Why does one ndeed DSL at home?

MaD · Apr 21, 2004

1. CAP?
2. Browsong/uploading speed?
3. $$$ - what are you prepare to pay for 512Kbps?

What's the main reason the 16,000 (the apparently-but-who-would-believe-that-anyway claim) DSL user in SA have adopted the service, especially as there's a 3 gig cap??

This is for research for the site, so the more respondents the better, we're looking for the main reasons people have purchased ADSL, whether personal or for a business. It's important so Hellkom can know what packages to put together for their beloved country

HELLKOM WEBSITE - http://telkomsucks.0catch.com

dikbek · Apr 21, 2004

I want continuous connection, speed is secondary, cap doesn't affect too much but have come close a couple of times and had to seriously manage volumes.

reech · Apr 21, 2004

I live in the UK at the moment and work as a web app developer - I would be able to return to ZA and work for myself if the ADSL/broadband offerings were:
1 affordable
2 unrestricted (ie no port shaping, no CAP)
3 Provided static ip
I don't care about ping latency -- I just want a reliable pipe - and I know it's all possible.
In a nutshell I'd use it to telecommute - and this would include using voip/video link apps for cuzzy negotiations.
I'm sure that there must be many people in a similar position to me, and what the govt gains in Telkom earnings, it only loses in taxes.

I would just be crippled by the current state of affairs.

quik · Apr 22, 2004

The main reason I opted for ADSL was the prohibitive cost of ISDN. Clients expect to be serviced when THEY require, and this often meant correspondence, transfers and connecting to clients during the day, often for prolonged periods of time, while sorting out issues.

As most of you know, ISDN is just too costly for connectivity during the day. Opening our statement at the end of each month became a frightful experience.

Also, quite often we require updating machines and software, and trial software that clients want to test before committing to buying the software. Downloading the software at 52KB/s as apposed to 14.6 or 7.8 reduces the time quite allot and helps us deliver prompt service. This often makes it hard to stay within the 3GB limit as software packages and updates continually increase in size.

With some of our clients outside of South-Africa, they are even less tolerant as they do not even consider cost of connectivity as an issue.

Lastly, we need a 24 hour connection for currency/equity trading as we want to expand our business in this direction.

Although Telkom is BLIND/IGNORANT to this fact, in our modern age with proliferation of products and services, and so many becoming commodities, SERVICE is quite often the differentiator. A painful lesson I believe they are yet to learn.

kaspaas · Apr 22, 2004

In the SOHO and medium sized office environment, Telkom ADSL is the cheapest way of getting connected to the Internet.

But it still reduces SA's competitiveness in the International market.

Telkom should start looking at real service and real cost effective solutions!

Ok, they only now the meaning of profits, not of value for money!

South Africa needs World Class Broadband at World Competitive Prices.

Karnaugh · Apr 22, 2004

This survey is a great idea. Telkom does lame research, lets prove them wrong.

The forum is a bit clumsy for this to be done properly.

- Colin Alston
colin at alston dot za dot org

"Warning: Use with extreme caution."

Myrrdin · Apr 22, 2004

My sport of choice is online gaming. I had 128k ISDN before I got ADSL and it was fine, but worked out to approximately R1000 per month to be on from 7pm to 7am every day and from 7pm on friday to 7am on monday. I know it should have been less but had given up on listening to Telkom blame the ISP and vice versa for the constant dropping of the second line. So for me ADSL made sense. Fixed at approximately R1000 a month, constant connectivity and lower pings. I have 4mb fixed line at work so if I really want to download something big I do it at work. My line at home is thus for online gaming and some browsing by my wife. I have not reached my cap once but that is due solely to some management of downloads. I do approximately 50mb per night practicing online so it is fine. Every friday night my team mates come to my house and we all connect and play together so then usage shoots up to about 250mb.

My biggest gripe is the port shaping which effectively translates into higher pings and if the cap is increased it means more practice time for me and my mates, maybe saturday and sunday.

Of course I don't look busy.....I did it right the first time.

alex · Apr 22, 2004

Basicly when i had ISDN 128k it turned out to be much more expensive then ADSL and much slower , a also was online for very long periods of time . Thats were ADSL won me over .... i do do allot of downloading i must confess.... The only problem that i have is realy the 3Gig Cap . even thoe i know its an expensive service compared to the restt of the world . Considering we have the most expensive telecomunications in the world and there is realy no excuse for that , couse countrys that dont even come close to the GDP we have here have cheaper communication. But hay its just Good old Telkom who we love to , complain about so much

))

TheRoDent · Apr 22, 2004

ADSL is good for gaming, and it's a permanent connection. Those were my only criteria. I couldn't give a damn if it was a 28.8k connection, as long as it's on permanently.

<center><h5>Oo. MyWireless <s>Hacks</s> Tweaks & Tech Info.oO </h5><h6>Have you checked the fawking FAQ?</h6></center>

mithrandi · Apr 30, 2004

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The forum is a bit clumsy for this to be done properly.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Anything you gather off a forum like this amounts to hearsay, in any case.

<hr noshade size="1">mithrandi, i Ainil en-Balandor, a faer Ambar

DigitalSoldier · Apr 30, 2004

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by reech
 I live in the UK at the moment and work as a web app developer - I would be able to return to ZA and work for myself if the ADSL/broadband offerings were:
1 affordable
2 unrestricted (ie no port shaping, no CAP)
3 Provided static ip
I don't care about ping latency -- I just want a reliable pipe - and I know it's all possible.
In a nutshell I'd use it to telecommute - and this would include using voip/video link apps for cuzzy negotiations.
I'm sure that there must be many people in a similar position to me, and what the govt gains in Telkom earnings, it only loses in taxes.

I would just be crippled by the current state of affairs.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

well u could always move back 2 sa and get SEntech but with the current situation in SA i wouldnt move back 2 this country ever if i was u [

]

MaD · Apr 30, 2004

The only reason to come back here from the UK is the weather.. if London had the same weather we had here, we'd all be there! [

]

Where others have progress, we have Telkom.
Hellkom website - http://telkomsucks.0catch.com

gabor · May 3, 2004

MaD Posted - 04/30/2004 : 23:52:56
"The only reason to come back here from the UK is the weather.. if London had the same weather we had here, we'd all be there!"

And the women. [

]

reech · May 4, 2004

I've got my eye on SENTECH, but it's still waaay overpriced for the bandwidth offered - and it still sounds a bit flaky to me - although I'm sure this will improve - I'm not too big on the idea of 24 month tie-ins either.

onionpeel · May 4, 2004

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by reech
 I've got my eye on SENTECH, but it's still waaay overpriced for the bandwidth offered<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Maybe not... check out the latest Nokia 9500 (www.nokia.com) which hasn't been released. It supports WiFi, IEEE 802.11b. Not too shabby, assuming there isn't a problem with having a reasonable distance to a Sentech hotspot. That means you can chuck your GPRS, EDGE and anything faster ito of mobile products which is usage based. [

]

Those who stare at the past have their backs turned to the future.

reech · May 4, 2004

unfortunately sentech is not 802.11x

onionpeel · May 4, 2004

Thanks for the correction.[

]
Sentech FAQ:
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Can I use my Wi-Fi card (802.11x) to connect to the MyWireless service?
No. Although the MyWireless service is also an RF technology it is very different to what we consider a Wi-Fi connection. You will require a MyWireless modem to connect to the MyWireless services.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why does one ndeed DSL at home?

MaD

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dikbek

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reech

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quik

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kaspaas

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Karnaugh

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Myrrdin

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alex

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TheRoDent

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mithrandi

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DigitalSoldier

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MaD

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