Most people will know what type of internet connection they have, but occasionally, you may not actually know for sure. For instance, if you move into a new house with an existing internet connection, you may not know whether it’s fibre optic or ADSL.
Fibre internet uses thin glass wires to send data in the form of light pulses from your home to the nearest data centre. ADSL, on the other hand, uses copper telephone wires for data transmission. This means that fibre is way faster than ADSL, not to mention being more reliable and secure.
WonderNet provides fibre connectivity to homes and offices in major cities in South Africa. Our network is expanding all the time, thanks to our partnerships with some of the country’s leading fibre network providers (FNOs). If fibre is not already available in your area, be patient because it’s on its way.
How to tell if you have fibre or ADSL
There is a very simple way to tell if your house has fibre or ADSL. Find your WiFi router and trace the connecting wire back to the wall – not the power cord but the actual wire that’s plugged into the port at the back of the router. This wire will lead to a box, called an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) if you have fibre.
A small fibre optic cable will lead from this ONT out of your house. If you have ADSL, the wire from your router or modem is more likely to plug into a telephone port connected directly to the telephone cables outside your house. Alternatively, the wire may be plugged into a Network Interface Device (NID).
If you can see either an ONT, a telephone port or a NID, then you can always try running an internet speed test. Since fibre is much faster than ADSL, you’re likely to see speeds of over 5Mbps (the average in South Africa is around 19Mbps). ADSL usually has speeds of around 1.5Mbps.
What if you don’t have fibre
If you establish that your house only has ADSL internet, then it’s time to join the 21st Century. Besides the advantages already mentioned, fibre internet offers more bandwidth than ADSL, which means that more data can be transferred at any single moment through a fibre optic cable.
Unlike copper telephone cables, which are prone to theft, weather and physical damage, fibre optic cables are more reliable as they are buried underground. This means that falling trees, severe storms and criminals cannot affect the connection.
What’s more, WonderNet offers symmetrical connections with the same upload and download speeds. These connections are not shared with your neighbours, so your speeds won’t be affected during peak times of the day.
If you’re unsure whether fibre is available in your area, visit our homepage and type your address into the @home search bar. This will display a map of your area and tell you whether fibre is available and which FNOs service your suburb. You can then sign up for a WonderNet package and be connected in no time.
If fibre is not yet available in your suburb, then you’ll just have to be patient. Many FNOs are expanding their networks every single week. So many smaller towns in South Africa already have fibre connectivity, so it’s only a matter of time before it comes to you.
If you live in a really remote part of the country, then you may have to settle for ADSL, mobile LTE or satellite connectivity for now. For more information about our fibre offerings or to get a quote for an internet upgrade, please contact us today or check if we’re connected to your address.
WonderNet brings affordable broadband internet to South African homes. We work alongside leading fibre network providers to maximise our reach and to offer fast, reliable and secure internet connectivity to your home. We are owned by SEACOM; one of Africa’s top information and communications technology (ICT) companies with an expansive network of subsea cables, landlines and fibre connections. WonderNet strives to offer the best customer service in the country. We will go above and beyond to ensure that our customers are satisfied with their internet access.
