Slow Internet In Pattaya

[OZEMADE]

My internet seems very slow over the last few weeks. I am wondering if anyone else in Pattaya is having the same trouble.

I am with Triple T/3BB Broad Band.

[bytebuster]

You have guaranteed bandwidth for nationwide only. International connections usually allow about 1/8 to 1/4 of regular performance.

I used to use 3BB for two years. It seemed to be the fastest ADSL among the others, but I was sick and tired of several blackouts lasting 3 to 12 days, regardless of daily support calls and "Thai style" answers like "we call you back within an hour" -- literally, zero times called back. It only helped when a Thai national calls their support and literally shout on them for ten minutes. After that, it magically started working like a charm.

Now changed to TOT. It is a bit slower (I would say, twice as much), but no blackouts so far (2 months).

The best solution is to have two lines, from different providers and preferably of different media, e.g. any ADSL + TV cable. It requires to obtain a balancing router (hard to find in TukCom) and a careful setup of one, but it worth since you not only get double bandwidth, but it will also tolerate a complete blackout of one of your uplinks.

[bartender100]

To be honest you get what you pay for.

3BB B1500 a month 12MB, I can download a movie in 20 minutes

[craigt3365]

Both Rimmer and I are on ToT. We've noticed "brownouts" the past several days in the afternoons. VERY slow.

Several of my neighbors moved from ToT over to 3BB a few months ago. Was great at first and is now slower than ToT. They're switching back now. Guess their initial promotion was too successful and now too many are jamming the pipe?

I tried to upgrade my package with ToT and they wouldn't let me do it. Said they can't guarantee a higher speed!!!! I guess it's good they were honest?

[Ulysses G.]

I use 3BB in Chiang mai and have had the same problem. I have been guessing that the kids are out of school and using lots of bandswidth.

[vel_tins]

Both Rimmer and I are on ToT. We've noticed "brownouts" the past several days in the afternoons. VERY slow.

Yepp, I noticed that too (ToT).

Crappy slow in the afternoon, nearly unusable yesterday (Fri).

Now, at 9.30 (Sat) it starts again to become very slow.

Before 9.00 it was somehow ok.

Now, even a page reload on TV needs up to 20 seconds, whereas yesterday afternoon, many sites were just inaccessible.

[patsfangr]

Same for me over the last 3 weeks or so. I started with ToT 6 years ago, and it was horrible - slow, with frequent outages. I switched to CAT for about 2 years. Faster, fewer outages (but still too many), and VERY expensive. I switched to 3BB 3 years ago, and have been very happy with them ... until the period we're talking about, the last 3 weeks. I rarely had outages, and the speed was faster than CAT, at 1/2 the price (1250 at 3BB).

Over the last 3 weeks, however, I've frequently had trouble getting signals from streaming sights like NFL Network, USTVnow.com. I don't know what they're doing, but something is going on. Phone calls have often led to a "reboot" of signal on their end; which nearly always gets me to a working signal. This just happened this morning, as I tried to tune in to the NFL Draft from NFL Network. Could not get it to run until they did a "reboot" for me. This followed the usual feedback that "I check line, and everything OK."

My natural distrust of all Thai businesses has led me to believe that they are playing games with the signals fed to customers; bumping them up ONLY when customers call, and won't let them off the line until the signal is fixed. Just my opinion. But the fact that they initially keep saying "Everything OK"; then getting me a working signal AFTER repeated pressing on the issue from me, makes me believe that they are intentionally "holding back" on the max speed connection until forced to provide it.

Anybody agree with that?

[craigt3365]

I have a friend who called in regarding his slow speed. He said he should be getting X speed but wasn't getting it. They checked and guess what? Forgot to turn the switch on for him!!!! He's got it now and is very happy. But he is also experiencing late afternoon slowdowns.

[deejah]

thursday VERY slow

[Darrel]

My speed from Sophon cable (via CAT) is fine. I pay for 4Mb and that's what I get most of the time to servers in the US. Servers in the UK are not so good, but that's down to the abysmal routing. No real outages at all since November last year, except for one day when the TV also went out due to some building problem, and one day when the service outside Thailand just stopped completely. Both were sorted the same day.

In my experience even if you pay for more you wont get it, unless you pay a LOT more. I did a test on Sophon for the 12Mb service before signing up and there wasnt a scrap of difference in speed to servers outside Thailand.

My 4Mb cost me 7000B for the year, including modem installation and cabling. Buy your own wifi router though as theirs is 2.5 times the price I paid in Tukcom.

I give them 10/10 for reliability, 8/10 for value and 7/10 for speed.

[Markland]

My tot was so slow yesterday from 2-5 after that it was back no normal

[JusticeFT96]

ToT had a nationwide problem yesterday it seemed to have been fixed around 6pmish although still slow.

I had 3bb in Surin it was awful then 3bb in central pattaya it was great, now ToT in Najomtien and its hit and miss. I guess you are just lucky depending on how many people have connection in your area.

I want to give CAT a go but they wont supply in my area

[deejah]

ironically enough

maybe off topic maybe not:

i find TV one of the slowest unresponsive sites i visit

-why?

-where is the server?

-is it of low/poor quality?

i also notice a large number of other sites being accessed while TV loads

not sure if this is typical or atypical of a commercial website but i find it disconcerting

-is TV an extremely profitable affair?

