Recommended Internet Service Provider?

[Family_Dog]

Over the past two months I have either been totally offline, or the email server has packed up or whatever. Their "qualified" customer support centre is a joke. It's time for a change, but whither to??

Requirements are 4Mb ADSL line, I'm not all that convinced about Cellular coverage.

This means a change in stationery, addressing email change of address to countles people and is the reason I have not done this before. Yesterday we were offline for around 15 hours although the email server worked. Today, we're online but the email server is down.

Enuff is enuff!!

Recommendations please for a reliable Service Provider with qualified support.


-F_D

[Hilux 1]

Hi uncle Eric,

i'm not any fundi or anything, but these guys is the people we use and they seem to be ok. what i don't know is what al they do??
I just know we work with them.
http://www.cybersmart.co.za/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CasKru]

Afrihost... they're prices are fair and excellent customer service

[george]

Also remember that your domain is your property and that can be transferred.Meaning you do not have to change e-mail addresses.

[Family_Dog]

George, this is where I have been slap. I have never changed our email to, for eg: "sales@repcom.co.za". I currently use the email address as provided by the ISP using their domain name.

I have heard good reports about Axxess as well.


-F_D

[Stef]

I read somewhere on a forum (think it was DSTV) that Mweb was the best bank for your buck...

Self been contemplating the CellC stick modem once off deals; don't have ADSL, have to use my phone as modem. MTN extremely poor ito connectivity/speed; Vodacom better but voice takes priority over data so you sometimes get bumped from 3G to EDGE. Data rates are expensive MTN & Vodacom alike, unless you get a data modem or the like, but CellC seems better, think the 900MHz band might also have better connectivity

[george]

Is this you eric

CQ RADIO HOLDINGS cc

[Family_Dog]

George, yep!

I do have another domain registered but no web site yet. http://www.repcom.co.za" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. It is "on hold" for me by Dirk, from the Community Forum. The idea would be to change everything over to that domain, but I do not know whether Dirk only does web hosting, I don't think he is an ISP as such.


-F_D

[george]

George, yep!

I do have another domain registered but no web site yet. http://www.repcom.co.za" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. It is "on hold" for me by Dirk, from the Community Forum. The idea would be to change everything over to that domain, but I do not know whether Dirk only does web hosting, I don't think he is an ISP as such.


-F_D

Ask him to make payment
http://co.za/cgi-bin/whois.sh?Domain=repcom&Enter=Enter
i use MWEB for the internet and hetzner for the e-mail.No complains
Afrihost have good deals.Do you have in-house IT support?

[kfxnando]

3g could be an option

however just not Vodacom, expensive and unreliable

[Mud Dog]

Have had nothing but good service from SAINET at very reasonable rates.

[bduk]

Webonline is also ok. They have a lot of packages for reasonable prices and you can setup your own website and email.

The problem is the connection. Telkom adsl is the best if you can get it.

[Gideonvanzyl]

what about Telkom? I never have problems with service interruptions.

[Family_Dog]

Must admit Telkom's new packages look attractive. I still have no email and the promised 'phone you back in 10 minutes' phone call was made six hours ago, still has not happened.

My ISP seems to be averaging 1 -2 days a week now with very intermittent internet or email access.


-F_D

[Royco]

Eric, whatever you decide, you are going to have to change your email address first.
Speak to Dirk to set up your REPCOM email. It's there already, it's your's, and (almost!) paid for already (and looks more professional IMO).

[Gideonvanzyl]

George, this is where I have been slap. I have never changed our email to, for eg: "sales@repcom.co.za". I currently use the email address as provided by the ISP using their domain name.

I have heard good reports about Axxess as well.


-F_D

ask Telkom about the free adsl installation they currently have on offer for 3 months. Can't do no harm in finding out

[Family_Dog]

Must say I've been a bit slap, Dirk has been holding that site for me for a couple of years now and every time we start talking about developing it, he gets all technical and I run and hide.

