Exasperated: Home Internet Connection Crapped Out

[Petruchio]

Sure need some help/input on this internet issue. I am exasperaated!!

Here is the sad story; two years ago I lived rurally about 20 kilometers from Chjiang Rai, so I had a CAT rep come out to the house (Khun David). He tested and said Yes! With the purchase of a separate antennae and their router equipment I would have plenty of internet signal.

But no, not enough to get on the internet at all most days, and other days so little kbps as to be mostly frustratingly slow. Could not use VOIP at all. A few months later I moved to the Den Ha area of CR. Took the antennae and router with me, but still not much better, even after Khun David came and "tuned it in".

Therefore I went to TOT who said yes, they could give adequate signal, and they ran a line from the street to the house and I had acceptable internet for a few months---until I moved again, back to about 10 Km closer to CR than before. No line available per TOT, but for 1,700 baht they would run me a dedicated line (only for me) about 5 Km from their equipment to my house. But I cnly got 200 - 500 kbps due to the line loss. But they said if I would pay for 2G I would get more download speed. I said OK I will try that. But no, no difference. So for about 8 months I paid 738b per month, and the 200-500 kbps signal was acceptable enough that I could use VOIP most of the times I tried, so I just shut up and tried to be happy with it.

But NOW, all of a sudden in the last few days, no internet at all most of the time, and when it is there, so little signal as to be totally unusable most of that time, and of course no VOIP at all. I have complained at the CR TOT office, they have sent a tecnician out, but still the same frustrating situation.

The TOT office manager said on my last visit that I am trying to go to "international", not Thai sites. Well yes of course! That is what the www is, and as always before! I said even Thais have to use such international sites for school research and such as Yahoo for emailing!!! They suggested I go to CAT for a better signal and I reminded them that I went to TOT in the first place because they said they could give me useable signal whereas CAT could not. When I said TOT have obviously put others on the dedicated line I PAID FOR, and they could take them back off, the manager just smiled and said "We have problems right now". What should I do, I asked? "Just wait" he said. For how long I asked. "Not know." Bulls_ _ _ I thought. I said do I pay TOT for nothing and pay an internet shop too? That only got a nice grin and shrug of the shoulders.

So...........does anyone know how I can get internet other than TOT IP Star satellite which is way too expensive for me?

[bsacbob]

Join the club, I guess the honest answer is internet in CR is pretty crap if you live out of town whichever provider you choose and TOT are full of bull and just want to sell you bigger packages and TT &T are just as bad

[bdenner]

What's wrong with GPRS as in interim measure? Not the speed your looking for but reliable 24/7 @ 56kbs. Works for me where there is NO cable option available and your right not only is IP Star overpriced, it's crap.

[sceadugenga]

I used IP Star for about a year before the land line arrived in the village.

Agreed it wasn't a brilliant connection but it still worked out cheaper than driving into town to the 'net cafes every day.

I have the internet on 12 hours a day 7 days a week so I was reasonably happy with it.

[jim1563]

Good old TOT

[Benjie]

5Km of dedicated cable for 1,700 baht? I can't think why TOT would ever do that that.

CDMA, GPRS, EDGE ?

I'd forget about the satellite, the ping times are horrendous and lead to lots of timeouts.

[mcgriffith]

I have a DTAC Nokia mobile with internet SIM. GPRS and EDGE. Connect it with data cable to my laptop (use phone as modem) or surf the web anywhere I am (Doi Mae Salong, where ever I can pick up a DTAC signal) with the phone only. This is very old tech, but works fine.

I use it as my backup here in CM to my main connect, which is AIS 3G.

The DTAC plan I'm on is a measly 149 B a month, for 50 hours.

Works fine, but I'm not watching television programs, or downloading bit torrents. Just email, web surfing and forum, etc.

I believe they have an unlimited plan for 999 B a month.

Check it out, and if your area is cr_p for DTAC signal, see what AIS or True have on offer.

[brahmburgers]

As Bill Clinton might say, "I feel for you, man."

Indeed, I've had much the same experiences, trying to get decent internet hook-up.

I've tried about every option available in C.Rai area. And yes, I'm rural, about 5 Km NW of downtown, in Hoy Plakang.

The latest is a 'dedicated line' which works rather well, and has a monthly of around 650 baht. It cost just over bt.10,000 to get the copper wire, which T's off from about 1 Km away. I asked if I could then T off from my terminal and/or whether my neighbors could have the option to T off from the line up here. In their Thai-style wisdom they said 'no.'

They said anyone who wanted the same internet option in my neck of the woods would have to run their own dedicated line from the same spot, 1 Km away.

It sounds stupid and anti-environmental to me (to run separate 1 Km long lines for each outlet) but the company sells more copper wire, so from a pure money making perspective, they think it's better.

[AjarnP]

I finally managed to talk to someone at TOT who appeared to have a modicum of sense about them.

They reported that they are currently upgrading the "service" nation wide and there will be occasional blackouts as a result. I pointed out that it would have been useful to let the customers know, but all I got was "how?" Good point I guess. When asked how long this debacle would take the line went very quiet.

I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopuss' garden in the shade lalalallala

[Maverell]

I finally managed to talk to someone at TOT who appeared to have a modicum of sense about them.

They reported that they are currently upgrading the "service" nation wide and there will be occasional blackouts as a result. I pointed out that it would have been useful to let the customers know, but all I got was "how?" Good point I guess. When asked how long this debacle would take the line went very quiet.

I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopuss' garden in the shade lalalallala

I would take it that TOT mean they are upgrading the National network which means you will have great connectivity to www.sanook.com !! Don't hold your breath regarding an improved international gateway !

[RubbaJohnny]

Similar experience had `tot engineers round who shrugged that this is not Korea

looked at sat and mobile and resigned to life in slo lane

By the time we catch up with Korea ill be 3 incarnations down the great learning curve

Edited October 13, 2009 by RubbaJohnny

[Potter]

Me too have had lots of problems with TOT lately. In the night time it works good. In the day time it is horrible. I go to the TOT office every day and make a complaint. Not that I think it will help. But I think it can not hurt.

[sceadugenga]

I got a new system this month that works very well to date. It does something else that can't be discussed here as well.

I don't quite understand it but it's to do with satellite.

Either ring them on 087-5798244 or give me a PM if you're interested.