The Iconnect Telecom's Experiance

[HartsockZA]

So here is hopefully the start to my endeavor in getting fibre install to my home. I applied for my connection through Iconnect Telecoms on the 3rd of October 2016 and a Technician from Openserve came through on 11th to survey my house and where their infrastructure is (outside pole). Much to my surprise they wanted to do a massive install to the house but after telling them (why not just use the same way my DSL line is hooked) they said yea, why not. They couldn't carry out the install since then because of a fibre fault in the area so I patiently waited for their techs to fix the problem.

Oh and trying to get some information from them is like pulling nails out of a cliff-face while hanging from your fingers of said cliff. Their fibre manager for Pretoria East took the 14th off (Friday) called in sick, now it was the 21st and guess what (called in sick, AGAIN) I so badly want this guys job...

Keep getting this from Telkom (1. 1103406-31 Order has been assigned to a tech but he has not yet attended) OK Wednesday right up till the weekend (if you're stay in Pretoria East) we have gotten a lot of rain thankfully. So I'm hoping they want to come just can't because of the rain.

All in all experience with Iconnectsa has been fun, love talking for hours to two cool ladies Nicola and Lunga, because quite honestly there's not much one can do but expose Telkom's lazy ass fibre manager. I'll get his name and number for all of you lovely people sitting waiting for a response as I am. But that all said and done haven't gotten anything as yet will keep this posted.

ISP; Iconnect Telecoms Website
Connection speed; 20mb DWN 5mb UP
Connection type; Uncapped
Cost of Connection; R1140.00 per Month
Install fee; R1750.00 (Haven't received quote but that's what they say on the flier)

Connection area; Garsfontein, Pretoria East


Will keep everyone posted.

 

[HartsockZA]

Update 25/10/2016; So I managed to find Mr Thabo at Telkom, he's the manager for Pretoria East fibre deployment (as far as I know). He recons now that the technicians are actually looking for my number to arrange a date to come through, after he told Iconnect that the installation was impossible, pictures to follow after this impossible deployment. But no today they sent the wrong team altogether because instead of a install team they send (you guessed it) a fibre maintenance team to check if my fibre was damaged.

If you want Thabo's number send me a PM and give that guy hell, if there's a manager of Telkom that monitors this fibre discussion page, please read above message (the guy takes every Friday off, if that isn't grounds for dismissal I don't know what is) Anyway so today the wrong team was dispatched, now Thabo says a scheduler will give me a phone call either today or Tomorrow for a install date and time.

Yes, I did phone him, he actually had the guts to scream and shout and threaten at Lunga that works for Iconnect Telecom, this guys has the audacity to scream at a lady should (in my humbled opinion) should be given a warning. Month almost up and still no install, same provider, spoke to technicians that installed next to my street said they could do the install but they need a order to do so.

Thabo, people like you that scream at women are the scum of this earth. PM for Thabo's number maybe you can get some info for your long awaited fibre install that's taking way too long with little to no info.


25/10/2016 15:19PM; Scheduler just phoned install Team will phone me tomorrow morning before arriving. Fingers crossed...

 

[HartsockZA]

Yaay, managed to get all connected with fibre with 0 problems once the technician was finished with everything. Green lights and all, got my log in details from Iconnect on the 28th, install finished on the 27th. Over all experience, terrible, Telkom is truly useless unless someone manages to control how information works and how things run. Other than that 4/10 for Telkom's install for my install, even though installs usually take 4-6 weeks, I was constantly phoned on the 3rd and 4th week told Telkom stories of "its impossible to do the install" or "wrong team dispatched"

Iconnect's overall rating will be given on Monday since I am really pulling all the stops out this weekend, thus far it is clear, they need a dedicated gaming department since a lot of ports for some games are blocked and do cause some issues with the games. Armored Warfare and World of Warships aren't effected by it but if you try do Tunngle or Hamachi you're going to have to phone in and tell them to open those ports for you.

