Spark's New Wireless Homeline Won't Accept Slingshot ISP?

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Spark's New Wireless Homeline Won't Accept Slingshot ISP?

PaulChristensen

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#250977 3-Jun-2019 17:20

Yesterday, I received my new wireless homeline modem and phones from Spark. I set it all up as instructed, and put my usename for Slingshot, plus my password. The advertising material said that it should go immediately on the internet. It didn't. So I spent all day going through all the instructions and all the setup sections on the Administration settings part of the modem, and I kept getting the message back "Your internet service has been blocked". Yet the instructions say that all I had to do was to enter the ISP username and password and it should happen. I have another Spark modem that worked through my copper landline and when I set it up for Slingshot, it went on line immediately with no problem!

I wonder if my ISP was Spark, the internet would have gone on line right way without me spending all day puzzling as to why it wouldn't?

Does this mean that the new fangled wireless home line that Spark is trotting out for its landline customers is a sneaky ploy for me to ditch Slingshot, which I have been very happy with for quite a number of years, and to sign up for a more expensive deal with less data and no roll over? It would be good if others out there are having the same experience as I am with this?

What's the point of having one modem for wireless home line with Spark, and having to use another modem over the old land line for my ISP? Doesn't make sense to me!

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#2250595 3-Jun-2019 17:24

I'm quite confused here. The Spark Wireless homeline goes via a Spark 4G connection. It is seperate from your other connection.

What router did they provide here? Also, why have you got this on-top of a Slingshot connection? Wouldn't it be better to consolidate all your services under Slingshot?

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MadEngineer

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#2250601 3-Jun-2019 17:32

Um, in addition to above, why have you ordered a device from spark when you’re with slingshot?

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#2250604 3-Jun-2019 17:35

Sounds like you order Internet through Slingshot, and Phoneline through Spark.

As a landline only customer, you have been offered to switch to wireless landline. This does not provide internet at all. It's just wireless landline.

The instructions with this package says nothing about configuring usernames etc.

I would be interested to know the sort of connection you have (or possibly had at this stage) with Slingshot.

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#2250625 3-Jun-2019 18:07

It sounds like Spark provided you with a phone service replacement - did you intend to swap the Internet service away from Slingshot?

Did Spark offer Internet access with new modem? Did you cancel your Slingshot account when copper was decommissioned?

Was there anywhere saying you could use a third party ISP on this wireless service?

There are lots of questions and I don't think this is the whole story.

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sbiddle

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#2250669 3-Jun-2019 19:14

You seem quite confused about what you've got - and what you've posted doesn't make a lot of sense either.

My assumpion is you had your landline with Spark and your broadband with Slingshot. Having both services with different providers is not that common now, especially as at one point this would have cost you significantly more than having them both with the same provider.

Spark are migrating fixed line POTS voice customers away as part of their plans to shut down their NEAX switches and the PSTN network in NZ.

If you're with Spark for voice and broadband they're either moving people to fibre with VoIP over the ONT or moving people to fixed wireless (FWA) offering VoIP voice and data over their 4G mobile network.

If you were with Slingshot for both phone and broadband nothing would change as they deliver voice using VoIP

As you obviously have voice with Spark and broadband with Slingshot, Spark are offering to migrate your voice connection to operate over FWA using their mobile network. It is NOT mandatory to move to this and your broadband is totally unaffected - it still uses Slingshot over your copper line.

I'm not sure why you're trying to use your new Spark router for broadband - it is not provisioned for this if it is simply a voice replacement.

PaulChristensen

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#2250670 3-Jun-2019 19:14

Spark offered the wireless home line and sent the modem and phones to me. There is a provision to go on to the internet under the 4G system. There is a section where I can enter my slingshot username and password into the modem, and I can put in the slingshot IP addresses. So, in theory, I should be able to access the internet through the Spark modem - unless Slingshot is not one of those ISPs that is supported by the 4G network. That could be a possibility. So, if I want to go on to the internet, I would have to cancel my Slingshot account, and go with Spark.

So, I have retained my Slingshot ISP through the copper landline because I don't see any reason for changing.

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cyril7

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#2250676 3-Jun-2019 19:29

Hi qs you have discovered slingshot is not supported on this spark 4g solution, only spark.

As others have suggested you are probably better to stay with the wired solution you had.

Cyril

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#2250677 3-Jun-2019 19:32

Can I also ask what was the thing that spurred you to make this change.

Cyril

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#2250678 3-Jun-2019 19:42

PaulChristensen:

Spark offered the wireless home line and sent the modem and phones to me. There is a provision to go on to the internet under the 4G system. There is a section where I can enter my slingshot username and password into the modem, and I can put in the slingshot IP addresses. So, in theory, I should be able to access the internet through the Spark modem - unless Slingshot is not one of those ISPs that is supported by the 4G network. That could be a possibility. So, if I want to go on to the internet, I would have to cancel my Slingshot account, and go with Spark.

