Avoid fibre frustration!
Our support team would like to share three things which are proven to help customers avoid frustration with their fibre internet service:
1) A Laptop with an Ethernet Port or Ethernet Dongle
2) A UPS for your Fibre ONT and Wifi Router
3) A trusted techie or PC support service
If you already have these, well done! If you are not sure why you need these, please keep reading.
Ethernet Port
Why do you need a laptop with a physical Ethernet port? That’s so old and boring in these days of WiFi-only paper-thin laptops, right? Well, yes and no.
If everything is working perfectly, you don’t need an Ethernet port, but the moment something goes wrong you are going to wish you had one.
WiFi is not perfect. Routers can fail. Fibre networks have ups and downs, especially when operators have to do maintenance in your area.
The day you suspect there is something wrong with your WiFi or your fibre speeds, you are going to need a laptop with an Ethernet port to troubleshoot problems. Ideally make sure you have a Gigabit Ethernet port built into your laptop, or get an external Ethernet dongle, with a Cat5 or Cat6 rated Ethernet cable. Keep these somewhere in your home/office or in your laptop bag.
We could go on and on about how useful Ethernet ports are, but at this point, you are either convinced or you’re sceptical. If you are sceptical, that’s fine, but just be aware that the fibre network operators (Octotel, Frogfoot, Vumatel and Openserve) only let us open support tickets if tests are done with a laptop connected directly to your ONT with an Ethernet cable.
If you want more information about how to use a laptop and an Ethernet cable for troubleshooting, watch this video:
UPS
Loadshedding is back. Get a DC UPS with Lithium-Ion batteries to power your WiFi Router and your Fibre ONT.
Why? Because you’ll be online during loadshedding. You’ll be providing stable and clean power to your router and ONT while avoiding the risk of damage then the power goes on and off.
Your DC UPS will last many loadshedding cycles because of its battery type (similar to a mobile phone).
You can find these devices on a few online shops. They are often out of stock – especially in times of loadshedding, so be a good girlscout/boyscout and get one while they are in stock.
Where to find one? This changes fairly often, but go to your favourite online shop and search for something like “DC UPS” or “PoE UPS”.
Have a look at our guide for Fibre during Loadshedding
Trusted Techies and PC Support
If you are not technically inclined and “just want things to work” – we highly recommend getting a technical person or PC support company to help you install and configure your home wi-if and to have somebody you can phone if you have problems with your computer, TV or other devices. Sometimes this is a family member or friend. Sometimes it’s best to have professional help on call. PC support companies can also do remote desktop support these days – so they can help resolve the problem without even visiting your home or office.
We often suggest Cape PC Services: https://www.pcservices.co.za/ – but find one close to you or ask friends for more suggestions.
If on the other hand, you consider yourself very technical (ever compiled your own Linux kernel?), please consider joining our Telegram Community – this is where you will get the quickest and most technical answers.
Thanks!
If you have read this far, our support team would like to say a big THANK YOU. By being prepared and having these things ready, you are saving yourself future frustration and making it easier for us to help you when you need support and troubleshooting advice.
