Edge, Gprs, 3g ... Is It Reliable?

[coalminer]

I'm a pissed off TOT user and to be frank, a pissed off user of most "Internet" providers in Thailand who seems to confusing "INTERnet" with "THAInet".

Last year, after having trouble to access the Internet in a few hotels in Thailand, I baught myself an "USB EDGE Modem", put a SIM card in it and it was working magnificient.

After all the troubles with my "INTERnet" connection lately, the drop of water that spilled over the bucket was the closing of port 119 (Usenet) port by TOT.

I tried to download my emails and access my website with my EDGE Modem, and everything was done at a flashing speed although my EDGE Modem only connects at 460 Kb/s.

This whole experience made me thinking, and I came to the conclusion that I might better cancel all the Cable Internet and only use my EDGE Modem.

The EDGE Modem is very cheap and seems to be more reliable than the service of the Internet providers

(for the time being).

Moreover, I recharge my SIM card when I need it and the value remains valable for 1 year. No need to subscribe for 12 months for a lousy service.

I would like to know:

- are there other Thaivisa members who are using a GPRS/EDGE/3G modem and what is their experience?

- is it worth to spend a little bit more money and buy a real 3G modem (eg. Solomon)?

- in terms of speed, is an air card (PCMCIA) better than an USB device?

TIA

[khunjake]

I have TOT which goes down consistently so I have been using my DTAC EDGE/GPRS as a backup which works great. I can't recall a time when the EDGE connection didn't work when I needed it. I even used Skype over it a few times and it sounded perfect. I would have knocked out TOT months ago but I still need data rates higher then 300kbps at most times. I only use a USB connection from my Nokia phone (w/ Nokia PC Suite software) to get the connection up on Windows XP. This connection has worked in just about city that I have been to in LOS but someplaces it was only GPRS. As far as I have seen, AIS 3G is still only available in Chiang Mai while DTAC, TRUE and CAT do not have 3G services deployed yet.

I'm a pissed off TOT user and to be frank, a pissed off user of most "Internet" providers in Thailand who seems to confusing "INTERnet" with "THAInet".

Last year, after having trouble to access the Internet in a few hotels in Thailand, I baught myself an "USB EDGE Modem", put a SIM card in it and it was working magnificient.

After all the troubles with my "INTERnet" connection lately, the drop of water that spilled over the bucket was the closing of port 119 (Usenet) port by TOT.

I tried to download my emails and access my website with my EDGE Modem, and everything was done at a flashing speed although my EDGE Modem only connects at 460 Kb/s.

This whole experience made me thinking, and I came to the conclusion that I might better cancel all the Cable Internet and only use my EDGE Modem.

The EDGE Modem is very cheap and seems to be more reliable than the service of the Internet providers

(for the time being).

Moreover, I recharge my SIM card when I need it and the value remains valable for 1 year. No need to subscribe for 12 months for a lousy service.

I would like to know:

- are there other Thaivisa members who are using a GPRS/EDGE/3G modem and what is their experience?

- is it worth to spend a little bit more money and buy a real 3G modem (eg. Solomon)?

- in terms of speed, is an air card (PCMCIA) better than an USB device?

TIA

[coalminer]

I have TOT which goes down consistently so I have been using my DTAC EDGE/GPRS as a backup which works great. I can't recall a time when the EDGE connection didn't work when I needed it. I even used Skype over it a few times and it sounded perfect. I would have knocked out TOT months ago but I still need data rates higher then 300kbps at most times.

My GPRS USB Modem clocks down at a speed of 460 Kb/sec.

Almost the triple of the download speed I get from TOT on International websites.

Don't know if that is the highest download speed that can be reached with this kind of modem or this kind of SIM card.

I only use a USB connection from my Nokia phone (w/ Nokia PC Suite software) to get the connection up on Windows XP. This connection has worked in just about city that I have been to in LOS but someplaces it was only GPRS. As far as I have seen, AIS 3G is still only available in Chiang Mai while DTAC, TRUE and CAT do not have 3G services deployed yet.

I used also to use my Nokia phone with Nokia PC Suite software to log into the Internet when my TOT line was real bad or at hotels which had no WIFI or Internet connecton.

Worked all the time.

But only in WAP mode.

Anyhow, a few times that I was using my phone to connect to the Internet, a call was coming in and that was for me enough to buy a separate USB GPRS Modem.

