Isps - Any Good Ones?

[ubergnome]

I'm looking for recommendations for a good ISP.

So far, ours has been a nightmare. Difficult to connect, dropped lines, slow speeds and non-existent tech support.

Is this the norm in LOS, or are there any solid ISPs out there?

Thanks for your feedback!

[camerata]

I'm looking for recommendations for a good ISP.

So far, ours has been a nightmare. Difficult to connect, dropped lines, slow speeds and non-existent tech support.

Is this the norm in LOS, or are there any solid ISPs out there?

Thanks for your feedback!

Try the big ones - CS Loxinfo or Inet. But if you live upcountry, all bets are off. And stay away from services using the TOT's 1222 access number.

[Topprofile]

I'm using Jasmine Internet (JI-Net).

60 hours pre-paid modem connection for 320THB and you get 50MB email box if you want.

Don't know about the support cause I never needed to contact them.

[ubergnome]

I live and work in Ban Phe, the little town that smells like fish on the way to Ko Samet, down the coast from Rayong. Spend a lot of time online for work. Well, it's been better today, but the loxinfo dialup is pure ###### most of the time, and tech support - forget it.

I was thinking of trying Pacific internet, and may as well try Ji-net too. It's cheap enough.

Cam, thanks for the tip off on 1222, I was thinking of trying that.

[ubergnome]

Oh, wow. Apparently the word ###### is out of bounds.

Shocker.

That's a 4 letter word that starts with h and ends with l.

[taxexile]

i use ksc 50 hours cards at 259 baht, never had any problems other than sometimes it takes 3 or 4 diallings to get a connection, but once on the connection is solid. i am in bangkok.

[stumonster]

I am in bangkok..

the first ISP I used here was the clickta connection I got free for 6 months when I had a telecom asia telephone line installed in an appartment, and apart from 3 hour session times that was perfect...

where I live now I have a TOT line and I have tried several different ISPs

KSC(samart) 259baht(220baht from panthip) 50 hours 8 hour session limits - acceptable, sometimes it locks up or drops out but this is the one I am using now

IDEAnet 450baht unlimited 1 month, 4 hour session limits - was rather hopeless, very hard to get a modem, though the connection worked ok when connected

clickTA - 15 day unlimited, 3 hour session limits - hard to get a modem

clickTA - 15 hours, 3 hour session limits, 159baht - hard to get a modem

as you can see none seems to be the greatest, I am following the adsl thread with interest, I would be quite happy to pay 1000baht per month for an always on, 50 Mbits/sec minimum ,no download limit connection

[mike100]

I am in Pattaya.

Have been using TT&T’s T-Net 30 days unlimited service at 335B for the last 6 weeks. Changed from CS Loxinfo after long (phone busy) log in problems.

Maximum connection is 3 hours, and it was fairly good for the first month.

Since then it has been very erratic, often connecting and refusing stored user name and password, and some days connecting but timing out on almost every site you try.

Very bad for the last week, hard to get though to their customer services, and TT&T’s local office do not want to know saying they can’t provide any help.

Not recommended even at this low price.

[ubergnome]

Not recommended even at this low price.

I think that about sums it up for internet in Thailand.

As mickey mouse said in another thread:

Summed up this is my conclusion. The Internet in Thailand SUCKS! If you are coming here planning to work on the Internet you'd be better off walking the streets for the go-with-man game than trying to make any money on the net.

Funny thing is, we had better connections and speed with webnet cards you get at 7-11. I thought having a monthly account you'd actually get better service, but not so. And you don't save much money, either. Now I think if you've got a decent connection with one of those temporary accounts, you get anything around 38k speeds and you only have to make 2 or 3 connection attempts, then hey, you've got it good! And you didn't have to go thru the hassles of signing up with a Thai corporation.

a word to the wise.

[bkk_mike]

Until I got ADSL, I used Inet Access cards from Internet Thailand.

Apart from the 8 hour connection limit, I had no issues with them, and cost varies from 5 baht/hour after midnight to 9 baht/hour on weekdays 8am-6pm. (Although that's from the price on the card - which isn't what you actually pay for it most of the time... - i.e. I paid 650 baht for the 700 baht cards).

Possibly because of the times I logged in at (afternoon/evening normally), I never had a problem getting a line either, and usually connected at 52K, or 50.6K, although that's more an issue with your own line normally.