I will give them a full report as well on Monday (for now I'll give temp ratings), uncapped account via them isn't fun, I mean its cool to connect at a low latency and have 800KB/s (throttled down). Yes you read correct, they throttle your account down to little over half speed of your full account speed after 2min of downloading. Even after business hours you'll get throttled down to 800KB/s from 2.2MB which is sort of understandable, I've already today downloaded a record 18 Gigs of data with a 20mb account. However I'd rather have it throttle down to 1.2mb/s than 800KB/s cause I recon even though fibre is faster, if I wanted a VDLS2 I'd have gotten that and maybe paid a lot less and gotten away with some latency.

So my hopes Iconnect sees this post and gets in touch as well.

Their support isn't great, the technician I was talking to, was doing 3 jobs while talking to me on the phone and wasn't very clued up either.

Iconnect Rating:

Sales; 6/10 - You actually have to phone them or go to their Facebook page to get a response (emailing for me didn't work or using their contact us feature on their site) but once you get them going they are the best (Thank you Nicola, was a pleasure, I'll miss our many interesting conversations)

Installations; 7/10 - You have to specify how you'd like to get updates or you'll get angry at yourself for not telling them to update you weekly, also Telkom's manager needs to be poked as many times as you poke a ant hill. (Sorry ants) (Lunga, I appreciate your support and fighting the battles in getting Telkom to move their butts and thanks for the checkup call, Thank you!)

Provisioning; 9/10 - Fast and effective, got a phone call and email, early morning.

Support; 5/10 - Needs improvement, please focus on the client and try not help your buddy next to you while giving me support, escalating problems with support was painful, never got any feedback or a checkup call even though Lunga did call me, that was for another matter entirely.

Network; 7/10 - As my life and well-being evolves around Video Gaming and the technology around it I will give it my best shot to try help a business supportive company to grasp a small bit of what video gamers would need open on ports and so on and so forth. My hopes is that they are open for suggestions since they are new to the FTTH market. (Can improve though) Also not too keen on how I get throttled down to that speed after my coneversation with their staff it should only go down that low after 15min and it never did, after 5min I went straight down to 800kb/s

 

[Todd Taylor]

Thank you

Good Day HartsockZA

Firstly we would like to thank you for taking the time to Review our service and for your suggestions on how we could improve our service especially in terms of gamers.

We have our management team looking into your suggestions and will get back to you regarding this as well as your review, once they have had a chance to discuss it.

Kind Regards
iConnect

 

[HartsockZA]

Good Day HartsockZA

Firstly we would like to thank you for taking the time to Review our service and for your suggestions on how we could improve our service especially in terms of gamers.

We have our management team looking into your suggestions and will get back to you regarding this as well as your review, once they have had a chance to discuss it.

Kind Regards
iConnect

It was my pleasure, Overall Iconnect's rating is 7 with improvements in your customers service (technical support) and general networking I'm sure this score can go high. Will have to see in the next few months.

 

[ProfA]

How is being throttled to less than half speed ever be acceptable on Fibre during day one of downloading and after business hours??

 

[balrog]

I have requested 10mb fibre line from Telkom via Afrihost. I am also in Pta East. Will see how things go. Already a couple of days and NO contact from Telkom

 

[HartsockZA]

How is being throttled to less than half speed ever be acceptable on Fibre during day one of downloading and after business hours??

My discussion with one of Iconnect's FTTH Department head was the same as your comment. Was told that they're going to work with me on this, will let everyone know how it all works out.

 

[HartsockZA]

I have requested 10mb fibre line from Telkom via Afrihost. I am also in Pta East. Will see how things go. Already a couple of days and NO contact from Telkom

Goodluck Balrog, just keep nagging Afrihost Every Monday and Friday, force them to keep nagging (Openserve)

 

[HartsockZA]

Update 31/10/2016 20:42PM
After hours download Steam - UK Based Server connectio (always used this one changing it to local is almost 10 times worse) Went up to 1.8MB and after 5min like I said, poof this time not even 800KB/s


Uncapped account; Look at all that data I can download, not like I can download 333 Gigs in one day on a 20MB line that with in 3-5min I go down to almost a 6MB ADSL connection. Not impressed, much work ahead for Iconnect.

