Urgent Request for Information re Death of British Citizen in Thailand

[heybruce]

We've started the third week of October and my internet service is still crap. I know school holidays are partly to blame, but every time someone posts a complaint about their internet service on ThaiVisa there are a few postings from people saying they have no problem, along with many postings from people with similar complaints. The lucky "no problem" people often credit their service provider, but then there are always others who state they have the same provider and get lousy service. The only other factors I can think of that might explain the difference are type of residence and location.

I think type of residence is at least partially to blame in my case. I live in a condominium where the phone lines are clearly visible in the parking garage, and they look like what I imagine would happen of a spaghetti factory were to vomit--big bundles of old wires hanging haphazardly from the ceiling. Are any of the people getting good internet service living in condos or are you in residences where your phone lines connect directly to main lines?

Location: Are there some parts of the city where, for some technical or magical reason, internet service works? Can anyone please tell us ThaiVisa users where these locations are?

I'm not ready to move just for better internet service, but when I am ready to move having fast, reliable service will certainly be an influencing factor in choosing a new location. I'm just afraid I may have to move to Singapore to get it.

[L&J]

- Long before we relocated here in July I followed the saga of the internet problems as you describe.

Once we arrived and before we moved into the house we first went to KSK mall and few other commercial outlets

with seldom any problem so I knew it was possible.

We moved into a new house (not in a Moo Bahn) with a ADSL/TOT/512 connection located off Ring Road 1 near Rimping Super Market.

The only problems that we've ever had getting connected is in the afternoon after 15:00 when school is out and

a few times around 20:00. We have never lost connectivity while using the service and the speed is fairly consistent.

Sorry this might not be typical but it is our so far happy experience. JOHN

[Dustoff]

We live in Ban Wang Tan off Hangdong Road and our service has for the most part been quite good but has now been little better than dialup on international connections for almost three weeks.

Mine is also TOT and a few weeks ago the speeds skyrocketed then dropped to almost nothing where they remain.

Perhaps if people who have complained and gotten results could provide telephone numbers for the service providers, we could resolve our own issues as well. I have tried the number supplied by TOT on their website but so far have been unable to talk to a live person.

[cnxmike]

We live in Ban Wang Tan off Hangdong Road, too. I have TT&T. It never was fast. And at the moment it's a disaster. I don't know how many times a day I put on and off my ADSL-modem and/or boot my computer. What I see most at my monitor is: Cannot display page or page not found.

[cmsally]

Middle of Chiang Mai city area - True cable very consistent and TT&T always very good too, apart from a period of 2 weeks about a week ago and everyone else seemed to be having problems too.

Neighbour has TOT which they say is fine.

I am not sure that just because you live in a condo there will be problems; we rent a condo in BKK and they supply True ADSL and it is pretty good, not a problem with it at all.

[pattyboy]

My understanding is that DSL/ADSL performance and speed drop off as you get further away from the central phone office where the broadband equipment is located. (It's something called attenuation.) Perhaps you're connection is somewhere close to the distance limit. I think that would likely attribute to typically slower speeds and more dropped connections. Then again, it may be a matter of expectations. Maybe those who are not complaining have very low requirements (only doing a little surfing and using email) so they wouldn't really notice that their line speed is actually well under the advertised rate.

[Donnyboy]

on TT&T Maxnet ADSL in San Kamphaeng district and no real problems to speak of. I always get a live person when something goes wrong thou.

They did double the speed a couple of months ago for free so a bonus, but nothing near what it should be.But hey TIT.

[Tung_Thaid]

We've started the third week of October and my internet service is still crap.

Maybe its a matter of time before my TOT connection (2048/512) goes the way of others. But as yet (touch wood) - it hasnt.

House property near Wat Jed Yod off Super Highway - Chang Puak.

Today I am downloading a torrent - and average download speed is over 100kB/s. And the bulk of that would be international connections.

I limit upload speed to 40kB/s - and it is constantly sitting on 40. Sure internet speeds aren't great always - but that's how it is sometimes.

What can I say ? I use a D-Link modem / router DSL-504t. Upgraded to Australian D-Link firmware. Modem power via UPS.

Windows XP Pro / Sp2. Desktop wired to Modem. I also run an Access Point for wireless notebook where speeds are similar.

I have Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties set to a fixed IP Address (the router) - and not "obtain an IP address automatically" for the PC.

And I nominate the DNS servers relay rather than accept whatever TOT assigns. TOT gave me some Preferred/Alternate DNS servers to try years ago when I first connected. Used the same ones ever since. Regularly flush the DNS cache. I dont run a software firewall - but rely on the NAT firewall in the router - my preference.

Whilst you mention 'internet' speed - have you at least checked your Server Speed to confirm that the line is up to speed ?

http://www.speedtest.net/ - and check with the Bangkok server whilst you are not doing any uploading / downloading.

