Too Good To Be True?

[luke256]

Hello,

Im moving to bkk in sept and need to find a good high speed internet connection. I will be running an small office out of our house with around 5-10 computers. I have read been visiting this forum on and off for a few months reading up on peoples experiences. People seem to think that TRUE is the best of a bad lot, so I looked into TRUE dsl packages and found the following page.

http://www.truecorp.co.th/index.php?name=p...ail&promo_id=20

It has the following list of speeds / prices.

512/256 750

1024/512 890

2560/ 512 1,150

3072/512 1,850

4096/512 2,200

I understand that my international bandwidth will not be at the speeds above. I don't mind spending anything upto 3000 a month. However I need at least 512/256 unlimited international bandwidth (1024/512 would be nice). Which option should I go for ? Has anyone signed up? How is the service?

Also it says you have to use one of their modems. I have a adsl modem/router/firewall/vpn that I would like to use. Will this be possible.

The other worry is it says I can only connect with one computer. Is this really the case. Will i get fined for setting up a network. How will they know?

I phoned TRUE and they told me I would also need an ISP also. Is this true (I have my own servers for email etc). If so can people recormend a good isp that fits with these packages. I really dont understand why I would need an ISP aswell.

Oh and one final question. Is it possible to get another line with a diff provider as a backup. Or do all the connections go over the same exchange / network. I mean for times when the TRUE line is not working ?

Thanks in advance.

Sputnik

[lopburi3]

Believe it is clearly spelled out that you will be fined and lose service if more than one computer is used.

[luke256]

Ok. Can anyone recormend a good business dsl package that has fast internation bandwidth and can be shared which costs less than 3500 baht.

[Firefoxx]

AFAIK, all individual home-use ADSL services have the "1 computer only" restriction. The packages that you can use with more than 1 computer are the "corporate" deals, which are very expensive. For the price you want to pay, you would get probably 128k max, since ADSL prices are still sky-high in LOS. True has a "net cafe" deal, but I think it's not available anymore, and you would have to be a net cafe to get it.

On the other hand, I haven't heard of anyone actually being fined for breaking the rule in their home. So, go ahead and use multiple computers, it's a stupid rule anyways.

It's been said to death before that True is probably the lesser of two evils for ADSL, and that you may or may not get decent service, but decent service IS possible.

To answer your other questions:

Look at some of the other articles in the forum for people who've signed up with True. There are plenty. Some good experiences, some horror flicks.

You don't need one of their modems. Something that does PPPoE/PPPoA through POTS, G.DMT is enough. It's a pretty standard system. Of course, using a non-standard modem means that they'll be clueless if you call their tech support (at least, more clueless than normal).

Not really. No. Never happened before.

The price list you see on the web is ISP-inclusive (with True as the ISP, formally Asianet). The only other thing you need is a True phone line.

The only other provider in BKK is through TOT lines, and those have a worse reputation than True. Of course, this means getting a TOT phone line.

If you think that 3,500/month will get you good 512k ADSL that can be shared legally, you're not thinking "Thailand". If you're thinking dodgy ADSL that maybe can reach 512k at some times and can be covertly shared, then yes, it's available here.

[grahamb]

This package was advertised in the Bangkok Post this morning and implied that this is for international internet, not just local net. There wasn't much small print and it didn't clearly state if it was only for localnet or not. However, it did list a lot of international urls (ebay, yahoo, etc.) so it looks like they are finally giving "proper" access to international sites.

The small print did say something about fining you if you used more than one computer on the connection but I don't know how they plan to check that...

It also said that if you haven't got a TRUE line connected, they would connect that for free as part of signing you up.

I'm hoping that I'm understanding this correctly and I'll check all this in a couple of weeks when the PC gets off the slow boat...

[Firefoxx]

grahamb, True changed pretty much all their ADSL customers to "real" unlimited internet starting this month. Check the previous posts regarding "True" to get all the nitty gritty.

I think it's a really lame advertising/marketing method to show actual "internet" (as opposed to "local") browsing as a great new feature. It's like selling cars without steering wheels, and then years later adding the steering wheel and marketing it as a great bonus with tons of hoopla. About as lame as CAT advertising itself as the one and only international call provider... it has to be: it's the law.

One thing: you might not have much luck getting an ADSL connection. Each CO has a limited number of ports on its DSLAM, and if they're all filled, True takes a LOONG TIME to increase the ports (actually, I haven't seen any CO's having their capacity increased). Especially with the fact that the price has come down to the "not an arm and a leg" level and that it's actually "internet", lots of people are signing up.

[grahamb]

Thanks for the info Firefoxx. Just moving into the new apartment so haven't been able to keep up with all the posts but I'm glad to hear that the standard offering is true internet, not localnet.

