Telkom too quick for me, this is a first.

[Ylona]

Well errr.... I am in London, returning to SA in a week and heard about all the troubles of getting asdl with Telkom. So I thought i would apply for the line weeks in advance, called them, said it would take 8 weeks, so in January I'd get it. Right, I applied on Monday and today my dad called to say there is a techie standing there at the door to install the line.

Jeez and our town is in the middle of nowhere so I am so surprised. Dont have a isp or modem/router yet so will get that asap. However Dad said that the guy left me a no. to call to get my username and password. What is that for? As long as it is not Telkom thinking i want to use them as my isp.

I am a bit sceptical as apparently he just put a little white thing into the phone line and said it's now asdl. Will we be able to use the phone and the net at the same time or do i need to ask/arrange something extra also?

 

[Syndyre]

You have to get a normal analogue phone line along with ADSL so you'll be able to use both simultaneously, just get microfilters for every normal phone you connect to the line.

 

[vespax]

Sounds about right. Our guy installed within a week here in CT, so I sat with 2 ADSL lines for a month before I moved in. Sometimes they just do their job right.

I think if you do the self-install option than you call to get the username/password and then you have to verify on a Telkom website before full web access is granted. It wasn't that painful.

Most of the techs are good guys. It's the guys in the tower offices you have to watch out for. They'll take you money and buy a house in Plett!

 

[MrG]

Well errr.... I am in London, returning to SA in a week and heard about all the troubles of getting asdl with Telkom. So I thought i would apply for the line weeks in advance, called them, said it would take 8 weeks, so in January I'd get it. Right, I applied on Monday and today my dad called to say there is a techie standing there at the door to install the line.

Jeez and our town is in the middle of nowhere so I am so surprised. Dont have a isp or modem/router yet so will get that asap. However Dad said that the guy left me a no. to call to get my username and password. What is that for? As long as it is not Telkom thinking i want to use them as my isp.

I am a bit sceptical as apparently he just put a little white thing into the phone line and said it's now asdl. Will we be able to use the phone and the net at the same time or do i need to ask/arrange something extra also?

Depending on your usage patterns it might be best to choose TelkomInternet as your ISP to be honest, since they have relaxed capping, if you willing spend ALOT for uncapped that would be the other option.

Just depends on your usage patterns, otherwise the rest he said sounds about right.

 

[Vampir0]

I was just as surprized! Mine took less that 2 weeks in Pretoria, nogal!

 

[HosstheBoss]

I'm in a "middle of nowhere" town as well, and I got mine in something like 2 days. I think these major backlogs are more prominent in the bigger centres. I presume someone in a small town who’s been waiting forever can prove me wrong; this is just my experience.

 

[MFour]

I am a bit sceptical as apparently he just put a little white thing into the phone line and said it's now asdl. Will we be able to use the phone and the net at the same time or do i need to ask/arrange something extra also?

Sounds like the white thing you refer to might be the POTS Filter you need to make calls and have DSL. So you should be fine on that.

 

[nihilist]

At my previous place, I requested an ADSL line and they took installed it within 2 weeks and came after hours, 6pm on a Monday evening.

My friend applied about the same time, two weeks and they came on a Sunday.

At our new flat, they installed it within two weeks aswell, and came on a Tuesday which happened to be a public holiday, bright and early at 8am.

So therefor I can suggest that Telkom only work after hours and public holidays.

So, if you need ADSL for your business, make sure you lock your janitor in the building for a weekend and then call the dark legions of satan for your line

 

[Ylona]

Hiya

So i should rather use Telkom as ISP ?

I have no idea how much I will use bandwidth wise as I have always had it unlimited, someone said start of with 3GB unshaped and see how I go, but with Telkom you can't prepay, will I be able to change it during the months as in go down to 2gb or get up to more than 3gb anytime I want?

Im certain I read that I should avoid using telkom as a isp somewhere in these posts?

 

[eremos]

I'm in a "middle of nowhere" town as well, and I got mine in something like 2 days. I think these major backlogs are more prominent in the bigger centres. I presume someone in a small town who’s been waiting forever can prove me wrong; this is just my experience.

That would be me Waited 6 months in Ladysmith.

 

[eremos]

Hiya

So i should rather use Telkom as ISP ?

I have no idea how much I will use bandwidth wise as I have always had it unlimited, someone said start of with 3GB unshaped and see how I go, but with Telkom you can't prepay, will I be able to change it during the months as in go down to 2gb or get up to more than 3gb anytime I want?

Im certain I read that I should avoid using telkom as a isp somewhere in these posts?

We just don't like Telkom. But they're the only ISP with relaxed capping so the only option for some.

I assume you're aware of the price of unshaped?

3GB shaped: R 249.00
3GB unshaped: R 679.00

 

[vespax]

Hiya

So i should rather use Telkom as ISP ?

I have no idea how much I will use bandwidth wise as I have always had it unlimited, someone said start of with 3GB unshaped and see how I go, but with Telkom you can't prepay, will I be able to change it during the months as in go down to 2gb or get up to more than 3gb anytime I want?

Im certain I read that I should avoid using telkom as a isp somewhere in these posts?

Avoid Telkom as your isp. I use Webafrica and they have been great.

I do prepaid. I use 1gig a month on average, but I don't do much with video so far. I just read mostly on the web, so the file sizes are smaller. I think prepaid is the best you can get at this point in SA. The bandwidth roles over month to month which is key for me.

Waited 6 months in Ladysmith.

I think the keyword here is 'Ladysmith.'

 

[Daniedj]

I would rather think smaller towns will get better service as they don't have such a big load on their sholders as large cities.

 

[stoke]

@vespax : Your recommendation to Avoid Teklom as your ISP is a tad too biased.

If you want: Anywhere from 3 - 12GB throughput available, use the Teklom ISP 3GB Shaped offering, at R250 a month for that they simply cannot be beaten.

I get 8 - 12 GB a month using the 3GB shaped package from Telkom ISP, but ... some months I only use 4GB.

 

[Ylona]

So basically the advice is to go with Telkom since most of the time they are more value for money as they let you go over your 3GB allowance and perhaps have a 1GB prepaid account with someone else just in case?

 

[broken1]

So basically the advice is to go with Telkom since most of the time they are more value for money as they let you go over your 3GB allowance and perhaps have a 1GB prepaid account with someone else just in case?

I've been with telkominternet since I got ADSL a couple of years ago (still in the commercial test phase). They've been decent, only a couple of down days, where it was fixed within the day. They relaxed with their capping, I get around 10-12 gigs a month which I am happy with. When there is a problem, I've got a 1gig prepaid webafrica account. I haven't used it in a month or two, but I know it's there for when I need it!