Vodacom 3G sucks!

[Dave A]

With the ADSL and Wireless I have to do it every 30minutes!

WTF!

OK - you and I have very different problems

Point taken on the USB modem - I've been considering using my phone as a modem using a bluetooth connection instead. But I've heard when you get a telephone call, it hangs up the data connection.

[irneb]

WTF!

OK - you and I have very different problems

Point taken on the USB modem - I've been considering using my phone as a modem using a bluetooth connection instead. But I've heard when you get a telephone call, it hangs up the data connection.

Yep, I've had the several already. The old PCMCIA, then the modem with the short USB cable (absolute CR@P), then the USB dongle (like a flash-disk, a bit better, but still not perfect), then opted for my existing phone (last year with a Nokia E64). That phone dropped the connection when a call came through, but I think it's because of the bad Nokia connection on the USB cable (if I touched the phone the USB link was lost). Anyway, the phone only had a 3G capability so I didn't even get the "standard" speed.

Recently I've upgraded to the Moto Milestone Android, which has a HSDPA 12MB/s capability ... and speeds are like lightning now (well, in comparison ). And I have had phone-calls, sms's & mms's while connected - no hassles as yet. Can even do my emails on the phone while the PC is downloading through it - why I'd want to I don't know though.

Don't know about other phones. And as you can see, don't truly know if the Nokia Symbian phone had that disconnect on call - seeing as it disconnects even if I just bumped the table.

I don't like using the Bluetooth / Wireless as the phone's battery goes quickly when you've got these on as well as the network connection. So you need to plug them into a charger while you're connected for anything more than 2 hours ... so why not simply plug the USB cable - charges off the same thing which connects the data.

One thing though, the Androids don't come standard with internet sharing drivers for windows - you need to install PDA Net on both the phone and the PC, but it's free, small and works off the cuff. I think I've seen the same problem with Blackberry (RIM) and iPhone (iOS). Don't know anything about the Windows Mobiles (not to mention the newer Win7).

[irneb]

I just did another test on the ADSL:

Now you can clearly see the problem I have. It runs like the clappers for a bit, then just dies! And this test happened exactly at that time when it died, 1.7MB/s while the test was doing the download ... but then FF simply states waiting for ..... when the upload test started ... and then a minute afterwards the test completes, another 30sec and the image displays showing upload @ 40kb/s (I had better speeds in the 90's with a dial-up).

So I swap to the wireless's IP:

Then I turn the ADSL's IP on:

Then turn the Wireless's IP on again and this is the result:


Up-down-up-down-up-down I'm getting fed up. I've posted previously into another thread about this causing some update downloads to stop completely - causing me to restart them from the beginning. And these updates are in excess of 2GB each - so it's not a cheap exercise.

I finally simply loaded my V3G with the MyGig 2.3 (R389) and did the download that way. Not only did it download quicker - it at least completed!

[mister]

I've never seen that type of speed anywhere in SA. Even that "extended" service of 7.2 never really ran faster than the standard 3.6 (it's a waste of money) ... I wouldn't count on anything reaching 20+ ... not in SA.

ALRIGHT, here's my current speedtest



I rest my case. Vodacom sucks

[irneb]

I rest my case. Vodacom sucks

I think since you're using the Newlands server ... are you perhaps in CT or thereabouts? I know that CT has much better connection over MTN than Vodacom, the other way round here in JHB.

See some of the comments here:

http://www.fin24.com/Companies/No-fines-for-poor-cell-networks-20100825

Basically, it's a situation of the "least worst" in your area. And that's all you can ever hope for in this country, since the government is actually in bed with these companies (if not reciprocally owned by and owning them). For the time being my V3G is the best connection I can find.

I know some who are quite happy with their NeoTel connections, I just find it slow in comparison to my V3G. But one of my collogues has a situation where his house is exactly in the triangle between 3 towers - i.e. no connection. Vodacom, MTN, CellC, Neotel ... they all have zero connection at his house. He has to walk 50m down the road to make a phone-call on his cellphone. And he's not living in some arb place, all around him the connections as per my figures. He's forced into using ADSL, but no! His area only has extremely low bandwidth, it's the only connection he can get - but it's never much better than analogue (i.e. 50kb/s).

Another friend of mine's been on V3G for 3 years now. He was extremely happy with their service, but a few months ago MTN put up a new tower less than 100m from his house. Now his Vodacom connection's less than useless. And he's still got no help from them, the problem he's got is he's only 1 year into the 2 year contract - can't easily swap over (since MTN "should" be great for him now).