I am in Bangkok, and other forums seem to admit that Bangkok does seem to get better service than elsewhere. As for the hour-limited cards - you do seem to get what you're paying for... at least in terms of speed when accessing international sites, and reliability in terms of the connection staying up.

[monty]

I use IPTV (in Pattaya) but this system still uses a good old modem connection for the uplink.

My modem connection hardly ever has problems, gets connected mostly from the first time and being online 24hrs/day I seldom have more then 2 disconnects a day! My average uptime is 23:55 a day...

It took me some experimenting with which phonenumber to use. Since CScoms and Loxinfo merged into CSLoxinfo all their access numbers are usable, even if you have originally subscribed with Cscoms, now you can also connect through Loxinfo's numbers...

Ubergnome, try the cheapest webcard from csloxinfo, and the try the accessnumbers from both loxinfo and cs for Rayong area. It takes som trying but most probably you'll end up with a decent connection...

038627999 ( 56K,VPDN)

038928000 ( ISDN)

038627000 ( 56K)

038800348 ( 56k)

[ubergnome]

try the accessnumbers from both loxinfo and cs for Rayong area. It takes som trying but most probably you'll end up with a decent connection...

038627999 ( 56K,VPDN)

038928000 ( ISDN)

038627000 ( 56K)

038800348 ( 56k)

The 627 #s are local, & the others long distance from where we are.

I have connections setup for both the 627 #s, have them set on 3sec. redial and bounce back and forth between them until I get a connection. Doing this, I can now ususally get online in 5 minutes, it's quicker early am and late pm, natch, but last nite for example around 8:30 it took about 20 min. Lowering the modem buffer settings seems to have helped.

Still can't get over a 26k speed. Well at the moment I've got 28.8 which is a real rarity. Have been making system and modem adjustments to help get this up, so far nothing's worked.

[Firefoxx]

I used Samart before getting DSl, and it was pretty decent. Connections of 50k-53k, lines which are usually not busy. Paid about 400/month for unlimited service that cuts every 5 hours.

I have 3 phone lines in the house, one TA and two TOT. The 56k modem is connected to the TA line. I once tried using the TOT lines, and the speed dropped dramatically for both. In other words, your phone line can affect the speed.

[monty]

Ubergnome,

as a test, try using 038 257000 or 038 258000 (Loxinfo Pattaya)

Also 038 360333 and 038 790339 (CS Pattaya)

These will be long distance for you (at 3 Baht/minute) so stay connected for a short time only. These lines normally always have modems free, as well they are a mix of both TT&T and TOT numbers.

If you can't get a decent connection on any of these numbers, there is indeed something wrong with either your pc/modem or your telephone line.

If you get a good connection, the local nodes in Rayong are the reason of your problems!

I connect at any of these numbers from the first time with speeds never below 45 kBps. As well I get hardly disconnected (except for the CS numbers, they kick you out after 8 hours sharp). This with using a 300 Baht Rockwel internal modem!!!

Every problem I ever had boiled down to faulty telephone lines! Very hard for a Government monopoly to admit that any of their lines might be anything less then perfect

Hopefully some how we can isolate the cause of your problems...(apart from occupied phonelines of course)

[ubergnome]

Firefox, will try Samart. Sounds like a good deal especially if it's smooth.

Monty, will try your suggestions too.

Thanks : )

u

[stumonster]

ubergnome,

you might also want to check the connections in your phone line from the junction box to your phone socket, many of these I have encountered just have the wires twisted together and can cause corrosion/resistance problems.

4 core phone wire costs about 4-5baht per metre at your local hardware, so you might want to re- run the line. Be aware that there is ~50vdc on the line

[monty]

As Stu says, phone line is the most important link!

Check all connections, at least the ones you have access to...

Had one time a problem which looks the same as yours...

ISP modem always answered, handshaking went well but then got stuck on verifying password/username... When after several tries a connection got established it was at very low speeds (sub 28kbps.)

Mostly was better early morning and late evenings. During the day there seemed to be a hum on the phoneline which was absent in the evening!

Never got solved as I moved on to another place where I suddenly got good connections using same ISP...

[lopburi3]

Check all connections, at least the ones you have access to...

Third that suggestion and will add that computer must have a good ground or you may be picking up radio stations etc and they don't help the connection speed much.

