Mobile Modem

[rexall]

Fri 27 Nov 09, 4:03 pm

Hi All,

I run a chat room, audio only, which requires good connectivity, which I get at home with my DSL cable connection. When I have tried to do this in Bangkok using my laptop and hotel WiFi, once was adequate, although not great . . . and the second time impossible. A poor connection is just not an option.

1. Would a mobile modem via AIS or deTAC provide adequate fail safe if WiFi is bonkers?

2. Is there any advantage to using a dedicated mobile modem instead of a my mobile phone (Nokia 5800)? Is it better than a 56K dialup?

3. If the first 2 are "ify," is there a hotel or somewhere in Bangers where I can absolutely get a reliable connection?

Thanks for any insight, lah!

Aloha,

Rex

[Crushdepth]

Mobile internet (EDGE) will usually give you about 100K real connection speed. Coverage is ridiculously good throughout Thailand with AIS or DTAC. I'm not sure if you mean you need to do audio over the connection or just to maintain the site - its good enough for browsing and site maintenance, but its not suitable for any kind of VOIP stuff as the latency is very high and you get big gaps in the conversation etc.

There is no advantage in using a dedicated modem. You won't get faster speeds than your phone's built in modem provides. The only difference is extra expense (and keeping your phone free for voice calls).

There's also no such thing as an absolutely reliable internet connection in Thailand, especially with regards to international internet speed. Minor outages are commonplace and major outages seem to happen several times a year. Your best bet is to subscribe to a couple of different providers in the hope that when one goes down the other will be up.

[rexall]

<snip> There's also no such thing as an absolutely reliable internet connection in Thailand, especially with regards to international internet speed. Minor outages are commonplace and major outages seem to happen several times a year. Your best bet is to subscribe to a couple of different providers in the hope that when one goes down the other will be up.

Thanks for that, Crushdepth! Too bad! I do need VoIP for audio chat. At home, I am covered, and the occasional outage is just an "act of God." and so far has not preented serious interruptions.

I suppose I should not have said "absolutely" reliable. That's silly, of course! But I would be courious if any of the mid-range hotels have a reputation for reliable connections, particulary that would sustain VoIP as I have described. Are there any business centers or someting that provide a quite room and stable connection for 4+ hours? It would be nice to be able to "get out of Dodge" and go to Bangkok when I need to wihout complications.

Aloha,

Rex