VANILLA - internet services, simple.

ADSL Packages and Pricing

ADSL Benefits and FAQs

DSL Benefits and FAQs

Click here for information about our packages and pricing

What makes Vanilla ISP among the best in South Africa?

All of our accounts are essentialy uncapped, (unless requested), which means we will NOT cap you once you reach your given limit but merely charge a per MB rate for all over-usage.
No contracts! All accounts are billed on a month-to-month basis.
We offer flexibility in unshaped accounts through the usage of two networks. You can try a Verizon and SAIX and see what works best for you.
We offer complete packages which include everything you need, including your Telkom DSL line which can be order through us.

What is ADSL?

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is telephone line "add on" which needs a DSL modem installed by Telkom. With DSL you have an always available connection to the Internet at a much faster data transfer rates than a dial-up/isdn connection, and you are able to make and receive phone calls as normal while connected.

Below are a few of the benefits of using ADSL:

Always on! Means no per minute charges, just uninterrupted internet access.
Extremely fast (lowest latencies reported in SA)
Completely Open, use it for anything (unshaped for skype - with video, or similar)
Low startup cost (from R39 per month)
Uncapped - use as much as you need (at a per MB cost of 14-16c)

Why get DSL?

Maybe youre still happy with your simple dial up connection, and wouldnt it be a hassle to change? But there are now more reasons than ever to get DSL, and making the change is easy. As soon as you switch to Vanilla DSL, you will realize what the benefits are and how you will never look back. Instead of keeping a close eye on the phone bills, you know that you can surf the Internet for as long as you want, whenever you want - it is always on. More importantly, you can make phone calls at the same time.

If youre into music, skype, film, online gaming, or simply like surfing about, DSL is the best option.

Speeds

The standard and most popular rate is up to 384Kbps - this works out as roughly 8 times faster than dialup. Connections of as much as 4 Megabits per second (Mbps) are available, though unless youre a heavy Internet user, or are running a sizeable business, these probably will not be necessary for you.

Contracts

Most DSL providers oblige you to sign up for an initial 24 month contract, similar to contract mobile phones. However, all of Vanillas DSL Plans have no contracts. We work on a month to month basis, reason being is that we are in times of mass technological discovery. And if we wouldnt want to sign a 24 month contract, so why would you. No Contracts! You can cancel your subscription at any point. To put this in perspective, many ISPs make you take out a 12/24month contract. You don't want to be tied up, thats why we offer a month-to-month subscription.

What you will need?

You will need:

a computer
a DSL router - (we can provide you with several kinds)
a DSL line - we now order these on your behalf from Telkom. Please call 086 11 22 345 for more information
a DSL account - see our pricing here.
a DSL-capable telephone line. This you can check for yourself here: [DSL availability check]

Vital DSL settings

Have a look at DSL key settings.

Usage

Our service is NOT capped but we do charge for all usage over the threshold advertised. So if you use a Vanilla Tub (3GB) account, and you use more than 3GB of bandwidth, then we will charge you an additional 14c for every MB that you use over the original 3072MB that comes with the Vanilla tub package.

Check your [usage here]

What DSL speed do I need?

DSL line speed is an important aspect to consider when ordering a line. There are three DSL line speeds:

384 Kbps
512 Kbps
4 Mbps

384Kbps is the slowest line, but is 6X faster than your average ISDN line. It is also the most common line for home use, and is sufficient for: surfing the web, downloading email downloading files, music and streaming media.
512Kbps is perfect for the medium user. It is good for homes and businesses with large bandwidth needs. Good for downloading and having more than one connection.
4MB is for businesses and private individuals large data needs with multiple users. Also useful for setting up shared connections, e.g. more than one household.

Usually with more speed you will download more stuff, so dont buy a faster speed than you really need...

A huge misconception is that Kbps is Kilobytes per second. IT IS NOT. Many companies advertise the speed in "Kbps" because people will think it is Kilobytes when in fact it is kilobits. By the way 8 kilobits is equal to 1 Kilobyte, so the line is slower than it sounds. You do the math.

Whats the difference between unshaped and shaped DSL?

