PCFormat Forum Archive

GreyWolf wrote:stuart are you sure that MWeb doesn't use IS? Check out my speed test:



Does anyone else here use MWeb, cos for the past 2 days our connection has been horrendous.

GreyWolf wrote:ok, it seems we are on a package called "Uncapped starter" we have had this account since way before the new offerings, and these older accounts use IS. A quick look through ADVANCED's link shows that the network IS uses is experiencing problems.

GreyWolf wrote:Stuart, I have another q for you. Have you taken the complete MWeb package, including the line rental? if so, what does that mean exactly, if the line goes down, who is respnsible? Do they have technicians or do they still pass the buck to Telcom?

Stuart wrote:

GreyWolf wrote:Stuart, I have another q for you. Have you taken the complete MWeb package, including the line rental? if so, what does that mean exactly, if the line goes down, who is respnsible? Do they have technicians or do they still pass the buck to Telcom?

I haven't taken the complete package, for the simple reason that if I want to switch ISPs later it strikes me as a better idea to have my line held by Telkom.

As I understand it, Mwen doesn't have engineers who can work at Telkom exchanges in the street or whatever. What they can do is expedite any line issues you have, and they can do it far more effectively than you can as a single Telkom customer. That said, if there is a problem at the exchange they still have to rely on Telkom technicians to fix it. I haven't heard many complaints of ISPs passing the buck, but it certainly is a potential problem.

The truth is, where I stay (decently populated suburb in Alberton) the Telkom techies are reasonably quick at sorting out issues. I've had to log three faults with Telkom since I've moved in December, and each time my problem has been sorted out within a day or two--and one was over the Easter long weekend.

The only REAL benefits to moving your line to your ISP are: (1) it's typically a little cheaper, and (2) the ISP has a little more clout with Telkom than you as a single customer have. But when you consider the possibility of moving your ISP again in the future, and the potential administrative headache that accompanies that, I'm inclined to think it's better keeping your line with Telkom.

lancelot wrote:Well done!

Afrihost wrote:Hi <Name Removed>

Please note that our Uncapped ADSL terms of service
and the way we manage these packages will be changing
from the 1st of July.

Our uncapped accounts will be managed each day on an
hourly basis depending on the capacity available on our
network at that time.

Why are we making this change?

We have a certain capacity available on our ADSL network
for all of our Capped and Uncapped ADSL clients - If the
network is congested and slow at any time we will dynamically
manage our biggest uncapped users to ensure the best
experience for all clients across our network.


How will we do this?

We monitor our overall network usage on an hour to hour basis
and if our capacity is stretched we will dynamically shape and
throttle certain clients' uncapped accounts to relieve congestion.
These uncapped clients will be chosen based on their historic
bandwidth usage.


Who will this affect?

Based on our usage patterns over the last few months we have
calculated that this will affect 7% of our client base.

Uncapped users who have used the most bandwidth will start to
be throttled first if there is network congestion.

Capped accounts will never be throttled and will always be
unshaped and unthrottled.


If I am one of the top 7% will I always be throttled?

This depends on the usage of our network during any given
hour - We evaluate our capacity each hour and if capacity
opens up we will unthrottle uncapped users who may have
been throttled until such a time that the capacity is maxed
out again.


What if I am one of the 7% affected and I'm not happy?

If you need to get full speed consistently no matter your
usage then your best bet is to convert to a Capped ADSL
package that best suits your needs. You can instantly
change your package by logging into your Client Zone.

We understand that this may not be ideal for you and if you
are unhappy with your service then you can cancel your
account at any time of the month before the 25th and your
account will be cancelled from the 1st of the next month.


Will this affect me if I am on a capped account?

No - Your capped account will always be unshaped and
unthrottled. We will always give you as much speed as
your line and our network allows.


The reality is that currently 7% of our clients have the potential
to negatively affect the service of the other 93% of our clients.

We need to change our terms so that we can manage this as
well and as fairly as possible - It is our goal to ensure the best
possible experience for both the biggest and smallest of our
clients given the parameters we have.

If you have any questions please let us know.

Thanks and I hope you have a great weekend!

Warm regards

Gian

CEO, Afrihost.com