Telkom ...

[tdev]

I am at my whits end with my Telkom ADSL line.

I was reading the comments on the rate Telkom thread and was wondering why so many praised them, if clearly their service lacks in many cases.

In August 2011 I signed up for Telkom's free 3month ADSL deal on 1 meg line and after the 3 month period, changed ISP to Web Africa. The ADSL service was still acceptable and line still performed as it should from November 2011 until January 2012, but in February my problem started ...

Cumulative Totals for January 2012
Sessions Online Time (Seconds) Upload (Bytes) Download (Bytes) Combined (Bytes)
46 2650325 931 165 359 9 689 405 035 10 620 570 394


Cumulative Totals for February 2012
Sessions Online Time (Seconds) Upload (Bytes) Download (Bytes) Combined (Bytes)
239 2327976 929 419 183 7 729 548 499 8 658 967 682


The telephone line became very noisy at times when the ADSL dropped frequently, always from around 8am to 9pm. Some days it starts after 9am and continues until 5 or 6pm and sometimes syncs at 400 kbps DL and 512 kbps UL. In the evening it would be fine at 1024/512 for the most part, except ONE (1) disconnection after midnight ...


Logon Time Logoff Time Duration (Seconds)
Sat Mar 24 00:10:22 2012 Sat Mar 24 09:14:14 2012 32632
Sat Mar 24 09:10:00 2012 Sat Mar 24 09:10:59 2012 59
.
.
Sat Mar 24 18:57:28 2012 Sat Mar 24 22:11:06 2012 11618
Sat Mar 24 22:11:12 2012 Sun Mar 25 00:06:34 2012 6923


I've reported the fault three times to date: on 15/2/2012, 2/3/2012 and on 17/3/2012. Initially the technician came out about 4 days after I reported and he tested the line from the outside junction box to the wall socket. He found no problems, but replaced the joints on the indoor junction box, tested the line and said it was clear. Needless to say, he wasn't gone for long and the noise re-appeared.

After I reported on 2 March, I just received a message to say it was tested and the line was clear and service restored.

Since 17 March there has been no response and I called support again on 24 March. All the time, for about twenty minutes, while holding on for an agent, I listened to this 'noise' burbling, crackling and whistling away. As soon as the agent came on the line, the noise miraculously disappeared ... and stayed away for 1hr and 59 minutes. At first I thought the fault disappeared, but it again disconnected 59 times from Sat Mar 24 12:21:25 2012 to Sat Mar 24 18:57:28 2012.


I've tried different routers, unplugged the telephone and only had the router cable in the wall socket for long periods and I've tried three different filters on the phone, everything I can possibly think of and the noise is just getting worse ...


Date Sessions Online Time (Seconds)

01-MAR-12 21 86030
02-MAR-12 3 86251
03-MAR-12 9 88742
04-MAR-12 4 85282
05-MAR-12 4 85039
06-MAR-12 29 85477
07-MAR-12 12 86267
08-MAR-12 12 85978
09-MAR-12 24 86310
10-MAR-12 18 84752
11-MAR-12 29 89271
12-MAR-12 33 86877
13-MAR-12 33 83415
14-MAR-12 25 88128
15-MAR-12 38 87273
16-MAR-12 60 80131
17-MAR-12 36 86253
18-MAR-12 58 84302
19-MAR-12 53 81592
20-MAR-12 64 83891
21-MAR-12 64 76638
22-MAR-12 53 86204
23-MAR-12 55 82243
24-MAR-12 77 78851
25-MAR-12 95 43636 - as at 14h02 today.


Cumulative Totals for March 2012
Sessions Online Time (Seconds) Upload (Bytes) Download (Bytes) Combined (Bytes)
909 2078833 857 422 223 6 518 247 549 7 375 669 772

-------------------------------------------------------------

Logon Time Logoff Time Duration (Seconds)

Sat Mar 24 00:10:22 2012 Sat Mar 24 09:14:14 2012 32632
Sat Mar 24 09:10:00 2012 Sat Mar 24 09:10:59 2012 59
.
.
.
Sat Mar 24 18:57:28 2012 Sat Mar 24 22:11:06 2012 11618
Sat Mar 24 22:11:12 2012 Sun Mar 25 00:06:34 2012 6923


The weird thing is the disconnection just after midnight EVERY day and the line is, for the most part, perfect from the last disconnect around 5 - 9pm until 7 - 9am the next day. Also, there are two lines on the premises, mine and my brother's. He is not having the problem.