In simple terms, unshaped is a better, faster connection. It definitely works better for what are known as 'latency sensitive' applications. Online gaming (such as World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Everquest and others) and VOIP (Skype, Gizmo, your SIP PABX, etc) are examples of where you will see much better results with unshaped DSL. If you're a gamer please talk to us we have many gamers that use our service, for example http://games.saix.net]

In more technical terms, when your computer requests some data from another computer, it will request that service using a specific protocol [Port].e.g. HTTP protocol [Port 80] is almost always the browsing service.

In addition to the HTTP protocol, you also get:

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) [21],
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) [25],
POP3 (Post Office Protocol V3 [Guess])[125]
and a gazillion others...

Telkom has decided that because most users purchased DSL to browse with, they must make browsing look immensely fast, so they implemented a system where all HTTP(web-page) requests are processed before any other requests. This results in browsing being the most responsive service.

Telkom then gave email (SMTP + POP3) the next line in the priority stakes. Lastly, FTP [21] was included.

Now, if you request any other kind of service from Telkom Internet, you are going to have to wait for the other services to be serviced first.

This has very little effect on anything until the Internet gets really busy - like during office hours or in the evenings. So when you are browsing an international website, that takes say 30 seconds to respond, imagine how long it is taking for Mary to receive her stock take update on port 2342, which is of lower priority.

So to allow people like Mary to still receive her stock reports on port 2342 in a relatively timely fashion, the Unshaped Service was introduced. This is where no priority scheduling occurs and all data is returned and sent on a first come first served basis.

Self-install

Self install is a principle whereby the user would install the line by his or herself.

For Self install you would require the following hardware:

POTS filter (micro-filter)
DSL modem/router

As well as the following:

Calling us to order a DSL line, this essentially involves Telkom switching your telephone exchange to DSL
A simple Vanilla DSL account

Click here to learn more about Self Install DSL.

Dynamic DNS

South Africa's undeniable lack of reliable, and first-world DSL infrastructure is often the cause of some proudly South Africans abandoning their otherwise achievable project. With our forever changing IP addresses (unique codenames for our internet connections), we miss out on things such as CCTV cameras viewable from around the world, while many businesses are spending unnecessary large amounts of money on international bandwidth, communicating with local branches because they are forced to go through third-party international servers, such as [DynDNS], but no more! At Vanilla, we offer local Dynamic DNS support, meaning you no longer have to bother with complicated server settings, and most importantly, you and your business are saving time and money!

Do I have to sign a fixed-term contract?

No, Vanilla operates on a pay-as-you-use basis. Hence, you will be charged on a monthly basis. You can cancel your subscription at any point, should you feel unhappy with our services.

At what speed will my DSL service operate?

Is it 4096, 512, 384 Kbps?

This depends on your line rented, which we order from Telkom:

384Kbps:

Downstream: min 256kbps; max 384kbps
Upstream: min 64kbps; max 128kbps

512Kbps:

Downstream: min 416kbps; max 512kbps
Upstream: min 192kbps; max 256kbps

4096Kbps:

Downstream: min 640kbps; max 4096kbps
Upstream: min 256kbps; max 384kbps

The actual throughput of your DSL service depends on the DSL line speed (4096, 512 or 384 kbps) as well as on the traffic shaping and the protocols used, and the contention on the network.

Will DSL work in my area?

Vanilla works nationally, but requires you to have a Telkom DSL line. If Telkom can supply you with an DSL line at your location, Vanilla DSL will work for you. You can check on the Telkom website to see whether DSL is available at your location. [DSL Line Availability Checker]

Is DSL different to ADSL?

Yes and No. In South Africa it is the same and not an issue. It only a concern for the engineers.

I have more than one computer on a network. Can I use a Vanilla account?

Yes, Vanilla assist hundreds of small companies to connect their local networks to the Internet via a single dsl line and router. We also provide a premium fixed wireless connection (in some areas). Call us if you need assistance in setting up a business or home network.

DSL vs Dial-up vs 3G-HSDPA

You still cant decide if you should get DSL or Dial-up or even 3G? Have a look at our comparison page to learn more about the differences and advantages about DSL.

How do I configure my DSL connection?

I want to setup my DSL connection

Can I use more than one DSL ISP connection at the same time? (e.g. separate local and international)

Yes, if you want to conserve the premium bandwidth that Vanilla provides, one can now setup more than one DSL connection. This is an advanced requirement (used to save costs with combining a cheaper local only DSL account with a premium Vanilla account) and we suggest that if you have networking expertise, have a look at [Antibody - Route Sentry]

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