Anyone Using An Aircard For Internet In Chiang Rai?

[hammockwoman]

hi -- i'm coming to chiang rai for five weeks soon, and have been looking for places with dsl or available wireless (thanks for the leads and info to those who pm'd me)...

a friend suggested i look into getting an aircard, and now i'm learning more about aircards, and am thinking that an aircard for my laptop with a thai sim card might be a solution that allows me to look for a place to stay without the restriction of needing dsl.

i know the aircard is an investment, but it seems like it would give me a lot of freedom. i've read a lot about them in the internet and computer forum, and have also read about people using their bluetooth wireless phone for internet... so i wanted to ask here if anyone is doing this successfully in chiang rai.

if you have, or you've tried it, any insights and advice would be greatly appreciated, including what kinds of costs are involved, one time and ongoing, where you got your card, and any other tales of victory or woe. any other alternatives to dsl for folks who don't have a permanent residence yet also welcome.

thanks in advance.

[rijb]

I live north of Chiang Rai. I have a Sierra PC card, with service from Cat Telecom. I also have a USB adapter/PC Card holder for my desktop.

I've had no problems with service/speed in the Chiang Rai area and in Chiang Mai, using a laptop with a built-in PC card slot.

I no longer need the equipment if you're interested.

[hammockwoman]

thanks, i'm pm-ing you for more info.

i'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to post-dsl technology, so if anyone else has experiences to share, would much appreciate it.

[Crow Boy]

I use an Sierra Aircard and DTAC post paid account for my connection. It is not the same as DSL in terms of speed but is cheaper and in my situation much more convenient. If you are only using it sporadically then a prepaid SIM would be the better option.

CB

[hammockwoman]

thanks for the input, crowboy. if i understand correctly, getting a postpaid account means having a work permit, is that right? i just come and go a lot, and the prepaid would definitely give me more flexibility, and i wouldn't be paying for the time i'm not there.

is your speed enough to use skype? i can be patient with downloads and web surfing, as long as its dependable.

I use an Sierra Aircard and DTAC post paid account for my connection. It is not the same as DSL in terms of speed but is cheaper and in my situation much more convenient. If you are only using it sporadically then a prepaid SIM would be the better option.

CB

[Crow Boy]

thanks for the input, crowboy. if i understand correctly, getting a postpaid account means having a work permit, is that right? i just come and go a lot, and the prepaid would definitely give me more flexibility, and i wouldn't be paying for the time i'm not there.

is your speed enough to use skype? i can be patient with downloads and web surfing, as long as its dependable.

I use an Sierra Aircard and DTAC post paid account for my connection. It is not the same as DSL in terms of speed but is cheaper and in my situation much more convenient. If you are only using it sporadically then a prepaid SIM would be the better option.

CB

I got signed up to post paid by accident. I was told to take my aircard to the DTAC shop and get it connected to the network. Did that and the girl asked me for my passport which has my work permit in the same folder. Photocopied the documents and asked me to sign the form - instant post paid. You don't have to have a Work Permit for post paid but it helps. Anyone with a Retirement Visa or similar can get it.

The speed is fine for Skype which I use regularly. There doesn't seem to be a problem for voice or text messaging. File transfer is ok but avoid big files. Don't even consider using it for downloading torrents or similar.

All my internet connection is done on the card and it has rarely caused me a problem. Last time I went to Singapore I took the laptop with me and bought a prepaid SIM there with Internet capability. Worked fine - SIM out and new SIM in. This makes it a better proposition for people who travel back and forth to Thailand.

CB

[ISPY]

hi -- i'm coming to chiang rai for five weeks soon, and have been looking for places with dsl or available wireless (thanks for the leads and info to those who pm'd me)...

a friend suggested i look into getting an aircard, and now i'm learning more about aircards, and am thinking that an aircard for my laptop with a thai sim card might be a solution that allows me to look for a place to stay without the restriction of needing dsl.

i know the aircard is an investment, but it seems like it would give me a lot of freedom. i've read a lot about them in the internet and computer forum, and have also read about people using their bluetooth wireless phone for internet... so i wanted to ask here if anyone is doing this successfully in chiang rai.

if you have, or you've tried it, any insights and advice would be greatly appreciated, including what kinds of costs are involved, one time and ongoing, where you got your card, and any other tales of victory or woe. any other alternatives to dsl for folks who don't have a permanent residence yet also welcome.

thanks in advance.

I use the aircard of CAT since April 2007 and....I am very, very satisfied about the connection stability and performance. And the service of CAT is great. I can advice you to go for the aircard. And...even if you want to sell this card afterwards it is possible through CAT. That's service!

Good luck and...enjoy your stay in Chiang Rai.

[hammockwoman]

thanks for all the feedback! i'm going to meet up with rijb when i get there, and have my fingers crossed that i can take his equipment off his hands and be up and running quickly. it's great to hear that this solution seems to work so well for people, since it will give me all kinds of freedom to stay whereever i want without worrying about dsl, which opens up all kinds of new possibilities.

much, much appreciated!