I realised two facts during this time:

- Apart from calling the customer service numbers (or visiting the Telkom shop which is 20km from me) there is absolutely no way to complain/contact Telkom or any of its officials/staff, not even by email. This leaves customers, in similar situations as me, frustrated, helpless and in some cases, unable to perform their work as a result of a faulty product sold by Telkom ....

- SA is desperately in need of another (independent) fixed line provider to end the frustration of CUSTOMERS in my position.

I'll be calling billing concerning my payment on this line and if necessary will be contacting the office of the Consumer Protector as well. I am not paying for this kind of service.

 

[MickZA]

https://secureapp.telkom.co.za/assurance/public/troubleshooter

Report your problem as a noisy voice line, do not mention your ADSL hassles as this leads to confusion.

 

[cpu.]

I was reading the comments on the rate Telkom thread and was wondering why so many praised them, if clearly their service lacks in many cases.

You can't really expect us to complain when we're happy, mmm?

 

[Sonic2k]

Report your problem as a noisy voice line

been there, done that... they test the line and then tell me "found to be free of defects"

 

[moondoggie86]

Been waiting 4 months for a Telkom techie to even make the effort to come check my line fault. After my last fault logged Telkom indicated that they "called the client and confirmed line in order".

I trust the devil more than Telkom.

 

[tdev]

Date .... Sessions
25-MAR-12 .... 187

 

[MJ INC]

What are your line stats like?

 

[Yuu]

Have had great success on using their SMS service and you get a REF number almost immediately.

012 321 0212 (standard rates apply)

SMS your telephone number and then choose the option best describing your issue. keep us posted.

Edit: Something to keep note of aswell as a possibility.

If in Feb you received the above problems, it sounds like it to me exchange congestion because Ti also ended their 1MB uncapped promo that month (mass signup).

Though i hope this isn't the case, but it certainly cannot go unsaid.

 

[Sonic2k]

Have had great success on using their SMS service and you get a REF number almost immediately.

012 321 0212 (standard rates apply)

SMS your telephone number and then choose the option best describing your issue. keep us posted.

Edit: Something to keep note of aswell as a possibility.

If in Feb you received the above problems, it sounds like it to me exchange congestion because Ti also ended their 1MB uncapped promo that month (mass signup).

Though i hope this isn't the case, but it certainly cannot go unsaid.

I have tried that.... eventually by the 6th fault ref I had to get someone from this forum to help me apply pressure on Telkom. Whoop-de-doo I also get an SMS within 10 minutes of reporting a fault, but they take 2 or more weeks to even attend to the fault, my first 4 fault refs they closed without even giving me an answer or fixing the bloody line.

 

[fred1]

I also have a 1meg promo line and have similar faults.
Constant disconnects and noisy phone line.
I have to to restart the router or leave the phone off the hook to get the adsl to work.
Takes sometimes up to an hour of unplugging and changing wiring to get it to work.

 

[MickZA]

I've tried different routers, unplugged the telephone and only had the router cable in the wall socket for long periods and I've tried three different filters on the phone, everything I can possibly think of and the noise is just getting worse ...

If your line is with Telkom (not Web Africa) and you have all your fault refs try the escalation procedure (you'll then be in a position to claim a refund).

http://residential.telkom.co.za/emailcontact-residential/escalationform.htm

BTW whereabouts are you located, as Yuu says it could be due to exchange congestion

 

[Anthro]

I've had good success rates with actually emailing the issue (and supplied ref#) through to escalations@telkom.co.za
Basically the same process as described in above template mailer, but a bit more direct because you don't have to worry that the php mailer is only set to redirect into nothingness ^

 

[tdev]

What are your line stats like?