Will contact him first when he returns next week, he is currently in Gautenaleng at the West Rand outing. Second choice seems pretty much a toss-up between Afrihost and Telkom. Axxess has apparently recently been bought out by Afrihost.


-F_D

[Rebel 4x4]

I read somewhere on a forum (think it was DSTV) that Mweb was the best bank for your buck...

Self been contemplating the CellC stick modem once off deals; don't have ADSL, have to use my phone as modem. MTN extremely poor ito connectivity/speed; Vodacom better but voice takes priority over data so you sometimes get bumped from 3G to EDGE. Data rates are expensive MTN & Vodacom alike, unless you get a data modem or the like, but CellC seems better, think the 900MHz band might also have better connectivity

I'm using 8ta, full signal and always running at HSDPA, avg around 3.6Mbits per second (450kb/s download) they can check on your address how signal will be. Currently they are growing, so probably not everywhere available yet. Here in PE, 100%

[Mr_B]

For fixed premises business purposes ADSL is the only reliable option! We started our business on VC 3G, wasn't too bad, but when there were issues there was no one that could assist us, like a business account manager. We just had to wait and see how long the 'fix' would take. Of course this turned out to be a seriously expensive, but we didn't have fixed premise so we had to live with it!

Middle last year we switched over to ADSL, after investigating numerous options incl. Neotel, Iburst and others like CellC. We landed up with Imaxil, a small business focussed unit of Cybersmart, and deal directly with our account manager. When the connection gives hassles I call Philip and to date he has been able to fix the issues within 30 minutes. Fortunately none of the issues required Telkom assistance! Bottom line, if you want excellent services levels find an ISP that will assign you a contactable account manager! It make life so much easier, no more 'please hold... your call is important to us...' rubbish... and I get the truth when asking what's gone wrong!

In terms of email we have been with Hetzner for the past 7 years, and use a shared account, which is very cost effective. If your workforce is 5+ it may be worthwhile to look at something like Windows Small Business Server, where all your mail is delivered to an internal server and then distributed via Outlook, you can then use a VPN connection to the server to collect your mail from anywhere you have internet access. This is exactly the setup we use.

Personally I don't like using residential type ADSL services for business, rather pay the little bit extra and get the business service! The benefits are worth it!

[Mr_B]

I'm using 8ta, full signal and always running at HSDPA, avg around 3.6Mbits per second (450kb/s download) they can check on your address how signal will be. Currently they are growing, so probably not everywhere available yet. Here in PE, 100%

I would love to use 8ta at home, the 10GB for R199 promo is really cheap, but alas no coverage where I stay... it funny all around my house is 100% coverage, but there's a 1km dead spot around my house! :evil:

[Rebel 4x4]

I'm using 8ta, full signal and always running at HSDPA, avg around 3.6Mbits per second (450kb/s download) they can check on your address how signal will be. Currently they are growing, so probably not everywhere available yet. Here in PE, 100%

I would love to use 8ta at home, the 10GB for R199 promo is really cheap, but alas no coverage where I stay... it funny all around my house is 100% coverage, but there's a 1km dead spot around my house! :evil:

Damn, that's sad... That's probably why my speed is so fast, not everyone has it yet due to the towers they are still putting up.

[Harold]

Do not use Vodacom for your internet connection!
If you have a problem you can only lodge your complaint via their ‘Call Centre’ and then it comes to a DEAD stop.
They do eventually call you back with a few conciliatory remarks that the matter is been dealt with. If you do persist with your complaint someone else will phone – never the same person. Sometimes they promise to phone you back with an update – but this never happens, nor will they give you a number to phone back.

It is impossible to speak to any manager or technician and they will not give you a telephone number of any such person..

I will be happy to have Vodcom out of my life; seems like there are many that feel the same way.

Hope that someone from Vodacom reads this posting and sends it on to Piet Uys, Vodacom’s CEO