Cleaning lady

[wimpy]

Anyone else having trouble with their AIS 3G data connection in Chiang Mai? Mine hasn't worked all day. Trying to determine if the system or my phone is having problems. Thanks.

[wimpy]

Never mind. Just started working.

[gotlost]

I'm out of town at the moment in Surin so I'm on edge which is slower than the second coming. The AIS 3G in Chiang Mai has been up and down ever since the BBQ in Bangkok . Their help number 1175 has also been hit and miss. If you do not get threw to them I suggest you go to their main off in town. Wish you luck.

[carnac]

Switch to Detac.

[Drew Aitch]

I called them today. They told me not to worry and that it was a technical issue that the engineers are working on. At 16:00, the girl advised me to try again in a few hours. Well, it's been a few hours and so far so good, but i think this has been a record with a downtime of almost 11 hours.

Aitch

[gotlost]

I have not pushed tne panic button yet but I'm giving CAT serious thought.

[SM7WGP]

They have more and more problems in AIS, so Im also thinking to get another provider but the problem is they are all the same. Next month my one year promotion ends and I have now 799 for 30 gb download, but im not villing to pay 1700 bath for a bad connection.

[gotlost]

They have more and more problems in AIS, so Im also thinking to get another provider but the problem is they are all the same. Next month my one year promotion ends and I have now 799 for 30 gb download, but im not villing to pay 1700 bath for a bad connection.

I have been on AIS 3G since day one. Aicard because I travel. I'm on 30GB at 1500 baht a month and I still recharge on line by buying top up slips from any local shop even out in the country. The reason i went with AIS 3G was that where I live, just outside Doi Saket, TOT/TTT/BBB SUCKED BIG TIME and still do. True is not an option so CAT may be my next try. Up until a certain BBQ in Bangkok AIS was fairly reliable since that time they have seriously gone down hill. I have given up on their help line they have reverted to the old TTT ways, BS and lies. My problems I have worked out myself except for one issue and when I get back to CM I'll go into their main office that will decide if i go to another ISP.

[hml367]

They have more and more problems in AIS, so Im also thinking to get another provider but the problem is they are all the same. Next month my one year promotion ends and I have now 799 for 30 gb download, but im not villing to pay 1700 bath for a bad connection.

I have been on AIS 3G since day one. Aicard because I travel. I'm on 30GB at 1500 baht a month and I still recharge on line by buying top up slips from any local shop even out in the country. The reason i went with AIS 3G was that where I live, just outside Doi Saket, TOT/TTT/BBB SUCKED BIG TIME and still do. True is not an option so CAT may be my next try. Up until a certain BBQ in Bangkok AIS was fairly reliable since that time they have seriously gone down hill. I have given up on their help line they have reverted to the old TTT ways, BS and lies. My problems I have worked out myself except for one issue and when I get back to CM I'll go into their main office that will decide if i go to another ISP.

I don't call their support line (1175). I post to their website and receive a call within a day or so and I have, so far, had people speaking English I can understand and successful resolutions to my problems. When you post online an acknowledging email arrives. And, as I said, within a day or two someone calls.

I would not expect support similar to what one gets in USA for a lot more money.

I have had a few different ISP's since living in Chiang Mai and, as has been posted, they all end up the same way so far.

MSPain

MSPain

[CMX]

My connection was down all day yesterday as well. Worked in the evening.

I was amused when calling 1175 to find buried in Thai the words, "For English" and then more Thai before "dial 2." There ensued two recorded messages, both in Thai, so I'm grateful for the e-mail notion.

Also, though it was not the case between late November and March, I can connect these days to Yahoo (where I segregate business mail - a mistake perhaps), I must try several times before arriving at a connection.

My annual bargain rate runs several more months, so I suppose I'll see how much worse it can get for a while.

[haveaniceday]

AIS only has 3 900Mghz 3G in Thailand, I use it in Chonburi, not Pattaya, it is only in the Thai area of the city. In the last 2 months, it has gone really bad. I didn't have that 11hr drop out, but I am going 3 nights a week with 2-3hr drop outs. AIS blame the university students, pathetic excuse to me. They happily admit it is just conjested. Before, I was surprised how it was. I was getting 400down and 150 up international. Often the speedtest even times out now when it is working. Skype is not able to work many times a day now, I just get little yellow bars. AIS 3G is only in CM, Hua Hiun and a little pocket in Chonburi.

[mcgriffith]

Ah, they are hit or miss. Also been with them since Day One.

I still use them, but suggest all users to look at CAT CDMA.

Personally I have 2 backups- DTAC EDGE and my free apt bldg ADSL through Maxnet, now .....?

Always have a backup, or two, is my advice.

[Drew Aitch]

Usually a company of any description gets better over time as they test and tweak to become the best they can. Unfortunately, AIS 3G is getting worse with each passing month. It's not possible to connect to the internet (not to mention internet banking or online transactions), with any level of confidence. AIS 3G is a bit like a British BBQ in that you'll say something along the lines of: "We're having a barbie at the weekend. IF, it doesn't rain! The confidence level is about the same, and that's far from optimistic!