When there is noise and my ADSL disconnects, my stats are

Modem Status

Connection Status Connecting...
Us Rate (Kbps) 0
Ds Rate (Kbps) 0
US Margin 8
DS Margin 2147483644
Trained Modulation NO_MODE
LOS Errors 201
DS Line Attenuation 60
US Line Attenuation 31
Peak Cell Rate 0 cells per sec
CRC Rx Fast 0
CRC Tx Fast 0
CRC Rx Interleaved 0
CRC Tx Interleaved 0
Path Mode Fast Path
DSL Statistics


when it is working, stats are

Modem Status

Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 512
Ds Rate (Kbps) 1024
US Margin 10
DS Margin 4
Trained Modulation ADSL_G.dmt
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 56
US Line Attenuation 31
Peak Cell Rate 1207 cells per sec
CRC Rx Fast 1882
CRC Tx Fast 18
CRC Rx Interleaved 0
CRC Tx Interleaved 0
Path Mode Fast Path
DSL Statistics

Near End F4 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F5 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F4 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F5 Loop Back Count 0

 

[Sonic2k]

I also have a 1meg promo line and have similar faults.
Constant disconnects and noisy phone line.
I have to to restart the router or leave the phone off the hook to get the adsl to work.
Takes sometimes up to an hour of unplugging and changing wiring to get it to work.

Ditto, what I also did once was send 230VAC down the line, that restored my ADSL for two days...

 

[fred1]

Ditto, what I also did once was send 230VAC down the line, that restored my ADSL for two days...

How do you do that?

 

[yebocan]

I have tried that.... eventually by the 6th fault ref I had to get someone from this forum to help me apply pressure on Telkom. Whoop-de-doo I also get an SMS within 10 minutes of reporting a fault, but they take 2 or more weeks to even attend to the fault, my first 4 fault refs they closed without even giving me an answer or fixing the bloody line.

Log a complaint with Icasa, not the fastest one in the stable...but they do follow up and then you have a "connection" in Telkom for life...had issues with new line , TELKOM was useless in getting it sorted...got gvol and mailed Icasa, someone got back to me , and then TELKOM actually called me....sorted out the issue ....

 

[cpu.]

How do you do that?

If you have to ask, then this method is not for you...

 

[MJ INC]

When there is noise and my ADSL disconnects, my stats are

Modem Status

Connection Status Connecting...
Us Rate (Kbps) 0
Ds Rate (Kbps) 0
US Margin 8
DS Margin 2147483644
Trained Modulation NO_MODE
LOS Errors 201
DS Line Attenuation 60
US Line Attenuation 31
Peak Cell Rate 0 cells per sec
CRC Rx Fast 0
CRC Tx Fast 0
CRC Rx Interleaved 0
CRC Tx Interleaved 0
Path Mode Fast Path
DSL Statistics


when it is working, stats are

Modem Status

Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 512
Ds Rate (Kbps) 1024
US Margin 10
DS Margin 4
Trained Modulation ADSL_G.dmt
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 56
US Line Attenuation 31
Peak Cell Rate 1207 cells per sec
CRC Rx Fast 1882
CRC Tx Fast 18
CRC Rx Interleaved 0
CRC Tx Interleaved 0
Path Mode Fast Path
DSL Statistics

Near End F4 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F5 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F4 Loop Back Count 0
Near End F5 Loop Back Count 0

Your line attenuation is very high mate. At 60 you won't get connected and 56 is not much better. Are you a good distance from the exchange? If not there's something happening to your line between your place and the exchange.

 

[tdev]

BTW whereabouts are you located, as Yuu says it could be due to exchange congestion

Your line attenuation is very high mate. At 60 you won't get connected and 56 is not much better. Are you a good distance from the exchange? If not there's something happening to your line between your place and the exchange.

I'm in Melkbosstrand - Duynefontein area. We have 2 lines and my brother's line attenuation is usually a little higher, he is on 4 Meg line syncing at 2 Mbps and his connection is fine. My line has also been fine since August 2011, apart from the 1 or 2 disconnects per day, and its just since February that the disconnects started increasing. I used the free Billion router from August until earlier in March and the DS attenuation on that was 61 dB.

I have been wondering if anything between here and the exchange can have an effect. Something somebody started doing close to the line since my troubles started, but the times when the noise starts and stops appearing varies quite a bit and I guess then all lines in that location should be affected? If only I knew the route of the line/cable I would do an inspection.

I just received an sms saying that the fault is in hand with the tech department, so hopefully it will be fixed soon.

 

[tdev]

Ok, luckily the line was noisy while he was here. After testing he did a pair swap on the main box, so now I'll have to see if the noise re-appears today or tomorrow and report if it does.

Modem Status

Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 512
Ds Rate (Kbps) 1024
US Margin 11
DS Margin 8
Trained Modulation ADSL_G.dmt
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 56
US Line Attenuation 31