SmartyPants

Different Modems... One works

Enough to give me a fit...

It's wonderful to get a new laptop! Vodacom has these wonderful specials whereby you sign a 36 month contract and get a laptop and bandwidth into the bargain. I used my upgrade to get a new HP.

Not long before the problems started. The modem had to be installed, that much is normal. The Vodafone software comes on the CD. Follow the instructions and everything should be OK, not so? To start off with, yes. I connected and there it was: Suddenly I discover that there is firmware on the Vodafone modem that installs itself when you plug the damn thing into the USB slot (Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite). This wouldn't be such a problem if the software actually worked on Vista. Not only that but it works well enough to interrupt my perfectly good connection with the VMC software (Vodafone Mobile Connect) usually somewhere in the middle of an important download. Not only that: I usually have to reboot to get the VMC software to work again. After spending a whole afternoon on the phone to "111 from my Vodacom phone”, making a trip to my mercifully nearby Vodacare at Westgate to update the firmware on the modem, only to reinstall the software that works (VMC- the newly upgraded VMC Lite didn't work after all) I eventually followed my wife's advice: “Use my iBurst modem and see what happens”.

Four minutes later I was online without a single problem with software, hardware or firmware That is why I decided to make this short comparison between the Vodafone and iBurst modems:

Vodafone:

- The modem is big and on an uncomfortably short, stiff cable which will eventually wear out your USB port, and gets in the way in any case.

- The modem is released with outdated software which gives problems on all Vista computers (according to one of the four friendly support folks I spoke to on Vodacom's 111 client services line)

- Even the CD included with the modem has outdated software (VMC 9.1) which will only detect the strongest 3G signal (also according client services) and actually should be upgraded to VMC 9.3 if you insist on going the Vodafone route.

4/10 for all my trouble and the fact that they didn't warn me upfront to get my firmware upgraded. Obtainable from any Vodashop.

iBurst:

- The modem is small and fits neatly into the USB slot with any strain.

- The software installs without any problems and works with no problems.

- iBurst has enlisted the services of Dial-a-Nerd to do free installations.

8/10 Because it works. Go to www.iburst.co.za for more info.

Both Vodacom and iBurst have the same coverage so neither is better than the other on that front. See this coverage area at www.vodamap.net/3g/. Both cost R249-00 per month for 500 MB (50c per MB) and R1-20 per MB after the bundle is depleted. Larger bundles cost more.