That's one more reason I don't subscribe to any form of contract. As soon as V3G doesn't work so well for me, I'll drop them like a hot potato, on a day's notice. I have absolutely no brand-loyalty, just as none of these companies have any customer loyalty - not even any form of morals when it comes to wringing the last bit of blood from their customers.

[irneb]

ALRIGHT, here's my current speedtest

Actually that looks like a normal 3G connection - i.e. not HSDPA / HSUPA. The upload is a bit low though, more like what you'd expect from a mid to low bandwidth ADSL.

[Cathy Duncan]

I must be a sucker for punishment. Two years ago I went through a whole drama with Vodacom 3G. Eventually, I got the equipment functional if not at particularly impressive speeds.

Now I've renewed my contract and it looks like I'm going to go through all the pain again of getting the new equipment up to reasonable speeds. The default installation certainly blows big time. Disconnects. Hanging programs. Slow throughput.

Exactlty what I hate too....but here with Bell it is not patchy web coverage but but lack of provider responsibilities ...best thing to wait it out then cancel if in a contract

[Dave A]

Good advice, Cathy. There might be snag in SA though.

How many options have you got for ISP services in Canada? I'm not talking about brands, resellers etc. but companies that provide backbone infrastructure?

[Cathy Duncan]

Good advice, Cathy. There might be snag in SA though.

How many options have you got for ISP services in Canada? I'm not talking about brands, resellers etc. but companies that provide backbone infrastructure?

Well Bell is quite average but Rogers has got real ground-breaking technology infrastructure and coverage yet equals it with massive prices...there are several low profile. whereas Telus, Northern tel and Virgin are ok but the best internet is from Bell mobility and Rogers...Bell cheaper ofcourse. Afterall Bell is the first ever telecomunications company of canada. What about SA can't you change or are these regional issues?

[Dave A]

When it comes to 3g, we've got 2 providers of infrastructure - with a third just starting to get some of its own infrastructure in.

As much as I get frustrated with Vodacom at times, it's still the best option I've got at the moment when it comes to mobile internet.

[irneb]

Well Bell is quite average but Rogers has got real ground-breaking technology infrastructure and coverage yet equals it with massive prices...there are several low profile. whereas Telus, Northern tel and Virgin are ok but the best internet is from Bell mobility and Rogers...Bell cheaper ofcourse. Afterall Bell is the first ever telecomunications company of canada. What about SA can't you change or are these regional issues?

As Dave's stated, we've got 2 choices, Telcom / IS for the main connection.

For the wireless / cell: Vodacom / MTN. The others (Cell-C, Virgin, etc.) are all just piggy-backing on top of those two's infrastructure. And actually those two are "owned" (partially between 35 & 60% shareholding) by our national telecoms company (TelCom), who has just introduced their own brand now called 8ta ... how great that's gonna be is really up for grabs (we know from experience how bad TelCom's land line support is). But all these actually use Telcom's connection for international, or through the "only" other competitor IS ... not sure if the main company is IS (Internet Solutions), but it looks that way. Under them is a whole bunch of "ISP's".

There's two other which seems a bit more independent (locally at least) called NeoTel and iBurst, for their international link they still use either of the 2 giants. They only have wireless connections - no land-lines. But I'm unsure if they perhaps use one of Vodacom / MTN's cell networks. I think iBurst may be under IS, as their coverage is rather poor when not in the major city centres.

The rest are all simply using the infrastructure of the 2 major players. E.g. the X-DSL which we have for our ADSL work through Telcom. For these guy's wireless, they use one of the cell companies or in some areas a WiFi connection - as per our Verison under IS.

In SA there are 100's of "ISPs". But actually they're just middle-ware taking a cut between the customer and the supplier. Very few of them have their own infrastructure, and those who do - only in very small specific locations.

[Dave A]

There's two other which seems a bit more independent (locally at least) called NeoTel and iBurst

iBurst is actually owned by Vodacom, although it doesn't operate over the cellphone infrastructure. Let's face it - we're pwned.

[AndyD]

Let's face it - we're pwned.

j00 m34n 7h3y'r3 pu11ing 0ur p4n7z d0wn?

[irneb]

4nd 7h3n 63nd1n9 u5 0v3r 4nd 74k1n9 u5 fr0m 63h1nd!

[Dave A]

Oh trust me - I don't need MS to diagnose this problem

Vodacom is a firken nightmare for me tonight.