So, I have retained my Slingshot ISP through the copper landline because I don't see any reason for changing.

I'm unsure where you got the idea from that you could enter your Slingshot details into the router and have Slingshot broadband over it. This is NOT the case.

Your new Spark modem and your existing broadband are totally unrelated to each other. Your broadband will continue to operate over the copper with Slingshot.

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#2250680 3-Jun-2019 19:45

cyril7: Can I also ask what was the thing that spurred you to make this change.

Cyril

Spark are sending out routers and cordless phones to people to actively migrate them off copper with many people under impression they have no choice as "the copper is being shuit down". If you want to proceed with the change you simply need to install the equipment and your number will then be moved to their VoIP platform.

Spark don't want to pay Chorus a cent more than they need to, and it's part of their move to be a vertically integrated telco again and save $$ that they would otherwise need to pay Chorus for a copper line.

This move is clearly causing plenty of confusion for people as we've already seen multiple threads on here.

If you don't want to make the move there is no requirement to do so.

farcus

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#2250683 3-Jun-2019 19:56

PaulChristensen:

Spark offered the wireless home line and sent the modem and phones to me. There is a provision to go on to the internet under the 4G system. There is a section where I can enter my slingshot username and password into the modem, and I can put in the slingshot IP addresses. So, in theory, I should be able to access the internet through the Spark modem - unless Slingshot is not one of those ISPs that is supported by the 4G network. That could be a possibility. So, if I want to go on to the internet, I would have to cancel my Slingshot account, and go with Spark.

So, I have retained my Slingshot ISP through the copper landline because I don't see any reason for changing.

I've just set one of these up for my parents.
It's a "plug in and starts working within an hour" device. No input from the user necessary at all (as the documentation points out).

However, the modem they provide for the wireless home phone (Huawei something) is the same as the modem they provide for wireless 4g broadband. These do not work with any BB provider other than spark - so I'm not sure where you got the idea that it would work with another isp.
You realise that modem has a spark sim card in it - so why do you think it would work with slingshot?
What 4g network do you think slingshot have?

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#2250685 3-Jun-2019 20:04

farcus:
What 4g network do you think slingshot have?

To be fair, slingshot do sell a mobile product... They are mnvo of spark.

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#2250692 3-Jun-2019 20:15

sbiddle:
Spark are sending out routers and cordless phones to people to actively migrate them off copper with many people under impression they have no choice as "the copper is being shuit down". If you want to proceed with the change you simply need to install the equipment and your number will then be moved to their VoIP platform.

To be clear, this product is all about improving the customer experience. Sure there is a cost saving of not paying chorus for the copper tail..but that's not the point of it all .

The 4g network will take voice lines without any real hit at all, however for the customers they will without a doubt have less outages than on a, standard copper line.
When averaged on a per connection to fault volume basis, its not uncommon to see a fault every year. Sure some lines never have any, but some have hundreds... Laws of averages..

Also means restoration for any issues is far more faster. Its not a cable that needs to be dug up. Its a tower with a far higher priority of service plus more than likely the customer is in range of multiple towers.

The bundle that is sent out contains a modem, phones that are proven to be compatable and a small ups device to provide backup service in a power cut (one could argue depending on area that makes you more fault tollerant to power cuts than a chorus line.)

Yes the Neaxs are going away, but they are replaced with the baseband ip product delivered from ISAM-V cards.
That's still a great option as far as spark is concerned, there is tons of work being put in to cross every T...

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#2250696 3-Jun-2019 20:21

hio77:
sbiddle:

Spark are sending out routers and cordless phones to people to actively migrate them off copper with many people under impression they have no choice as "the copper is being shuit down". If you want to proceed with the change you simply need to install the equipment and your number will then be moved to their VoIP platform.

To be clear, this product is all about improving the customer experience. Sure there is a cost saving of not paying chorus for the copper tail..but that's not the point of it all .

Oh, yes. You may not admit it to yourself, but the bosses count every penny they don't have to pay Chorus for using the copper network.

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#2250699 3-Jun-2019 20:30

Going back to the OP...

PaulChristensen:

Spark offered the wireless home line and sent the modem and phones to me. There is a provision to go on to the internet under the 4G system. There is a section where I can enter my slingshot username and password into the modem, and I can put in the slingshot IP addresses. So, in theory, I should be able to access the internet through the Spark modem - unless Slingshot is not one of those ISPs that is supported by the 4G network. That could be a possibility. So, if I want to go on to the internet, I would have to cancel my Slingshot account, and go with Spark.

So, I have retained my Slingshot ISP through the copper landline because I don't see any reason for changing.

In your instance you might be better off just asking to stay on copper and sticking to what your used to.

This is the difficult part of this whole thing, where to spark, Your a landline only customer. You dont have another RSP access tail there...

It does raise an interesting example, that maybe the information pack could probably include.

Plug your slingshot modem into the socket like normal and you should be back to up and working.

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