[heybruce]

Middle of Chiang Mai city area - True cable very consistent and TT&T always very good too, apart from a period of 2 weeks about a week ago and everyone else seemed to be having problems too.

Neighbour has TOT which they say is fine.

I am not sure that just because you live in a condo there will be problems; we rent a condo in BKK and they supply True ADSL and it is pretty good, not a problem with it at all.

This illustrates the puzzle. I live in what I consider the center of Chiang Mai, about halfway between ThaPae Gate and the Ping River, and my TT&T service is slow but more or less reliable most of the time, but unusable for several hours a day during school holidays. I have a friend living in Hillside 4 who uses True and has had the same experence. Which brings up the original question; why does the internet work for a lucky few?

[DLock]

Anyone else have IPStar?

My satellite signal is almost always 100%, except when there is very heavy cloud cover and rain.

However my actual Internet connection drops out 10 - 20 times day. I call IPStar and they check online and say "your satellite is working fine". They don't seem to correlate the satellite connection is like a water pipe thats always connected, but the water slows to a drizzle or stops for minutes or hours at a time. It can be VERY frustrating when I need to get work done.

I don't know if its co-incidence, but for a week or 2 after I call and complain, it is much, much better.

And they tell me if I want someone to come have a look, I have to pay for it.

Anyone have good IPStar or similar experience?

DLock.

[MartinBKK]

I have never tried IPstar but i have never heard one good thing said about it.

I would try another service unless there are no other options for you.

I have recently moved to CM from BKK. I have TOT and so far the service has been fine with the speed even faster than what i got in BKK for 2 years with TRUE. At night i can download from international sites at around 200kbps. Thats nowhere near the advertised speed but it suits my requirements.

I just hope it stays like this.

Forgot to mention that i live in the Sansai area.

Edited October 17, 2007 by MartinBKK

[lannarebirth]

I've had Ipstar. It works really good if it's not too windy, doesn't rain, and it's not dark outside. Aside from that it worked really good, except for sometimes when it didn't. I switched to CS LoxInfo and it sucked. switched to TT&T Maxnet and for a year it was very good. Then it started getting bad, then horrible. I've just added TOT, which will be installed in 3 weeks. I'm keeping my expectations low.

[cmsally]

I think your proximity to the nearest phone junction (which is normally a messy looking boxed fixed up in the wires somewhere close to an electric pole) will affect your service. In my case it is just behind my house. So a relatively short piece of cable connects me . Probably need to check the quality of the cable that connects your building to the main cables also, I believe there are different qualities and they don't automatically give you the best kind.

[adjan jb]

Today I am downloading a torrent - and average download speed is over 100kB/s. And the bulk of that would be international connections.

I limit upload speed to 40kB/s - and it is constantly sitting on 40. Sure internet speeds aren't great always - but that's how it is sometimes.

I have Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties set to a fixed IP Address (the router) - and not "obtain an IP address automatically" for the PC.

And I nominate the DNS servers relay rather than accept whatever TOT assigns. TOT gave me some Preferred/Alternate DNS servers to try years ago when I first connected. Regularly flush the DNS cache. I dont run a software firewall - but rely on the NAT firewall in the router - my preference.

Dream story.

I'm downloading 3 Torrents. My download speed is between 0 and 2.2kB/s (speed test : DL: 426 UpL 204). Sometimes I lose connectivity for hours.

Internet Protocol Properties also set to a static IP address. I made sure the ports were open (Hope I configured that right !). No firewall. We have very similar setings.

I'm in Amphur Saraphi (on TT&T Maxnet ADSL)

So back to the original question: why does the internet work for a lucky few?

[Dustoff]

We live in Ban Wang Tan off Hangdong Road and our service has for the most part been quite good but has now been little better than dialup on international connections for almost three weeks.

Mine is also TOT and a few weeks ago the speeds skyrocketed then dropped to almost nothing where they remain.

Perhaps if people who have complained and gotten results could provide telephone numbers for the service providers, we could resolve our own issues as well. I have tried the number supplied by TOT on their website but so far have been unable to talk to a live person.

An update to my own post:

My wife finally got through to TOT's trouble center yesterday as my international speeds are still around 100kbs or lower. They went into stories about how expensive it is for TOT to provide international broadband and said they "may" have it resolved in a month from now.

I had her ask if I was still going to be charged the full monthly fee for service they cannot provide and the answer seems to be a firm "yes"..

Gee, what a surprise..

[meadish_sweetball]

Unless you have signed a contract with penalties for cancelling (a mistake I will never make again), why not try and change to another service Dustoff? Several other providers are available through TOT phone lines.

[Bill97]

Unless you have signed a contract with penalties for cancelling (a mistake I will never make again), why not try and change to another service Dustoff? Several other providers are available through TOT phone lines.

Please, which prividers are also avialable through TOT phone lines? In Mae Rim, if you happen to know. Thanks.