[ubergnome]

When I log on with my Mac, it always gets connected immediately and I get 40k speeds.

Could be something to do with the modem protocols. My modem takes forever to pick up. I've tried all kinds of different settings for it but same same. (Oh, been in TL too long)

See the other thread on this...

Never say die...

[RDN]

I'm looking for recommendations for a good ISP.

So far, ours has been a nightmare. Difficult to connect, dropped lines, slow speeds and non-existent tech support.

Is this the norm in LOS, or are there any solid ISPs out there?

Thanks for your feedback!

Try the big ones - CS Loxinfo or Inet. But if you live upcountry, all bets are off. And stay away from services using the TOT's 1222 access number.

Very interested in your comment "stay away from services using the TOT's 1222 access number" because I use Pacific Internet's "X-Treme Internet 1222" which costs 349 baht for 30 days unlimited downloads.

I used to get 48 Kbps connections in Rawai (Phuket) but now get 42.6 Kbps connections in Chalong, but I suspect the telephone cable (which has been moved) is giving a problem. I have no idea what the actual download rates are, but with a connection session time of 3 hours, I'm not too worried - I get all the mp3's I want and leave it running when I go to bed.

Can you say what you think is the problem with the 1222 number?

[camerata]

Very interested in your comment "stay away from services using the TOT's 1222 access number" because I use Pacific Internet's "X-Treme Internet 1222" which costs 349 baht for 30 days unlimited downloads.

Can you say what you think is the problem with the 1222 number?

The problem with 1222 is that it's TOT's cheapo answer to TA's ClickTA service, and they outsourced the operation to Hatari, a Thai company set up to do phonecard business. Because of this there seems to be no accountability when things don't work. I've seen (i.e. in the Bangkok Post) and heard a lot of complaints about 1222, particularly busy signals and the cicuits between upcountry provinces and Bangkok going down. In fact, Post Database doesn't print some of the complaints it gets because they are so rabid. ;-)

If an ISP provides a service using TOT's 1222 or 1248 (ISDN) number, it has to lease a circuit to TOT's network, which makes it exactly like the ADSL model, sharing bandwidth via a contention ratio with other users - with all the problems that creates.

However, I guess it varies from area to area and your experience seems to be very positive. 1222 and ClickTA were launched by the telcos primarily to provide them with increased call revenue, hence the 2/3 hour session limit. I doubt they make money on the Internet access charges. But I must say that even though these services hit the ISPs' business hard, the country is better off with them. There are lots of not-so-well-off Thais who don't mind dodgy quality as long as the price is right.

[RDN]

The problem with 1222 is that it's TOT's cheapo answer to TA's ClickTA service .

Yes, I used to use Click TA - 750 baht for 3 months PLUS telephone charges on top. That's why I am so pleased with Pacific's Extreme 1222 - 350 baht per month, unlimited download and 3 baht for 3 hours.

[lopburi3]

which makes it exactly like the ADSL model, sharing bandwidth via a contention ratio with other users - with all the problems that creates.

Please don't tarnish ADSL as it is not a share system by design; or as provided by most ISPs. You should have full contracted speed at any time as it is your phone line being used and nobody else has access to it. Once into the internet all bets are off as then there may be delay as that is a share system.

It could be that some of the cheaper services are combining customers prior to the internet computer but that is not an ADSL issue. There should be a path between you and ISP that allows the full bandwith/full time.

[camerata]

Please don't tarnish ADSL as it is not a share system by design; or as provided by most ISPs. You should have full contracted speed at any time as it is your phone line being used and nobody else has access to it. Once into the internet all bets are off as then there may be delay as that is a share system.

It could be that some of the cheaper services are combining customers prior to the internet computer but that is not an ADSL issue. There should be a path between you and ISP that allows the full bandwith/full time.

Well, the reality is that on all ADSL systems here there is a physical cicuit between the ISP and the ADSL provider. This is where the sharing takes place. Some ISPs may offer a 1:1 contention ratio or a dedicated circuit for a LOT of money, but that isn't the norm. Usually, they are offering 1:10, 1:20 or 1:50. If you do a Google search on "contention ratio" you'll see this is common around the world. It's the same for cable here too.

[lambous]

I'm about to move to Bangkok and have come to the conclusion that it may be safe to go pre paid before commiting to anything more as immediate internet connection will be vital.

