Anyone else having problem with TOT Internet?

[vincent13]

Live in Sakon Nakhon province. TOT my only ISP option.

Have been having problems with TOT internet (wiinet) for days:

Thursday - very slow all day

Friday a.m. - very slow

Midday Friday - internet crashed.

Since then I can intermittently access the internet but connection very sloooooooow ... took a bout 5 minutes for this page to load so I can post!

I ring TOT call centre 4 or 5 times each day. Same response "we will pass your communication to the technicians".

Tried a VPN - when I can connect (usually Singapore), zero data coming through.

Is this problem confined to TOT or is it just me?

It's driving me nuts!!!

[Crossy]

We had WiNet for 18 months or so before fibre came to the village (thanks to the resort nearby). Generally reliable but if the tower took a direct lightning hit....

TOT call centre are useless.

Once you do get a tech out, get his number, give him and his assistant a small (not too small) 'thankyou'. Next time it stops, call him direct. The service you get for just a few bucks is second to none

[vincent13]

Thanks Crossy, will keep in mind. Unfortunately, I only see a technician about every 6 months. Next time ....

[livram]

I have TOT WiNet and live outside Korat. Slow Internet and disconnects several times a day for the past month.. Unplugging the modem most times fixes the problem.

Going to talk to AIS about their Airnet service but I don't know if that will be an improvement except possibly better speeds for the same price.

I have had TOT for over a year so I don't know if the will recover their equipment(modem, receiver,etc) or if it belongs to me and they will leave it.

[vincent13]

Thanks livram. Rebooting modem only gives me a few minutes of slow connectivity.

My experience to date with TOT over the past 2 years is that it is all or nothing - it either works quite well or not at all. Hence my question. Thanks for the airnet suggestion, will look into that also.

[muratremix]

TOT itself is the problem. They have problem with domestic routers and they have problem with international connections all the time.

Try to get AIS Airnet if you live in remote areas if you can.

[RichCor]

What results to do get on the TOT-hosted speedtest?

Have you looked at your Wiinet Status on the router page, or does TOT not give you access?

[vincent13]

RichCor

Thanks.

Just managed to do a speed test at the third attempt. First two attempts yielded download test error.

Result of third test:

Ping 26ms

Download speed 1.46 Mbps

Upload speed 0.67 Mbps

Not sure how to access "router page" to check "Wiinet Status". I'm not particularly computer literate. Where would I start looking?

[RichCor]

Could you describe your current Internet Connection setup? A PC/Laptop connected over Ethernet or WiFi to ... ... eventually cabled by a long Ethernet Cable to the Wi-NET radio outside on the pole.

Wi-Net Radios have a 'Status Page' similar to Residential/Home Routers that detail their current operating parameters and link conditions, quality, speed and other indicators and information useful in analyzing functionality of the radio link. These can be accessed in a Web Browser by entering IP address of the unit and furnishing the proper Username and Password.

SAMPLE

The Wi-NET IP address is usually same as the Gateway Address used on your active Ethernet connection [ Start > run/search > CMD and type IPCONFIG and press ENTER and look for an active address in 'Default Gateway' ] and *might* be similar to 192.168.101.1.

If you have other 'Routers' or Ethernet devices Fire Walling the Wi-Net device then 'that device' will have the 'Default Gateway' address listed.

Once presented with the LOGIN web page, the device may self-identify as 'Solomon', 'Astra AirOS', or 'TOT Wi-NET AirOS'.

The WiNET Username is usually "nnnnFnnnn@totwinet" where the n's are replaced with your account number, and the 'F' is left as 'F'. They may have used '@Wi-Net' as the ending of the username. The Password is commonly, "totwinet".

I normally don't give out this much detailed information as unqualified users may attempt to change parameters they know little or nothing about, causing havoc on the Internet and eventually leading the the demise of civilization as we know it. Though, recently, I question if this might not be a bad thing.

[livram]

When I am unable to connect to the Internet my router shows IP address of 0.0.0.0 and says "obtaining network parameters" or "wan port is unplugged". Then I must disconnect the power to the TOT modem, wait for about 30 seconds, then reconnect the power to the modem.

Usually this will reconnect me and I can see my IP address. Sometimes works on first try but sometimes I have to power off the modem several times. But until I reset the modem I cannot connect to the Internet and the router will show "Wan port unplugged".

[RichCor]

RichCor Thanks. Just managed to do a speed test at the third attempt. First two attempts yielded download test error. Result of third test: Ping 26ms Download speed 1.46 Mbps Upload speed 0.67 Mbps ...

Using your "ISP's hosted" Speedtest will usually indicate if your connection issue is based locally (PC, LAN, Router, etc, / ISP Network) or if the connection issue may be beyond the network.

