Edge Internet Services

[Gary A]

I have posted before about using both AIS and Dtac service. Normally one or the other will be working properly. For the past month or so Dtac has been much better than AIS. This week Dtac EDGE has been acting strange. Tuesday it stopped working. The phone still works but no GPRS service. Yesterday it still would not connect so I called Dtac. They were VERY responsive and actually called me twice letting me know what they were doing. Today it is still not working but I got an SMS from them telling me that the problem is indeed a Dtac problem and that they have narrowed it down to the towers in my area. They expect to be able to make the repairs today and will advise me when the service is back up. The normal remote resets did not work. Naturally I am not happy about having no service but I am impressed with their courteous and prompt customer service. AIS is working pretty well so that is the advantage of using both SIM cards.

[GungaDin]

Having the 2 sims is a very cheap investment.

Kinda like 'belt & braces'.

[monty]

I'm in general very happy with AIS. This month is actually one of the few I had to use my Dtac back up for more then a day.

Not blistering fast but most of the days it returns 150 - 200 kbps with the occasional bright moment of 230 kbps, which actually is the top end of what EDGE is capable of.

Latency is on AIS quite good as well for a mobile connection, something in my location Dtac can really struggle with.

Pinging thaivisa.com [203.174.85.146] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 203.174.85.146: bytes=32 time=701ms TTL=49

Reply from 203.174.85.146: bytes=32 time=337ms TTL=49

Reply from 203.174.85.146: bytes=32 time=278ms TTL=49

Reply from 203.174.85.146: bytes=32 time=338ms TTL=49

Ping statistics for 203.174.85.146:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 278ms, Maximum = 701ms, Average = 413ms

Dtac often pings the whole sequence well over 1000 msec, and although actual download speeds are not bad either, the high latency makes the surfing experience resemble iPSTAR surfing at times

[monty]

Test results of the past 3 days.

Out of 24 tests:

5 didn't get over 100 kbps

4 between 100 and 150 kbps

7 between 150 and 200 kbps

8 between 200 kbps and the theoretical 238 kbps EDGE top speed...

I occasionally throw an oversees test in, but generally they are not much slower if at all on the download.

[Gary A]

They got my Dtac back up but it is slower than I have ever seen it. Too slow to even do a speed test. I am on AIS right now. This is the first time I bought the Dtac unlimited package so naturally this is the time it turns to shit.

I'm expecting my Motorola Q to be delivered next week. I most likely won't have an EV-DO signal. CAT has told me they have coverage in my area but I seldom believe anything a Thai company tells me. I'll probably have an expensive paperweight.

[Gary A]

It appears that I praised Dtac too soon. I can now connect but the past two days it is too slow to use. Another call to Dtac service and I was told the problem has been repaired and the system is now working normally.

The tables have turned. It will be back to AIS when my UNLIMITED month long package expires.

[opti_baby]

as usual, the EDGE system also using the time slot sharing technology, for the service provider, they will config 8 time slots for the user, but if the traffic is too high, the throughput rate will be low or block, any way, if can not access at all, that is system problem, BTS or PCU problem.

[Gary A]

My faith in Dtac is restored. The system is back up and running normally.

[monty]

as usual, the EDGE system also using the time slot sharing technology, for the service provider, they will config 8 time slots for the user, but if the traffic is too high, the throughput rate will be low or block, any way, if can not access at all, that is system problem, BTS or PCU problem.

In Thailand they limit to 4 time slots!

So max 80 kbps on GPRS and 236.8 kbps on Edge.