... by recent, I mean this month... Things are improving - my fixed-line CSLoxInfo an example. Last year totally unreliable in each and every way. Last month Okay, when up - but down too often. This month down only a few times. However, its quite obvious that if you require close to 100% highspeed uptime, in this country, you'll need two ISP's - preferably of two totally different kinds.

So - I'm considering a satelite based ISP as backup/complement to my fixed-line ADSL. Anyone, having a newer installation: Who's your provider? Does your reality correspond to what you were promised. How much did you pay for installation & monthly fee? - Please, do tell.

I would suggest you consider signing up for TRUE's cable modem service - in central Chiang Mai they offer the most reliable service by far.

I have been using their service for over a year with only one half-day break in service, not due to TRUE Chiang Mai's making.

With a cable modem you dont have to rely on the dodgy phone lines - they install a separate cable all the way to your location if you are within the area of coverage.

IP Star is not ideal because the connection speed depends on the weather. When the sky is cloudy your speeds drop.

If you expect the International bandwidth to be 100% of the stated package connection speed your assumptions are mistaken. NO service offers that. They will typically offer 75-90% of the stated speed domestically. Internationally, about 50-60% except in the early morning, when the speed is often a lot better.

I would suggest you consider signing up for TRUE's cable modem service - in central Chiang Mai they offer the most reliable service by far.

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Thanks, Sweedy,

Due to your (now 11 day old suggestion) I actually did sign up for TRUE's cable broadband. By now I've got it running 4 days together with my TT&T, CSLoxInfo regular phoneline ADSL service.

During those four days I've checked the differences between those two services. Here's the emperical result.

Subject 1: TRUE ADSL-cable service, share ratio 1:2 (Internet Cafe pkg), bandwith xxx

Subject 2: TT&T/CSLoxInfo ADSL-phoneline service, share ratio 15:1 (home pkg), bandwidth xxx. (both bandwidths, the same).

Experimental duration: 4 days.

Downtime (measured through daytime only):

Subject 1 - down 0 times totaling 00.00.00.

Subject 2 - down 4 times totaling (ca) 04.30.00.

Measured speed (averaged over 10 measures, each):

Subject 1: ca 90% of xxx

Subject 2: ca 70 % of xxx

I think that those rather high 70 % of subject 2 is owed to the circumstance, that there aren't 14 other places eating my xxx's - definately not any 'visible' places.