Here is my take on Global Web Intact (GWI).
Here is my take on Global Web Intact (GWI).
Like most users here I wanted to give telscum and their partner in crime, our wonderful communications minister, Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi, the finger.
So I ring up GWI to come do a signal test, the next day they come out, test my signal and I quote “you have a very good signal here”. Hmm the force is strong with this one I’m thinking. The following day they come to install (fast service, I like) only to inform me I need the bigger grid which will be an additional R500 because my signal is too poor to use the standard grid. Hmm…
Ok R500 later I’m up and running and very happy with my brand spanking new 128kb connection. Much better then my smelly old 56k modem, or at least it was that way for 2 weeks. In the two weeks that I had my connection I told 5 people of GWI and one of them signed up immediately. The lady in question lives about 5k’s from me. She has the exact same package as I do but only with the standard grid. Her DOWNLOAD rate is 200kbs to 115kbs, please note this is on a 128kb connection. Fantastic. My connection on the other hand maxes out at 15kbs. Pages take FOR EVER to load. Forget about playing games online or using torrents cause everyone is using the same IP and all ports are blocked (btw they put a password on your router so you cant open up ports on your router either, not that it would have helped you anyway).
The torrent thing I can understand, it is an uncapped service, bandwidth is expensive (or so we are led to believe) and if you allow torrents people will download all kinds of crap slowing down the whole network. But why, in the name of all that is good do they even bother giving a tech support number if the guy is going to tell you to check if your cable is plugged in? Or he tells you to ping google and when he sees that its pinging says your connection is fine when in fact YOU CANT OPEN ONE DAMN PAGE?! Sure it pings, but did I mention all the packets lost?
There are 2 guys at tech support that know what they are doing and have been helpful IF I was lucky enough to get one of them on the line and I feel for them, its not a nice job having people bitch and moan at you all day and you have to sort out their crap. But I have given up trying to phone tech support because lately they either just don’t pick up or I get put through to Mr. IsYourLinePluggedInPleasePingGoogle at which point my ulcer starts bleeding again and I need to go change my adult diaper. Oh and btw I’m still waiting for someone to call me back after I phoned for the 5th time asking them to check what is going on with my connection cause it takes 5 minutes to load google, IF it loads at all and I cant connect to my own website
www.truesouthafrica.co.nr which I created using GWI in the 1st 2 weeks I had it. Surprisingly enough EVERY body else can go there, accept me.
Another friend of mine signed up with another WISP and his connection is FAST, it’s a 512 uncapped line with a constant download rate of 60kbs for the same price as my supposedly 128. So I will be moving on over to them ASAP.
In short, if you want to check email and surf for 24hours uncapped GWI is for you. On the other hand if you’re like me and want to play games online, have work that needs to be uploaded and downloaded, give them a miss.