You can choose to pay your ZANLINK bill by cash, cheque or through bank transfers. Invoices are issued in USD but payments can be made in TZS as per the day’s exchange rate. Clients either pay against an invoice or just renew their next subscription period as they may deem necessary.

ZANLINK normally charges on monthly basis for the broadband services to its clients. Clients can however pay quarterly, semi annually or on annual basis as well. Services such as domain and website hosting are charged on annual basis. There are other fees such as set up fees for broadband, website development, LAN set up and hardware sales etc that are one time only. All other maintenance services are on recurring basis.

ZANLINK’s services are on pre payment basis. All payments for its services are required to be made before the beginning of the next subscription period. If payments are not made on time, the service disconnects automatically. ZANLINK normally keeps the accounts for customers open until the 8th of each month (or the next subscription period) before it gets automatically disconnected. Clients are required to pay bills on time to avoid inconvenience.

Once you settle your bill dues to ZANLINK your account gets reactivated and you can start using it again. It takes between 45 minutes to 2 hours for the account to get reactivated.

All billing and payment information can be obtained from our finance and billing department. You can call our general office line on 2237481 and ask for our finance department, visit our office or write to accounts@zanlink.com for further information on billing and payments.

ZANLINK broadband is a high speed, always on Internet connection that has capacity to transmit large amount of data at high speed. When connected to the Internet such a connection allows surfing or downloading much faster than a dial-up or any other narrowband connections. Broadband makes possible surfing at faster speeds, sending and receiving large email attachments and downloading music and video.

To provide a cost effective service - all broadband services are contended (shared). These contention ratios are applied in the backbone and international part of the network. A commonly applied contention rate is 50: 1. All customers are guaranteed the plan rate back to ZANLINK server room through the equipment to which they are connected. On the shared part of the network a 50:1 contention ratio would mean that the connection is shared by 49 others. In reality this is very unlikely to happen and the customer would find the connection much faster than dial-up modems. Broadband relies on individual users not making unreasonable traffic demands on the network to provide fast access speeds for all. If you are not getting the speed you expect, it can be due to the contention ratio but also due to many other factors including the congestion at the remote site you are accessing.

When the information flows from somewhere e.g. a web-page or a site to your PC you are “downloading” on the other hand when you send information e.g. request for a web-page, you are “uploading”

This is because we download (browsing, downloading clips, music etc) much more than we upload (a website address, a few clicks etc)

ZANLINK aims to provide fast, reliable service to all the broadband customers. Some customers try to hog disproportionate amount of available resources. Customers might select lower end plans for heavy work or make excessive use of peer-to-peer file sharing. This could result in 20% users using over 80% resources. High levels of usage by a small number of users risks reduced performance for all users. ZANLINK has the following options to solve this problem:

1. Lower the contention ratio
2. Provide more resources and increase the prices
3. Set download limits

The first two options are not fair to 80% users who use the resources sensibly. As such setting download limits is the best and fair solution. If any user requires higher limit he/she can upgrade to higher plan.

 

One GB is 1024 Megabyte or 1073741824 bytes. You can do the following with 1 GB download limit :

1. An average web page is about 50 kilobytes in size - so you could download around 20,000 web pages for 1 gigabyte.
2. An hour of surfing the web would be around 10 megabytes (200 pages) so you could surf non-stop for about 100 hours for 1 gigabyte.
3. An hour of streamed radio would use about 15-20 megabytes.
4. An hour of streamed video uses around 100-150 megabytes.
5. Playing an online game typically uses about 10-15 megabytes per hour.
6. Emails are very small - so 100 emails would be just 1 megabyte - or 100,000 emails for 1 gigabyte! (of course the attachments count extra)
7. A super-high resolution (5-6 megapixel) digital camera JPEG picture or typical MP3 music file is about 2-3 megabytes so you could download 350-500 of these images/music files for 1 gigabyte. Very few users would actually exceed the download limits set.

Both of these connections offer high speed Internet access respectively for home and office environment. In ZANLINK Broadband for business connecting more than one computer may be allowed along with other features like extra email addresses, domain name, web hosting space , static IP (for Select Plans only) etc

Yes, You can change your ZANLINK Broadband plan at any time.