The Speedtest should closely match your subscribed speeds, or at least the nominal normal speeds given possible given installation connection quirks.

What are your normal down/up speeds (as subscribed)? If it isn't this then I'd say you've confirmed a local connection problems.

[vincent13]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Can't even run a speed test this morning (although the connection itself is more stable). When I try to run the speed test it gives me the ping rate (usually 33 or 35 ms) but then returns an error when trying to run the download speed test. When I click on the "Documentation" tab in the download error box it takes me to the ookla.com site but I'm not sure how I should proceed from there.

RichCor - my internet setup is pretty much as you described. A radio receiver on top of a 5m high pole. A cable runs from the receiver box to the TOT-supplied modem. A separate cable runs from the modem to my Wifi router, or if I choose direct to my laptop. (When I connect the cable direct to my laptop I get the same results/poor performance). In any event, when I hover the cursor over the Internet Connection tab it always shows signal strength as "excellent". So I'm assuming the problem is not the signal emanating from the wifi router. I found my router address which takes me to the ToT Wi-net AirOS login page. However, unable to login with details as you described (have tried different permutations but no joy unfortunately). My "subscribed" speeds are 10Mbps down and 0.5Mbps up. So the upload speed (when I can run the speed test) is approximately as "subscribed" but the down load speed is woeful obviously. Does this suggest anything to you? Thanks for your advice by the way, it's much appreciated.

Livram, as I think I stated earlier, rebooting simply re-establishes the same slow connection for a few fleeting minutes.

Will ring TOT call centre again this morning. At least there should be some technicians at work, unlike weekends where I am convinced there are NONE!

[craigt3365]

I was having a lot of problems with ToT until I got a new modem. I use to get disconnected many times every day. And speeds were quite slow. With this new modem, I've not had a disconnect yet...at least one I've noticed. And the speeds are much faster. Just a thought...

[graeme72]

I'm 50 km NE of Khon Kaen and have TOT Wiinet, as you say it either works or doesn't - but always slows down at night. Wiinet disappeared last Thurs. and still hasn't returned at 1500 Mon. Does anyone know if AIS Airnet is any better ?

[RichCor]

Another alternative with TOT is to use the TOT FAULT REPORT web page.

This is sent to the Bangkok Network Operations Center and they make direct phone contact with you. (Techs usually speak a little English, but it's helpful if you can have someone you can hand off the phone to who can translate/speak Thai). The Bangkok tech will sends messages to your local tech if necessary.

[pieeyed]

I have been using TOT for many years and have had good service in Ekamai, Bangkok up until recently. I noticed in the last 5 weeks that the service has been intermittent. It goes off and then comes back in a minute or two. Rather a pain when trying to do some business.

[GinBoy2]

TOT for many of us is the only option. I have a 16/1 connection, when it works, it works OK. International connections are always iffy, based on time of day, air pressure, and the alignment of the stars, but it is what it is and I've learnt to live with it's limitations

It does help however to find a local tech to communicate with. Call center, local sales office tend to be useless and do nothing other than increase your frustration and blood pressure. If you get a good tech he can interrogate the modem, DSLAM, line quality etc and fix some of the local issues.

Overall crappy nature of internet connectivity in Thailand.....maybe El Generalísimo can add this to his list. Slightly above the 'fixing the cost of Som Tam in Pattaya' issue in my view!

[tlcwaterfall]

Another alternative with TOT is to use the TOT FAULT REPORT web page.

This is sent to the Bangkok Network Operations Center and they make direct phone contact with you. (Techs usually speak a little English, but it's helpful if you can have someone you can hand off the phone to who can translate/speak Thai). The Bangkok tech will sends messages to your local tech if necessary.

Thank you for this information. How do you send this report if your internet is not working?

My beloved rang Bangkok on the weekend about our now daily outages. They said they send a report by email to the local techs. Local techs. do not ring the customer and are extremely tardy in fixing the issue.

Internet off again today and another phone call this time to Tot in our local town. Again reluctant to address the continual outages. They have however promised to send a tech. out to our home tomorrow to ensure our equipment is okay. This is only as we suggested they should offer a full refund and come and collect their equipment from our home.

My feeling is that their equipment is simply not good enough to cope with the high demand and most likely the weather is also playing a part as well.

As for them coming out to see us tomorrow I doubt it will happen.

I know this is Thailand but it would be nice if there was some government body overseeing the internet companies who appear to be promising what they can not deliver.

[GinBoy2]

Another alternative with TOT is to use the TOT FAULT REPORT web page.