Would 7-11 be the best place to pick up pre paid cards? Are the big isp prepaid cards sold in 7-11 or do I need to look elsewhere?

Any help would be tops

[RDN]

I'm about to move to Bangkok and have come to the conclusion that it may be safe to go pre paid before commiting to anything more as immediate internet connection will be vital.

Would 7-11 be the best place to pick up pre paid cards? Are the big isp prepaid cards sold in 7-11 or do I need to look elsewhere?

Any help would be tops

If you want the same package that I use - Pacific Internet's "X-Treme Internet 1222" (and I know some people have problems with the 1222 service ) - I can only find it at Tesco Lotus superstores - in the SE-ED bookshop. Many shops sell pre-paid packages but not this cheap and not with unlimited downloads or not on a local number (3 baht for 3 hours). But finding this package is like looking for rocking-horse sh1t. I bought 6 packages when SE-ED got more stock in, but beware other shops that say "they don't do it anymore" or "this package is the new one that supersedes the other one". It's all bullsh1t! The people in these shops smile, look you straight in the eyes and lie through their pretty white teeth

[ubergnome]

I've been out of the office for a week...interesting to catch up on this thread.

We are deadset against staying with Loxinfo any longer than necessary.

Here's the POA... try several other ISP's dialup pkgs and find the one that works the best for the short term. Also am working with modem mfrs. tech support to see if anything on that end helps.

Then I think GPRS makes the most sense for something like broadband, tho still have to read up on that one. I'm sure it's not perfect either.

As for dialup, someone said Inet is a good one.

Anyone have experience with Inet??

[RDN]

I've been out of the office for a week...interesting to catch up on this thread.

We are deadset against staying with Loxinfo any longer than necessary.

Here's the POA... try several other ISP's dialup pkgs and find the one that works the best for the short term. Also am working with modem mfrs. tech support to see if anything on that end helps.

Then I think GPRS makes the most sense for something like broadband, tho still have to read up on that one. I'm sure it's not perfect either.

As for dialup, someone said Inet is a good one.

Anyone have experience with Inet??

I normally use Pacific Internet's X-Treme 1222 but your post reminded me that I had some credit left with Inet-Easy - so I am using it now. I got the same lousy connection speed (42.6 Kbps) so I've clearly got a bad line, maybe bad connections within the house or just bad to the exchange.

The Inet-Easy 800 baht package costs about 9 baht per hour with a session time of 8 hours. But I've never stayed on that long because I didn't know then that local calls were only 3 baht per connection!

The X-Treme 1222 costs 349 baht for 30 days, 3 hour session time, local number (1222).

I've had problems connecting to both ISPs and cannot recommend one one the grounds of reliability or speed.

If you use 8 hours per day (one session), Inet costs (8*9)+3 = 75 baht / day.

If you use 8 hours per day (three sessions), X-Treme costs (349/30)+(3*3) = 21 baht / day.

(Somebody check my logic and arithmetic, please ).

If you use 3 hours per day (one session), Inet costs (3*9)+3 = 30 baht / day.

If you use 3 hours per day (one session), X-Treme costs (349/30)+3 = 15 baht / day.

So X-Treme looks a good deal - probably why my neighbour recommended it to me!! (And probably why finding it - as I said before - is like finding rocking-horse sh1t )

-----------------

Edited, later that night:

Inet-Easy just cut me off after 90 minutes. You pays yer money and takes yer choice...

[frodo]

I've been using easy connect for the past three-months. It's 8baht per hour, bills are sent to my home, don't have the hassle of the connection being lost when a card runs out. Don't have to shop around in crowded places looking for the "best deal" of the week. It's no better or worse than any of the others I've tried (KSC, Loxinfo, Samart, etc) Just use the dial-up connection 029000000, use the username Easy, and no password required.

[ubergnome]

I finally just ditched that Loxinfo account and got a I-Net Easy card 80 hrs for 800 Baht. So far it's connected 1st attempt every time in under 1 minute and I've broken the 28k speed barrier: 31.2k, wow. Now if I can just get my speed up.

Goodbye Loxinfo.

It seems to make sense just to keep on with these temp accounts, maybe have a few on hand - Pacific's Xtreme and Samart also have some good deals. I don't think it's worth the hassles signing up for a monthly account and being tied to the ISP if things go bad.

Broadband would be the exception, if and when that becomes reliable and good value.