling from what I've gathered from reviews and some require weeks to just install. No fibre in my area yet, unfortunately, but they do have plans to lay it out soon. I can only hope "soon" means this year.

Oh and I see what you mean about the 24 month LTE contract. I asked a sales rep to list their options and it apparently has a penalty that requires you pay the remaining months should you cancel prematurely. That's insane! No provisions are made for cancelling due to weak signal or faults either. I am exploring LTE with some other companies but at the moment, it's not looking viable. I'm new to LTE though and it sounds like I can treat it like a cellphone, ergo simply pick up a compatible router and grab a sim. Is that right?

If you reset the router to factory settings do you have all leds solid green? has this 40meg vdsl ever worked or is this a new installation?
Have you tested you ISP credentials somewhere else?

When I reset the routers (before I input my account details), the LEDs are all green (DSL, Power, Wifi, etc); minus the internet. The 40meg line is new and the problems did seemingly start once I upgraded. After reading your comment and at the suggestion of the latest technician, I downgraded to my original line speed (10Mbps). Unfortunately, the internet is still not working.

I have nowhere else I can test my ISP credentials but I don't believe they're the source of the issue. If they were, Telkom's Guest accounts would be working fine. I've also taken great care when inputting my details and confirmed them with my ISP.

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Thanks for the input guys and apologies for the delayed response, hopping online takes a bit for me at the moment!