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Scope of Services

This document outlines the scope of services we provide based on what customers are paying for. It also aims to define where our responsibilities end and when customers need to take responsibility themselves or involve other service providers.

Last updated: March 2024

What you are paying for on your Atomic invoice

  • Fibre line rental
  • Internet access
  • Support and advice via our email ticketing system
  • Router hardware, if supplied by Atomic

Our responsibilities related to the invoice items above

  • We’ll make sure your fibre line is healthy and stable, see Fibre Network Repairs below
  • We’ll make sure your internet access is fast and reliable, at the ONT/CPE Ethernet port
  • We’ll do our best to assist when things go wrong and be helpful with advice

What’s NOT included in your invoice

  • On-site support
  • Wifi support
  • IT support for your PC, laptop, phone or TV

Where our responsibility ends

  • The Ethernet port of the fibre ONT / CPE is the line between our service and your network
  • We can NOT take responsibility for your network and wifi equipment
  • It is your responsibility to give the fibre ONT / CPE stable power
  • It is your responsibility to make sure you have access to the ONT / CPE so you can check status lights and reboot it
  • It is your responsibility to make sure there is only one MAC address on the fibre line (not bridged).

Solving problems outside of the scope of our service

  • You can read up on the topic and help yourself
  • You can ask friends and family for advice
  • Sometimes you can get support from the people you purchased your equipment from
  • You can find paid on-site support options below
  • If none of these options work for you and you basically insist on free on-site support, we will have to ask you to find another ISP

Examples of things we can help with

  • Your fibre ONT/CPE breaks or your fibre cabling breaks
  • Your fibre line has low signal or packet loss
  • You find a routing problem to a website on the internet

Examples of things we can NOT help with

  • You find an area in your home with slow wifi and poor signal
  • Your security camera does not want to connect to your wifi
  • Your laptop locked to a corporate VPN has slow wifi speeds

Useful Guides

Basic Practical Advice

  • Make sure you have a laptop or PC with an Ethernet port
  • Ideally also have a 2nd Ethernet cable to test with, Cat5 or Cat6 spec
  • Power your router and ONT/CPE with a DC-UPS
  • It’s usually less expensive to upgrade your wifi router and get a DC-UPS than to pay for an on-site support service

Fibre Network Repairs (FNO Process)

  • It can take a business day or two for the FNO to repair a fibre line
  • The fibre networks usually schedule their own appointments
  • They will in some cases need access to your property

Hardware Returns

  • If we supplied hardware and a device is faulty, we will swap it within the first 30 days of use
  • If a device is faulty after 30 days, we can check its full supplier warranty (usually 12 months) and arrange a swap, but there will be a courier cost

Our Wifi Policy

From our signup form: I understand that Atomic will do its best to help and give advice, but cannot guarantee Wi-Fi performance and/or Wi-Fi coverage within my property.

Our Ethernet Testing Policy

A cabled test is the only way to isolate the fibre line in the troubleshooting process. The fibre networks require this test before we can open a support ticket.

From our signup form:  I understand that in order for Atomic to test the quality of the fibre line I may need to plug a computer into the fibre ONT/CPE with an Ethernet cable.

Fibre line troubleshooting is like printer troubleshooting: Sometimes the people who sold you your printer will ask you to print a diagnostics page before they can suggest a solution. The same goes for fibre internet. It’s usually cheaper and quicker if you can do your own basic troubleshooting. The alternative is to pay for a call-out and on site support services.

We STRONGLY suggest all customers have a laptop or PC with a gigabit Ethernet port. If you are not able to do a cabled speed test this can dramatically slow down the troubleshooting process and cause frustration. You will need to pay for a call-out to do something very basic.

We are in the process of developing a router which can do Ethernet testing (at high speeds). Please enquire if you would like details.

Our On-site Support Policy

From our signup form: I understand on-site IT support is not included in the monthly Atomic service fee. The Fibre Network Operator will be responsible for on-site installation and repairs.

Paid On-Site Support Option

On-site in-person support arranged by Atomic

  • Call-out fee: R600, includes first hour of work
  • Hourly rate: R600, if more than an hour is spent on site
  • It usually takes two business days to arrange a visit
  • If there is a long travel time and extra cost may need to be added
  • Hardware and cabling will be quoted and billed separately
  • The work can be added to your Atomic invoice
  • These costs may change. Prices include VAT.

More On-Site Support Options

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