MTNL Triband: The whys and why nots. Review on MTNL Triband ADSL

Bandra(West), Mumbai.

MTNL ADSL Triband Rocks. Simple.

Excellent speed(I have a 256kbps connection), it's stable, uptime is good. The plans/packages unfortunately, SUCK.  But more on that later…

Why MTNL:

1. The other options were VSNL, cable operators offering YOU(Iquara?) and of course “good old” dial-up access. I start with VSNL broadband. I had to call them up thrice over a period of a week just to remind them that I’d logged an enquiry and that they were supposed to get back to me in 48 hours(Ha!)  That gave me some idea of how things might be later. More importantly, people who're using VSNL didn't seem happy at all with the service… read the reviews on mouthshut.com J

An Aside:

My concurrent experience with their sister concern Indicom was the clincher actually. I have a'Walky' so I tried getting a USB data cable so that I could connect to the Net(you know, vanilla style dial-up) Simple enough one might imagine. 4 visits spread over 18 months to their Worli Centre for the data cable, and everytime the same answer: "The cable is out of stock". I ordered it over the Net on their website. 6 weeks gone, no response. So I got onto their site again and ordered yet again. This time I got a prompt phone call telling me that the cable would arrive by VPP within 10 days. 15 days later, no sign of it. So I got a friend to pick it up and send it from the place it was supposed to be dispatched from: Bangalore. So, there I was, pleased as punch,  2 months and 21 days after ordering it, with a shiney new USB data cable for my Walky. Then the promised cable through VPP arrived. But wait! As they say, don't count your chicken before they're hatched. Dodgy drivers, bad /hardware issues: the 2 computers I used it on very often refused to recognize that a modem was even connected! So 3 days of intermittent internet connects, mostly frustrating fiddling around, reinstalling  and the usual fussing around…So their service engineer turns up(very promptly I must say) only to inform me that the cable has gone bad(!) How bad can a cable go in 3 days of use I ask him. and he(again, very promptly) tells me that this is a common problem with the USB cable for the Walky . and then helpfully adds that if the cable works for a week, then all is well. I didn't know if should laugh or cry.

It finally dawned on me: the reason why this cable is so difficult to get hold of is because Indicom doesn't know how to handle it. Anyway, I'd just about had it with Indicom, and decided to dump this Indicom altogether. Maybe they will realize someday that customers expect the services they’re promised.

Sorry for that long digression.

1. Why not the friendly neighborhood cable-guy?

Nobody guarantees bandwidth the way that an ADSL ISP(MTNL in this case) does. The shared bandwidth model is a serious drawback when using Cable Internet(I’m open to being corrected here.) Worse still, no matter how good an ISP claims he is, the “last-mile” is usually the cable-guy’s responsibility. I used to have a SIFY broadband cable connection in Delhi about 2 years back and it was an unmitigated disaster. Even the SIFY guys couldn’t handle the cable operator… and this is the common refrain anywhere cable operators are involved. Pathetic.

1. A word on Airtel: Strange, but they service buildings, not localities. Their way of ensuring quality I guess. Good luck to them. I used to have an Airtel connection in Delhi, and I SWEAR it was the best thing since Sarika's figure(for those who remember.) Unlimited access at 64kbps for just Rs 699 a month. Oh, I REALLY wish my building had Airtel L

Now onto MTNL:

It's stable, fast, reliable. The supplied ADSL “modem” is actually a feature packed residential gateway/router that allows you to connect 2 computers to it and share the connection(one on the USB port, the other on and RJ-45 port.) The guy that came to connect the modem swore that I could NOT share the connection since the modem’s USB port would NOT work. I would have to invest in a “sharer”(Rs 3, 000, thank you) Was I glad when he was proved totally wrong! The USB drivers installed easily on both my computers, and worked perfectly with the modem. The modem I’m talking about is the 318 Series Utstarcom … Chinese, for those who care. Configuring the modem is easy to configure.if you are the tinkering type that is.

Downers:

You need to have their voice service, only then can you go for the big one: Triband. MTNL is downright niggardly when compared to ISPs like Airtel(ref plan mentioned earlier) when it comes to spreading those precious MBs. Their unlimited data access plans are something only a sadistic Babu in a dingy, dungeon-like office can come up with. Beat this: The plan that does let you have unlimited access from 12am to 8am requires you to PHYSICALLY switch the modem on and off at these times. Bizarre. Thankfully, there is a simple software solution to this, which can be automated… I’d be glad to share this with anyone who asks for it here. The MTNL web page which allows you to view the status of your internet useage is erratic. About 50% of the time it’s down. Even when it works, one finds duplicated session periods, strange numbers about data used, etc, etc. you need a Shakuntala Devi(at least) to figure the gibberish there. Sad. Linesman. Yes, the dreaded linesman. Why OH why can’t MTNL clean up these warts that blight the arse of the digital revolution?! They want money for simply getting that precious twisted copper wire line to the box at the bottom of your building. I must add here that they have that ‘certain’ histrionic skill …. enjoy the Tamasha… the huffing & puffing… all put on for your benefit. don't pass out when these digital era Uriah Heeps demand money for “internal rewiring” when it already exists in your house. Shame! Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Sometimes I think these Sarkaari behemoths miss the attention they used to get in earlier times… and much like a child coping with the arrival of a sibling, will do everything to catch your attention. Can I please submit applications for your voice and broadband services at the same time… you know, like your website says I can? Sorry, NO. Come back again. Can I please apply for an STD connection while applying for the phone service? Sorry, NO. Come back again.(But the website says I can!) Can I please please please have my phone number given to me when I apply? Hai la! You really are a demanding one aren’t you?! You really must be the BCFH(Brd Customer From Hell) Sapatnekar used to warn us about!

Well, maybe this neglected Sarkaari child needs to understand that all of the above are possible with non-Sarkari phone companies.

Now I’m waiting for the next shocker… the bill… don’t know just what all that gibberish on the website is going to translate into.

Lord have mercy.