[tominbkk]

My E51 was a very serviceable modem for internet. Now I have my iPhone, and it appears there is no way to use this as a modem? In essence it is a computer in its own right, but still it would be nice to have it available. Anyway, just takes a sec to swap cards....or maybe I should just go get another card for the nokia.

What pre-bought package would you recommend as a throwaway for my nokia, if I was only going to use it as a modem?

[coalminer]

What pre-bought package would you recommend as a throwaway for my nokia, if I was only going to use it as a modem?

I use a normal Happy DTac SIM for upcountry.

This type of SIM has the best coverage in the NorthEast.

For Bangkok and Pattaya, I use a True SIM.

In these areas the coverage of Dtac is very poor.

Both packages offer the possibilty to reload the SIM and extend the validity to 1 year.

But I would like to know (original question) also what type of SIM other members use (specific Internet SIM) and if the speed is better or not.

[webfact]

What pre-bought package would you recommend as a throwaway for my nokia, if I was only going to use it as a modem?

I use a normal Happy DTac SIM for upcountry.

This type of SIM has the best coverage in the NorthEast.

For Bangkok and Pattaya, I use a True SIM.

In these areas the coverage of Dtac is very poor.

Both packages offer the possibilty to reload the SIM and extend the validity to 1 year.

But I would like to know (original question) also what type of SIM other members use (specific Internet SIM) and if the speed is better or not.

I disagree with you regarding DTAC coverage in Bangkok. I had serious reception issues with AIS here in BKK.

So I switched to DTAC 4years ago. I did not regret that switch.

Edited April 6, 2009 by webfact

[GungaDin]

DTAC monthly unltd 1100bt

Never had a drop out. Slow but sure.

Forget streaming audio though.

[coalminer]

HUH?????????????

For Bangkok and Pattaya, I use a True SIM.

In these areas the coverage of Dtac is very poor.

I disagree with you regarding DTAC coverage in Bangkok. I had serious reception issues with AIS here in BKK.

So I switched to DTAC 4years ago. I did not regret that switch.

Am I misiing something?

[webfact]

HUH?????????????

For Bangkok and Pattaya, I use a True SIM.

In these areas the coverage of Dtac is very poor.

I disagree with you regarding DTAC coverage in Bangkok. I had serious reception issues with AIS here in BKK.

So I switched to DTAC 4years ago. I did not regret that switch.

Am I misiing something?

this "In these areas the coverage of Dtac is very poor". And I disagree with that. Full stop.

[sniffdog]

Using DTAC GPRS/EDGE as a VAS on my prepaid sim. Works most of the time ... pretty good coverage. THB 99/20 hours.

[Digitalbanana]

and everything was done at a flashing speed although my EDGE Modem only connects at 460 Kb/s.

Is this common? My EDGE modem rarely rises above 256kbs and more often than not averages 115kb? Should I change my SIM or my modem?

[coalminer]

and everything was done at a flashing speed although my EDGE Modem only connects at 460 Kb/s.

Is this common? My EDGE modem rarely rises above 256kbs and more often than not averages 115kb? Should I change my SIM or my modem?

[monty]

and everything was done at a flashing speed although my EDGE Modem only connects at 460 Kb/s.

Is this common? My EDGE modem rarely rises above 256kbs and more often than not averages 115kb? Should I change my SIM or my modem?

No it is not!

What coalminer is showing is the connection speed between his modem and his computer, not the actual data rate between the modem and the cell tower!

Actually Edge GPRS is capable of reaching those speeds (which is why the modem connects to your PC at the higher data rate), but all operators in Thailand limit the speed to 230 something kbps.

To achieve the 460 kbps the system has to give you 8 timeslots (with each timeslot giving you 59 kbps), but over here they only give you 4 time slots, hence max speed is 4 times 59, or just under 240 kbps.

Reason they do this is to keep enough capacity on the mobile cell phone towers for voice calls.

Two other things influencing speed is the signal strength, the lower the signal, the lower the speed per time slot, and the second thing is the load on the cell tower you are connected to.

If a lot of voice calls are being made and the cell starts to run out of timeslots, then slots will be taken away from active Edge connections to accommodate those voice calls. The GSM system gives priority to voive calls over data connections!

With the above its also easy to see that your location can have a big influence on the performance! Area's with heavy mobile phone use can be notoriously bad for internet, sometimes it can help just by switching from Dtac to AIS, or vice versa!

[Digitalbanana]

Thanks, great explanation and confirms what I thought.

[GungaDin]

Monty's post should be pinned.

Very informative.