 

[HartsockZA]

Update 12/11/2016 22:33PM

Had a couple of tests and had loads of talking with the support department, then my support was moved to their Business department since they're still training the FTTH department to get up to standard. Will admit they're real friendly and well since you really do need to be patient while things take time. However the control panel is still under construction so you can't do a whole bunch of things yourself. One big no, no is the fact they don't have Support in the evening, so when all else drops at 10 PM you're kinda screwed until the next morning.

Line dropped for around 10 min all my end was connected and the LOS light was green, just no pass through. Their network does need a lot more work, I still feel that its totally unnecessary to throttle a person after business hours or at least to the point where you'd be better off spending the type of money on a normal VDSL connection over the fibre line.

Low and behold after 15min this is what you get after business hours, started the download at around 9PM.


Still haven't come close to downloading all that, not sure how one would or could download 333 Gigs in one day, so far managed around 16 Gigs per day myself... Record breaking for me.


Taken with network at full load, downloading and others streaming movies and music on the net.


When the network isn't at full capacity, its back to full line speed. All taken after hours of course.


I did get this month for free, haven't gotten my install bill or connection bill, will post it once I get it. I did speak to their assigned business technician and he said I should see about getting a Microtik installed, I did mention to him that I was willing for them to monitor my internet usage so that they can pickup some type of home user trend that could enable them to design better load balancing techniques for their network. Sadly he's on leave till the 29th so my hopes is that I get to have another meeting with them regarding their network.

Believe you me I think that after hours one shouldn't see 10mb, one would think since you're paying this much for a connection via fibre you're going to at least see what you get after hours or at least at a certain time. Still happy, beats the hell out of ADSL, had my line active for once during the storm and it worked just fine through all the thunder. Still open in providing my support to Iconnect so that other future home users don't go through the same issue. Oh! and before I forget please Iconnect get a switchboard of some kind so that I don't have to ask to be moved to Support or billing, just a suggestion, I love chatting to Lunga and Lee-Anne and Nicola and all the rest oh and Jonathan.

Will keep the post updated!

 

[HartsockZA]

My last and final entry, all is working, no throttling has occurred this December, I used a good 650 Gigs in roughly 22 days. Their support teams have improved a wee bit and gaming is like a dream come true, so all you gamers with heavy downloading in mind should think about going the Iconnect way. Latency, what does that word even mean, now that I have fibre I don't have any woes.

Iconnect graciously gave me a Microtik, even though I can't log into it, they have the full capabilities to monitor my line and help me properly over the phone if anything does go tits up. I know I have been naughty over December so I'm looking forward to getting a phone call from the head of their FTTH department in Jan. 650 Gigs in just under 22 days is a hell of a lot.

Iconnect Experian rating can go to a comfortable 8, 10/10 is close to godliness, so you're pretty spot on with 8/10 gents.

 

[JimboBob]

How has the up time on your line been? I've decided to go with the 75GB 100Mbs as test, just waiting for Fibrehoods to complete the CPE install...

 

[HartsockZA]

How has the up time on your line been? I've decided to go with the 75GB 100Mbs as test, just waiting for Fibrehoods to complete the CPE install...

Hey Jimbobob,

Sorry for late response. It's been ok. I really don't like the fact that they still, after all, this time don't have a Home user-friendly client control panel. Support is still top notch but of late I have been experiancing 10 sec delays and happens quite random. Telkom have checked and well nothing wrong their side and Iconnect seems to handle their crap but of late it's rather been slow.

 

[JimboBob]

In general, my connection/service from iConnect has been very good. Can't say the same for Fibrehoods but decided that all my frustration will go to iConnect seeing that I pay them for the service...

Noticed some spikes when gaming and sometimes weird buffer issues with Twitch but it's quite rare.