No, you will be able to use the same equipment provided with your current broadband plan.

Yes, if you choose the right broadband plan, you would be permitted to connect more than one computer. However, all the users will share the bandwidth allocated to you.

When you are connected to the Internet, your PC is automatically assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address to identify it to the outside world. IP addresses can be dynamic (that typically change with each session) and static (that are permanently allocated to you). ZANLINK Broadband provides both dynamic and static IP depending upon the service plans that you have selected.

A static IP address may be required for certain services or applications you use. These typically include:

1. Running your own mail server (SMTP inbound).
2. Many VPN (virtual private network) implementations require one or both sides of the VPN to have a static IP address.
3. If you are connecting to your company network and need access through their firewall.

All our broadband plans come with e mail accounts such as yourname@zanlink.com. The numbers of e mail accounts vary with the package you select. All our e mail accounts come with the below features

• 100 MB storage space
• Global access with our web mail system. You can check your account from anywhere in the world.
• Pop3 IMAP4 and SMTP forwarding
• Spam filtering facilities
• Our mail server is protected with the latest antivirus software. However customers are advised to have their own antivirus protection for maximum security.

Either call or visit our Sales department who will advice you the best broadband plan for your requirements. The sales department shall advice you on the connection method depending upon your location and the best broadband plans as well as other value added services for you. You can either write to sales@zanlink.com, or call 255 24 2237481 to get more information on our broadband and other IT related services.

ZANLINK has a citywide fiber optical ring covering most parts of the Stone town and the outskirts where you can get connected via an Ethernet cable to your premises. If you are residing outside stone town or in Pemba we can provide connection to you via our Motorola Canopy technology. Please visit our Network coverage section to view whether your location is covered by our fiber optical ring or Motorola Canopy WAN. You can however always get this information by talking to our sales department who will arrange a site survey to determine the best way that you can get connected.

Once we receive your confirmed order, ZANLINK will do the necessary site surveys and arrange an Installation. It normally takes 1 day to install cable broadband and not more than 2 days to install a Motorola canopy connection. However if the installation is required in Pemba it may take between 3 and 5 days due to the transport and logistics entailed.

ZANLINK has covered almost all parts of Unguja and Pemba with its broadband services. There should generally be no problem if you require us to provide you with a new connection or if you shift location. However since we require to do a complete new set up the new set up charges will apply. Also if you were initially connected via our fiber ring and are moving to a place where we don’t have fiber optical coverage then we shall have to connect you using Motorola Canopy for which we shall require to charge you for the hardware.

No. The helpdesk is there to help you with problems relating specifically to the Broadband service from ZANLINK and/or the hardware/software provided by Zanlink. If you have purchased a product where hardware was not provided as part of the service, the helpdesk will not be able to assist you with it, and you should contact your hardware supplier. Malfunction of Computer Software/Hardware; Formatting of computers hard drive; IP address re-configuration; Internal Network problems, internal email/mail server configurations, PCs, Printers, other peripherals maintenance and repair are not our responsibility.

Most present day configuration PCs will run ADSL. The following minimum configuration is, however, recommended:
Processor 200 MHz (or better)
Operating System Windows 98SE (or higher)
RAM (memory) 32 MB RAM
Free Disk Space 125MB
SVGA monitor
CD-ROM Drive
Network Interface Card(NIC) with 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port with RJ45 socket

ZANLINK registers and hosts new domain names for clients. Apart from new domain name registration, ZANLINK can also host domains of clients that are hosted elsewhere with other providers. This means that if a client requires shifting the domain hosting to us from someone else, we can also accommodate that. The charges applicable are the same as registering and hosting new domains.

New domain name selected by clients depends upon its availability. If the domain name is already been taken by someone else then it is not available. We normally give emphasize to domains such as .co.tz, .or.tz as they are more Tanzanian oriented and easy to get than .com and .org.

