Cat "My Network" Postponed To 31Aug12, Do Not Heed Instructions To Switch

[CBinParadise]

This is a warning; hopefully you'll avoid making the same mistake I did.

A few weeks ago, my Landlord got a notice from CAT saying that she must change her internet connection from CDMA2000 1X to WCDMA/HSPA, and that she must comply by 30 June 12.

I went to the CAT store in Central Festival. My Thai is terrible, but 3G networking can be a challenge in any language, and this was no exception.

Finally, I paid the 99 Bt fee and they changed the registration on our service. They also gave me a new SIM card for the new service.

But then, when I asked how/where to get a router/modem that supported the new service, they clearly had no idea. Then they told me that the cut-over date had been changed from 30 June 12 to 312 Aug 12. I asked them to undo the switchover but they claimed they had no way to do that.

I went back home and replaced the old SIM card in my Landlord's existing router with the new SIM card. Not surprisingly, the router failed to complete the connection, although it looked like it was trying to.

The existing router is a mystery. It is labelled a Super 3.5G router, and carries no other identifying information. Logging onto the router yielded nothing useful other than the router had been assigned a CAT external IP address.

I called the CAT support number on the new card, and they told me that the CAT store in Central could provide a compatible router router. I went back to Central and of course 5they said they did not dispense or sell any hardware other than sim cards. They suggested I try the nearby Banana store. Of course they were zero help. I then went to JIB and every other IT store I could think of (except Patong --- I'll try there next).

I again called CAT support and asked them what router/modem I was supposed to use with the new service. After a lot of back and forth they gave me a model number FIE5836 but were unable to tell me the manufacturer. Of course I googled that and got diddlysquat. I went back to most of the same IT stores --- none of them had heard of that model number, naturally.

We switched service on 22 June 12. It is now 28 June 12. I have a sick feeling that on Sunday, 1 July, my existing router will stop working. We live in a sparsely populated area at the end of Ao Makham cape, and my Landlord thinks that the existing service is the only internet service available. Of course I am researching that fully.

If you get the switchover notice I advise you to ignore it until 31 Aug --- and even then be very careful about switching off your existing service.

Of course if anyone has any words of wisdom, I'd be grateful to hear them.

[Guest]

I understood that at least the EVDO will be shut down at the end of the year. I will not switch before it as EVDO has no download limitations.

For the first aid, in case your old modem will be closed, you can check what frequency the CAT 3G is using and just purchase an bulk modem for that frequency.

If you wish to share the connection with wifi, you'll need an router which have support for 3G modems.