This is sent to the Bangkok Network Operations Center and they make direct phone contact with you. (Techs usually speak a little English, but it's helpful if you can have someone you can hand off the phone to who can translate/speak Thai). The Bangkok tech will sends messages to your local tech if necessary.

Thank you for this information. How do you send this report if your internet is not working?

My beloved rang Bangkok on the weekend about our now daily outages. They said they send a report by email to the local techs. Local techs. do not ring the customer and are extremely tardy in fixing the issue.

Internet off again today and another phone call this time to Tot in our local town. Again reluctant to address the continual outages. They have however promised to send a tech. out to our home tomorrow to ensure our equipment is okay. This is only as we suggested they should offer a full refund and come and collect their equipment from our home.

My feeling is that their equipment is simply not good enough to cope with the high demand and most likely the weather is also playing a part as well.

As for them coming out to see us tomorrow I doubt it will happen.

I know this is Thailand but it would be nice if there was some government body overseeing the internet companies who appear to be promising what they can not deliver.

Whenever the local tech comes to your house, get his number. A little 'tip' will go a long way in his ability to fix problems in the future

[RichCor]

My previous TOT aDSL connection had horrible ongoing issues that the local techs either ignored said was working. Odd DSLAM/MSAN headend, old oxidized cabling, and poorly designed Modem/WiFi routers. I got along by power-cycling the modem every other hour, and using the TOT Fault Report webpage when I had nowhere near my subscribed subscription rate, and while they always responded to the Fault Reports it was only a temporary fix as they never addressed the underlying issues.

Luckily for me the area now has Fiber Optic. All new cabling and equipment. Fiber directly to my router. No faults or outages since.

The OP is dealing with Internet delivered over Wi-Net two-way radio service. The techs need to access the radios and pull the current status numbers. Wi-Net is different equipment and presents with their own unique issues, very different from aDSL modem users.

[Issangeorge]

My TOT was out from Aug. 03 to Aug. 16, I called TOT numerous times, went to their office twice, finally when I told them my family needed internet for school work, they sent a guy out on Aug. 12, he arrived at 3pm, told me I needed a new antenna for ฿3,800, I argued about why I should pay for it, but there is no competition in my area, so I had no choice. He put up a new antenna and fiddled with it to 9:30PM, and I still had no internet, finally after being assured that they would come back the next day, for 3 days, my niece got it working around 7pm on the sixteenth. I later found out the whole area was without internet, so I don't know if I needed the antenna or not. I'd like to know more about this AIS plan, does True have the same kind of plan?

[tlcwaterfall]

My TOT was out from Aug. 03 to Aug. 16, I called TOT numerous times, went to their office twice, finally when I told them my family needed internet for school work, they sent a guy out on Aug. 12, he arrived at 3pm, told me I needed a new antenna for ฿3,800, I argued about why I should pay for it, but there is no competition in my area, so I had no choice. He put up a new antenna and fiddled with it to 9:30PM, and I still had no internet, finally after being assured that they would come back the next day, for 3 days, my niece got it working around 7pm on the sixteenth. I later found out the whole area was without internet, so I don't know if I needed the antenna or not. I'd like to know more about this AIS plan, does True have the same kind of plan?

I am going to the city later this week to buy an Ais sim and a net package for my tablet.

Will bring it back to my home and see if it works and what speeds I am getting.

I may also buy a True sim and net package and compare the two services for speed and reliability.

If this option works at least I have a back up plan when I have my daily outage with TOT.

[Issangeorge]

I use True H 3g on my phone and it works quite well most of the time, but it will drop off sometimes also.

[vincent13]

My wiinet connection is now working again (as of 30 minutes ago) after going down right after I posted on Monday morning. I (yet again) rang the TOT call centre this morning and advised them that we would be closing our account first thing tomorrow if they could not rectify the problem today. Whether that was the catalyst for them doing something I will never know.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions; I had started to type responses to individual posters but lost 20 minutes work when I hit a wrong key and the browser closed!!

For those interested, I now intend to:

lodge a formal complaint by email (or whatever means are available) with TOT Head Office in BKK about the service provided by TOT in this area ( not just this latest problem but the fact that if the wiinet goes down on a weekend it will never be fixed until the next working day); I'm also going to insist on a 5 day reduction on my latest bill;

pursue the AIS airnet option; I have been trying to call the airnet call centre (1742) all week without success - when you press 2 to speak to an operator in English you seem to be placed in an endless queue (I have waited up to 30 minutes without my call being answered!). Now I have internet I will get my wife to guide me through their (Thai language) web page and/or go to an AIS office in Udon Thani next week); I will also start a thread on TV to seek user views about airnet.

Thanks again to all who posted. I am determined to (eventually) ditch TOT even if it means a slower (but more stable and reliable) connection.