In order for the domain to be registered, the client needs to present the below information to us:

• Name of the Organization/Company
• Name of contact person
• P.O. Box number
• Telephone number/mobile number
• E mail address

Either call or visit our Sales department who will advice you this service aspect. The sales department will advice you on the availability of the domain, applicable fees and other aspects related to this service. You can either write to sales@zanlink.com, or call 255 24 2237481 to get more information.

The domain name requires to be paid on annual basis and is renewable every year at the same cost.

You get 10 e mail accounts in the domain name that you register and host with us. You also get to do your own domain management. All our e mail accounts come with the below features

• 100 MB storage space
• Global access with our web mail system. You can check your account from anywhere in the world.
• Pop3 IMAP4 and SMTP forwarding.
• Spam filtering facilities
• Our mail server is protected with the latest antivirus software. However customers are advised to have their own antivirus protection for maximum security.

ZANLINK is only responsible to provide the e mail addresses in the domain and make sure they work fine. ZANLINK is not responsible to configure the e mail addresses on clients PCs or in their e mail programmes (outlook express, Microsoft outlook etc). Configuration of e mail address on Clients PC is their own responsibility. As long as the e mails are working online that is where our responsibility ends. All e mails are accessible on our web mail system as long as the client has the username and password for their e mails hosted by us.

It normally takes a minimum of 3 working days or maximum of 7 working days for the domain name to be registered.

ZANLINK provides web site hosting services for:

• Websites designed by us
• Websites designed by clients themselves for which they want hosting space
• Websites of clients that are hosted elsewhere but they want to shift the hosting to us

• First client has to register domain or shift their domain to us for us to be able to host the website in them. No website can be hosted unless there is a domain.
• The website contents has to be ready (designed and developed) to be uploaded into the domain ready to be hosted. Client can simply bring the website contents on disk/flash disk for us to upload it. If clients already have their domain then we can create a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and give access to clients to upload their website in the domain.
• Once the website is uploaded it will appear on web.

All of our hosting packages come with the following standard features

• 24 Hour FTP Access (file transfer Protocol). This means that the client is given access to their website that is hosted on our server so they can make any changes they require to the design or contents of their websites.
• Auto responders/ Forwarders
• Backup Facility
• PHP and CGI BIN
• Web mail
• Red Hat Enterprise Servers
• Statistics Program

4.  What is the payment period for web site hosting?

The web site hosting has to be paid on annual basis and is renewable every year at the same cost.

When we host clients’ web sites we are not responsible for making changes to their website contents or design. That is the responsibility of the client or their web designer themselves. We can however give them full FTP control of their website so the client or their designer can make the required changes to the websites. In an event where we have designed the clients’ website, then we can make changes for reasonable applicable rates.

ZANLINK has plans ranging from Bronze, Silver, Gold to Platinum with various hosting spaces to suit the needs of various businesses.

Either call or visit our Sales department who will advice you this service aspect. You can either write to sales@zanlink.com, or call 255 24 2237481 to get more information.

It normally takes a maximum of 1 working day for a website to be uploaded and hosted by us – provided that the domain is already registered and all the website contents are ready.

ZANLINK designs websites that can suite requirements of an individual, to small businesses as well as large Enterprises. Our services range from concept development, web design and development.

The time frame to accomplish the website designing depends upon how fast the client will provide the information for designing the website. ZANLINK normally takes between 10 working days minimum (for economic size package) to 30 working days maximum (for enterprise/corporate size package)

Client is required to provide ALL information/contents in a soft copy format to us. This information includes text, logo, pictures or graphics that the client requires to be included in the website. ZANLINK’s web designer consults and develops the web site concept with the client before starting to develop it.

ZANLINK’s web designer shall consult the client at every stage of the web site development so as to ensure that the website development is on the right track. The designer shall develop the front page template which once approved by the client is developed further with the information/contents that the client has provided.

After the website is handed to the client and the work is signed off, ZANLINK does not take responsibility to make any changes or addition to the website. Any such changes will be charged at the standard rate per upgrades. ZANLINK can however – as goodwill - extend a flexibility of up to 3 weeks to assist the client to upload any information that is not yet ready (due to unforeseen circumstances etc) by the above deadline.

The web designing/developing costs are one time only and not recurring costs.