How long does it usually take to get the ADSL connection set up? I've been waiting until the PC is here and set up but should I get down to TRUE a few weeks in advance of that?

[Firefoxx]

Average time is about a week, if you already have a True phone line. If you don't, then you'll need to add that wait time, and depending on circumstances and availability, it might take quite a while. It won't hurt to go and apply for it now.

[trigz]

Last week I signed up for True Hi-Speed - went in to the office at CP Tower Silom last Friday evening 23/7 and signed up. Was given an on the spot print out of my login detail and email address and was told I could connect on the Wednesday 28/7. True to their word I was able to connect on the Wednesday afternoon about 4pm and have had no problems. It all seemed amazingly efficient! It's much better than the old dial-up that's for sure.

[kingdom]

Just had a business package installed from true for a VPN connection to my uk office . The price is pretty cheap considering others offer it for 20,000 ++. They installed the router and the signal all working yesterday within 5 days as promised. So after I stayed up all last night tweaking the configuration of the router trying to get my VPN going, this morning it was dead as dead. This afternoon the guy came straight back round and spent another 3 hours straightening it all out, and my VPN even works now. The only qualms I have is that it is only showing 256 down 128 up in the router performance log but assume thats all I'll pay for, nice one true.

[bkk_mike]

You could check out this one...

http://www.truecorp.co.th/index.php?name=p...ail&promo_id=23

Since it's including the router, it doesn't have the restriction to a single PC.

Also, it's easily within your price range, but is only 256/128.

Although it doesn't say what the price will be after the 6 months is up...

[bkk_mike]

True has a "net cafe" deal, but I think it's not available anymore

The Net Cafe deal is available until the end of September...

At least according to the Asianet home page - http://www.asianet.co.th

If you have a home network currently. (i.e. Your PC, kids PCs, etc.), your choices are:

1. Sign up for the Hi-speed home service, and break the rule by connecting more than one PC to it. (Although it might be a good reason to use a PC as a router on your network - as then you would only be physically hooking up one PC to the ADSL modem, which if nothing else would allow you to plead that you were trying to comply with the rule.)

2. Sign up for the Net Cafe deal. This avoids the one PC restriction. The problem is if you're not actually a Net Cafe, then you've got the same issue in that you're breaking a rule. However, True staff genuinely had no issues with hooking people up to the Net Cafe deal in the past, simply because it was the only package suitable for home users that needed more than 40 hours international access in a month, as I don't think True care whether you're genuinely an Internet Cafe or not...

3. Sign up for an extortionately priced Business Pack. - where unless you're hooking up a fairly large network of PCs, you'd actually be cheaper getting a phone line installed for each PC in the house, buying an ADSL modem for each of them, and hooking them all up with their own home ADSL connection!!!

However, this is Thailand. The penalty for breaking the rule on either 1 or 2 is 2,000 baht. And so long as you're not running a web site from it (business package definitely more applicable), and not sitting in Kazaa all the time using vast amounts of True's bandwidth, they're hardly likely to worry about you. (And even if you are in Kazaa all the time - just disconnect the other PCs and hide them if someone from True comes to the door).

My own opinion is that True has the one PC rule to allow them to disconnect people who go overboard. (like hooking up a router and a couple of access points to give internet access to an entire building). This is almost certainly a hangover from the earlier home ADSL packages where a lot of the biggest users were actually Internet Cafes signed up to the cheaper home package.

Finally - if you check out True's own website for the list of supported ADSL modems for the hi-speed home service... One of them is a Wireless Router (Billion 5100W). That is hardly consistent with a genuine single PC restriction.

[astral]

It is like the deal in the UK where people were offered continuous connection.

Then barred for being connected for too long!!!!!!!!!

I have 3 machines in my home.

I use one as a server for storage, then there is my notebook and the children have their own machine. If I am going to cough up for an adsl link, I shall want all the machines on line. My 13 yr old son is already pressuring me for internet access.

[dude]

@luke256:

It is very simple to use two or more computers on one IP address, supplied by TRUE. You just have to buy an ADSL router such as the SMC Barricade, available for ~2-3000b at pantip.

This router will take care of splitting the IP coming from your ADSL modem into subIPs so that more than one computer can surf the internet simultaneously. TRUE has NO way of knowing that you are using two computers.

[h90]

luke256

I use IPSTAR with 5 computers, it is a bit expensive, but it works fine for work.

I think I am also only allowed to use 1 computer.

Now I consider to change to true. My normal setup is one computer connected to the internet and with the second network card out to the other 4 computer. I don't know if it is technical possible to detect that??? Maybe someone knows it, here?

About ISP, for mail or web, not take one in Thailand, look for USA. I rent there a full computer and it works well, for any infos on that, feel free to contact me!

h90