Oh well, i guess there are but 2 options: Like it or Lump it!!!

Aitch

[CMX]

How a company can field an ISP product that at 5:00 a.m. is slower than a snail going sharply uphill on hot tarmac against a sudden rainstorm is a great puzzle to me.

Deterioration within the last months cannot entirely be blamed on traffic due to overselling capacity. I mean, 5 a.m. for local connections such as ThVi?

CAT CDMA? Off to research

[Drew Aitch]

I've been monitoring the AIS 3G service over the past few days and here are my findings (be interested to know what others experience):

1. Service becomes most sporadic after around 19:30 hrs
   
2. Sometimes the browser loads blank white pages but with no reported errors
   
3. Other times there is a Network Error (tcp_error)
   
4. It's not uncommon for the AIS 3G status to show a connection to both Local & Internet, but no there is no internet!
   
5. As odd as it may sound, sometimes the connection shows 'Local Only' yet there is Internet!
   

It's my guess that either no subscribers can access the service in CM when the service gets too busy, or, they have a filter system that gives priority access to certain demographics, i.e. university campuses, tourist venues, internet café's, and so on.

I've also noticed that some sites will load (at times), whereas others will not, especially the inside pages of member sites. The home pages of social networks seem to open without too much ado, but trying to access the inside pages is when the services fails.

It's been suggested before on the forum that it's perhaps a good idea to have a backup ISP, and although that means paying twice to get one service out of 2 subscriptions, it looks as though this is the only way forward for those of us having connectivity nightmares.

Aitch

Edited June 20, 2010 by Drew Aitch

[CMX]

Without formal "study" I can confirm #2, #3, and the second last paragraph as being my experiences. Today is back to normal, all addresses.

A "filtering" system might make sense, but overselling capacity would be the culprit then. No service worth having at 5 a.m. is as curious as it is annoying=enormously.

[hml367]

I am not positive about this, but it seems to me that many times when there are problems with internet speed/connection/signal, it coincides with someome trying to implement filters at the isp or internet spine level.

MSPain

[Drew Aitch]

I am not positive about this, but it seems to me that many times when there are problems with internet speed/connection/signal, it coincides with someome trying to implement filters at the isp or internet spine level.

I agree. The very first place i lived when i moved up to CM had a wireless service at 900 Baht/Mo. However, there were tons of sites that could not be accessed (either known sites, or those delivered from SE results pages). I saved some of these URLs and called out the engineer. I showed him how some sites would load with ease, yet other would just time out trying, every single time.

He then admitted that the building had requested filters to be put in place. Any web URL that had say the word music, movie, or game, somewhere in the web address were but 3 of dozens of examples. He said this was done for the benefit of all paying customers so that a minority of subscribers who liked to download music and or video files, or play games online etc, could not hog and slow down the network through their selfish acts, or words to that affect.

So it's my guess that AIS 3G is selling more subscriptions than it has room for, yet doesn't want to turn away the custom. This would account for the watering down of the service overall, and at particular times of the day, or days of the week. We can't know for sure, but it kind of makes sense when you think about it.

Unfortunately, near to flawless Internet Service Providers don't grow on trees in these 'ere parts, so voting with the feet could result in jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire. This is why the more costly option of making one good service out of 2 is perhaps the best way to go for the next year or two, or however long it takes for the technological infrastructure to catch up.

Aitch

Edited June 21, 2010 by Drew Aitch

[hml367]

These would also add to the problem, Drew Aitch. However, the bigger picture might have to do with government sponsored filters which isp's must comply with. And they do not all get implemented at the same time OR to all isp's. These are just my opinions.... I have no solid facts.

MSPain

I am not positive about this, but it seems to me that many times when there are problems with internet speed/connection/signal, it coincides with someome trying to implement filters at the isp or internet spine level.

I agree. The very first place i lived when i moved up to CM had a wireless service at 900 Baht/Mo. However, there were tons of sites that could not be accessed (either known sites, or those delivered from SE results pages). I saved some of these URLs and called out the engineer. I showed him how some sites would load with ease, yet other would just time out trying, every single time.

He then admitted that the building had requested filters to be put in place. Any web URL that had say the word music, movie, or game, somewhere in the web address were but 3 of dozens of examples. He said this was done for the benefit of all paying customers so that a minority of subscribers who liked to download music and or video files, or play games online etc, could not hog and slow down the network through their selfish acts, or words to that affect.

So it's my guess that AIS 3G is selling more subscriptions than it has room for, yet doesn't want to turn away the custom. This would account for the watering down of the service overall, and at particular times of the day, or days of the week. We can't know for sure, but it kind of makes sense when you think about it.

Unfortunately, near to flawless Internet Service Providers don't grow on trees in these 'ere parts, so voting with the feet could result in jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire. This is why the more costly option of making one good service out of 2 is perhaps the best way to go for the next year or two, or however long it takes for the technological infrastructure to catch up.

Aitch