What is the difference between unshaped and shaped ADSL line?
Shaped Service- The programs that you run on your computer work using something called port addresses. A port address can be used to group programs into certain classes. If a program connects on port 80, we can be pretty sure that the program is used to browse web pages. If a program connects on port 25, we can be pretty sure that program is used to send mail. If you consider what type programs you use everyday, you will realise that it is a fairly small suite and these programs are common to almost all internet users eg web browsers, mail programs and file transfer programs. A shaped service gives higher priority to these types of "common" programs. Since the programs that are prioritised are well defined, bandwidth is easier to manage and the service can be made cheaper. The shaped service should be good enough for almost all internet users.
Unshaped Service- Ports are not prioritized in an unshaped service which implies all programs get the same priority as all others. This service may be useful to you if you are using a program that most people do not use such as a stock trading program or a game that requires quick response times to international servers. Since the programs that require high priority are not defined, more bandwidth needs to be provided so that it appear that all programs are working equally fast. As a result this service is much more expensive
What is a rollover top up?
We offer two types of topup options, a normal topup and a rolled topup. When you do a normal topup of 1Gig, whatever you do not use in the month is lost. If you do a rolled topup (which costs an additional R20), whatever you do not use in that month is carried over (rolled) to the following month only. It does not carry over to the subsequent months.
how long does it take after I top up to before I can surf freely again?
Once you have topped up online, your topup will be active within 10 minutes, you may have to reboot your ADSL router.
How do I cancel?
We require two calendar months written notice by fax or email. Please send a signed fax or email to info@scottnet.co.za or 0866 953 159.
Note: Stopping your debit order or not returning the required documentation or not using your account does not constitute a cancellation.
What is the difference between ADSL line rental and telephone line rental?
Telephone line rental is the amount that you pay Telkom for having a normal (ie not prepaid), telephone in your house. You pay this amount irrespective of whether you have ADSL or not.
ADSL line rental is the amount Telkom charge for provisioning the ADSL service on the existing piece of copper that your telephone uses. Even though the service works on the same piece of copper that your telephone does, for all intents and purposes it acts as a seperate line and it has its own cost. So in summary, when we talk about an "ADSL line" what we mean is the ADSL service that works on the same piece of copper as your telephone and "ADSL line rental" is the cost of having this service
How do I report spam that was sent to my e-mail address?
When reporting spam please forward the orginal spam mail to support@scottnet.co.za, please ensure to the senders email address is visable as we will need to blacklist the email address.
What is a Threshold?
A Threshold is a 3 months rolling average of a customers usage. If he exceeds the threshold specified, then he gets throttled until his 3 month rolling average is below the threshold again. The system is designed to reward those users who have taken the product for the convenience of having a fixed price for their internet and to punish users who have taken the product because they believe this product gives them the right to download the entire internet.
An example of how a threshold works:
Lets say as an example you choose our softcap service on a 384kbps line you will see it has a threshold of 20 gigs, this basically means over a rolling period of 3 months you have 60 gigs to use. Your usage may be as follows:
Month 1 = 25 gigs
Month 2 = 18 gigs
Month 3 = x
You will get throttled if (25 + 18 + x) divided by 3 (for the 3 months rolling period) exceeds 20 gig (as that is your 20 gig threshold) so if x = 17 gig or less you will be fine and you will be below your threshold. If x = 18 gigs or more you will be throttled as you would have exceeded your threshold. Please note Gigs used both inside and outside the throttled pool will count towards the threshold.
Still not sure what a threshold is? Contact Us and we will happily answer any questions you have.
Why do you call your accounts softcap accounts and not uncapped?
Despite most companies advertising of uncapped ADSL, we do not believe there is such a thing as a true uncapped ADSL in South Africa as all uncapped ADSL's have a Fair usage policy. The actual terms of each policy may vary but this still gives the Internet Service Provider the ability to throttle your account or in extereme cases cancel your account completely if they feel you are abusing the uncapped service. We at ScottNET have realised that this is not true and honest to our clients to have a fair usage policy that no one understands nor cares about which is why we do not advertise uncapped, we sell Softcap accounts because they have a threshold and are not truely uncapped.
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