Getting Connected...

[bmcbridester]

So I'm living in Sena, near Ayutthaya, and I've just moved into a new place. I would really really like to have internet access at my house - the internet cafes love me right now, but it's a little costly. So I thought, broadband! I tried to get truecorp to come and install a phone line (I don't have one), but it turns out they don't cover this area. So I went to TOT. In the final stages of the paperwork, my landlord decided he didn't trust me to stay through the year contract and refused to let me pay for it to be installed. So broadband is out. I thought, maybe satellite, but it's too expensive I think. I'd like to have unlimited access, and I don't want to pay more than 1500 a month. So I started checking out different GPRS packages, found a couple that would work for me. Here is where I'm really stuck. I've got an OLD powerbook G4, without built-in bluetooth. It does have IrDA. My phone is kindof a junker knock-off, a NEX 815. It's got GPRS/EDGE, but it's not a bluetooth device. Even if it was, I'd need a blue-tooth USB adapter, right? So am I completely out of options here, unless I get a USP bluetooth adapter and a bluetooth phone? I really don't want to spend that kind of money for dial-up quality internet. Anybody got any ideas on this? I know you guys on the islands tinker with wireless internet a lot, any clues or advice? I appreciate any help you guys can give me, let me know if you need any more details.

[DamianMavis]

Why don't you pay the internet for the year in advance? That way your landlord cannot complain.

Damian

[oimatchi]

Find another appartment, one with an existing phone line, TT&T not TOT, TOT is absolutely brutal, like 10 kbps about 16 hours a day, only fast from 2am to 9am.

I repeat, don't even consider TOT,they have deliberately reduced international bandwith, total nightmare.

Maxnet from TT&T is only 1090 baht per month, no installation fee and decent speed at about 800-1600 KBPS

[percy2]

You could buy a Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 3,900.00 Baht

Or failing that a USB GPRS/Edge modem.

Cheers

[bmcbridester]

Thanks for the advice - unfortunately, I just finished getting moved in, and I'm afraid I'm here for the long haul. Anybody had any experience with Sony Ericsson GC83 GPRS/EDGE card? Also, where can I find out if my town has edge coverage? It's pretty close to Bangkok, so I thought there might be a chance. If so, it would make sense to get an EDGE card. Do you just plug the sim card straight into the card, or do you need a mobile phone that can connect to a computer? One more question, how do these cards connect to your computer - what kind of port? I'm really afraid of buying something that I can't use with my somewhat dated computer... Again, thanks for the help!

[zorro1]

Thanks for the advice - unfortunately, I just finished getting moved in, and I'm afraid I'm here for the long haul. Anybody had any experience with Sony Ericsson GC83 GPRS/EDGE card? Also, where can I find out if my town has edge coverage? It's pretty close to Bangkok, so I thought there might be a chance. If so, it would make sense to get an EDGE card. Do you just plug the sim card straight into the card, or do you need a mobile phone that can connect to a computer? One more question, how do these cards connect to your computer - what kind of port? I'm really afraid of buying something that I can't use with my somewhat dated computer... Again, thanks for the help!

I used that card for 2 months in BKK and heavy surfing costs around 1k/month. and i mean heavy usage! its slow but it works. mine slotted into the side of my laptop and is about the size of 2 business cards. Again as previously mentioned why don't you pay your land lord in advance for your broadband?

[nikster]

Get DSL.

No, I mean it. Convince the landlord, I am sure money will talk. Pay TOT in advance, give the landlord some extra, or just simply have your very own landine installed, the landlord can hardly complain about that.

Even if it's just TOT, TOT is still a bazillion times better than EDGE GPRS. Imagine the internet is an ocean, then edge is a tiny, tiny straw through which you access the ocean. Forget about it.

But before you go TOT, give CAT a call. CAT DSL is good, and they are not very outgoing with advertising where they offer service. They might just offer service where you are but haven't told anyone about it. This is the case where I live too... I will believe it when the CAT line is installed but so far CAT head office told me I could get CAT in my area even though it's not advertised and no one I know here has it. It's "in the final testing stages".

CAT also offers CAT CDMA though I'd think Ayuddhaya you'll be stuck with Hutch which is not much better than EDGE.

Get DSL! It's going to be worth it.

BTW I have TOT and it's gotten bad since the "upgrade", but not that bad. I get my 200KB/sec downloads pretty often using download managers.

[Guest Reimar]

Get DSL.

No, I mean it. Convince the landlord, I am sure money will talk. Pay TOT in advance, give the landlord some extra, or just simply have your very own landine installed, the landlord can hardly complain about that.

The Landlord need to sign for the phone line because TOT didn't accept signs from the Tenant! This is some old Thai law but still oin use until today. TRUE in BKK would install a line if they have a free number But TOT: NO way! Copy of the House registration paper (not older than 3 month)and Copy of the ID Card of the owner signed both by the owner!

[bmcbridester]

honestly, I would love to push the ADSL issue with the landlord, but, as I was reminded of recently, I technically work for an agency, and although my school is happy with me, they may not be happy with my agency next semester. And that would mean moving and losing all of that money that I would have to pay in advance. So it's just not a good idea. So EDGE is not worth it then, should I just keep paying big bucks to the internet cafes?

[percy2]

So EDGE is not worth it then, should I just keep paying big bucks to the internet cafes?

Why?

It means you have mobile internet. At home at work and even in cafe's.

It will not be as fast as ADSL but its is adequate for everything but downloading movies.

It may well be almost as quick as a shared inet cafes connection.

Cheers