-about how many members and users?

if anyone can shine some light here it would be greatly appreciated thanks

[LennyW]

ironically enough

maybe off topic maybe not:

i find TV one of the slowest unresponsive sites i visit

-why?

-where is the server?

-is it of low/poor quality?

i also notice a large number of other sites being accessed while TV loads

not sure if this is typical or atypical of a commercial website but i find it disconcerting

-is TV an extremely profitable affair?

-about how many members and users?

if anyone can shine some light here it would be greatly appreciated thanks

Must admit i have noticed the same??

[PattayaParent]

ironically enough

maybe off topic maybe not:

i find TV one of the slowest unresponsive sites i visit

-why?

-where is the server?

-is it of low/poor quality?

i also notice a large number of other sites being accessed while TV loads

not sure if this is typical or atypical of a commercial website but i find it disconcerting

-is TV an extremely profitable affair?

-about how many members and users?

if anyone can shine some light here it would be greatly appreciated thanks

Must admit i have noticed the same??

Me too, the last couple of days on TOT I've had problems with TV but no other external websites.

[vel_tins]

Just an idea:

Maybe TV is so slowly the last days/weeks, because its overloaded with members, who complain about the slow speeds...

[Darrel]

if anyone can shine some light here it would be greatly appreciated thanks

May be of interest: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/thaivisa.com

[Rimmer]

One post removed, please read the rules in particular rule number 11.

[JusticeFT96]

TV is hosted in Singapore maybe thats why its a little bit slow, not to mention the fact that its a very big and busy forum.

[Phil Conners]

I use 3BB in Chiang mai and have had the same problem. I have been guessing that the kids are out of school and using lots of bandswidth.

This is a large part of the reason I'm sure. I know my daughter is spending a lot of time online, and most of it is relatively high-bandwidth consumption, like Youtube.

[Satcommlee]

I concur with Darrel, you cant beat the sophon offering for reliability and most of all great support..

However they don't really offer premium packages unless you want to pay 15000 a month for 30meg/3meg through CAT.

I use Sophon as a back-up line (1700 baht, 2meg/1meg premium through CAT) and it is rock solid..

I recently fell out with True who I had a 100meg/10meg line with but was only up 80% of the time, they didn't seem to comprehend that when you pay 5000 baht a month that you actually expect it to work.. So they were most taken back when I dumped their kit in their North Pattaya Office and told them where to shove it, Their lawyers are now writing to me threatening legal action over unpaid bills :-)

So I eventually went with the 5meg/1meg premium offering with 3BB at 2700 baht a month as the main line and to be honest, I have no complaints so far, not an outage in 2 months.

A lot of peoples grievances are mostly to do with the quality of the copper line and distance from the exchange, especially if you are living over the dark side.

A lot of it can be to do with the quality of your own internal wiring, worth checking out IMO.

[melonf]

My 3BB connection was unusable today in Pattaya from 10am until 5pm. DNS look up was working but no data whatsoever from websites.

It had previously had periiods of unusability in the last 4 evenings from about 4pm to 9pm

[Pakboong]

After 10 years of dealing with internet in Pattaya, the biggest realization was when I fully understood the premium vs ordinary band width. The big band width offers by all providers are for local servers. International bandwidth is usually not even mentioned on their promotion materials and when you ask them how much international bandwidth they can guarantee, you never get a clear answer.

I have used loxinfo dish, supernet, TVM, 3BB and now Sophon and I find Sophon better than the others to some degree. I am well into my 2nd month with no outage and speeds very close to what I am paying for. I have their lowest cost premium package which is supposed to give me 2mb international and I usually get it or very close to it.

[JusticeFT96]

My needs for internet are based on reliablity and latency. In pattaya so far 3bb has been the best for me. In terms of download speed for international sites ToT has been the best. I have not been able to try Sophon yet although I wish I could for an extra line in the house. I can get cable tv but not internet, go figure.

[JusticeFT96]

However the reliablity issue for my current ToT could be down to the house wires as when mine goes down some others next door that dont have a wifi password I can still use.

[Darrel]

I have not been able to try Sophon yet although I wish I could for an extra line in the house. I can get cable tv but not internet, go figure.

Strange. I thought that cable internet was available to all Sophon subscribers. Which part of town are you in?

[vel_tins]

I tried Sophon a half year ago, Soi Kao Noi.

Cancelled it after one month, because of the ridiculously slow speeds.

The technician told me, that ~ 80 people share one 100 Mbit access point.

[Satcommlee]

I have not been able to try Sophon yet although I wish I could for an extra line in the house. I can get cable tv but not internet, go figure.

Strange. I thought that cable internet was available to all Sophon subscribers. Which part of town are you in?

Sophon is HFC, Hybrid Fiber Cable.. There stills need to be Sophon Broadbands fiber in the area, the network can only use the Coaxile network for short distances.

[Darrel]

Indeed, they describe it incorrectly as fibre-to-the-home on some of their ads.

But I still thought that it covered all areas now.

[vel_tins]

Who cares if it is fibre or coax on the last 20 meters, the speed is important.

And the speed was more than poor, compared to my ToT ADSL..(which sucks the last days too..)