Do I need a ISP and a CAT subscription?

[jeepholt]

Hi guys. Sorry about this post, but ever since I had 3 heart attacks, my brain housing group (memory) isn't working too well.

I've had an account with Loxinfo for about 12 years and I still pay for it. I also have CAT subscription which costs around 1300 baht per month. I've had this CAT account for about 7 years.

Question is: do I need both of them or can I cancel one (perhaps Loxinfo since many emails I send don't make it out to US government addresses and even to Yahoo accounts, among others. There are also many websites I cannot access. I'll be darned if I can remember these basic answers to my question. Hope you guys can help.

[tariq786]

Hi

Normally you are not bound and can use any Internet Service provider.

The only problem is where your Web site and Email server are hosted ?

Are they with Loxinfo or CAT ?

Tariq

Edited December 24, 2014 by tariq786

[Gonsalviz]

For me, CAT has gone to hell in a hand basket. I am in search of something that works.

[jeepholt]

Hi

Normally you are not bound and can use any Internet Service provider.

The only problem is where your Web site and Email server are hosted ?

Are they with Loxinfo or CAT ?

Tariq

My email is with Loxinfo and I have an old website on Loxley for the past 10 years. But I also have Gmail and Hotmail accounts.

Thanks for the reply.

Edited December 24, 2014 by jeepholt

[tariq786]

If your website/email is with Loxinfo then you have to pay them for Thai Domain, website and email hosting.

However, you can move your domain / hosting to some international hosting company if the service is not satisfactory.

Secondly, you do need an ISP to access internet. Three major ISP's are True, 3bb and TOT but the quality of service varies from area to area. Since Fiber internet is available, 3bb fttx 30Mbps for 1200 baht per month seems good option.

We are using 1and1 for Domain/web hosting / email and True business internet for office purpose.

Edited December 24, 2014 by tariq786

[Langsuan Man]

Is CAT acting as your phone service ?

The only thing that you have not explained is how you access the Internet. Since you have had both services for so long I seriously doubt if you have fiber so you must have ADSL, which requires some type of phone service

At one time in Bangkok in order to get ADSL (circa 2000) you had to have two "providers" TT&T for the telephone line, and LENSO for the "technology" but that is no longer the case

In order to have Internet today you must have a fixed line provider, either TOT, TT&T, True or CAT. Sounds to me like you have CAT for your phone provider and LOXINFO for your ISP. Both are not necessary so it would appear to me that you would be best off to drop LOXINFO and sign up for CAT Internet since you appear to already have the telephone line and it is a PITA to get a new telephone line in Bangkok (unless you are in a condo and they have extra lines available)

[AlQaholic]

I do not know where you live so difficult to advice. But nowadays even where I live in the countryside, I have 3BB available. They are the former TT&T, turned private.

dump CAT (crap) and Loxinfo I am surprised they even exist anymore. If 3BB is available go for that. they provide cable (hardware) and ISP as well. I pay about 900 Baht/m.

If 3BB is not available try finding anything else in your area except CAT or Loxinfo (both garbage and ripoff).

[gandalf12]

You just need an ISP everything else is additional to your requirements. I dont have an account with either of the ones you mention. I use Wi-Fi with my subscription to TRUE who supplies our TV connection. That is something around Baht 600 a month

Edited December 25, 2014 by gandalf12

[jeepholt]

Forgot to add I live in Pattaya about 200 meters from the CAT building. Not sure anymore about how I actually access the internet (sorry brain not there anymore). I have a router I think. Pretty sure it is not like the old modems. Turn on the computer and I'm connected right away to the internet. I think it is probably through CAT. Hope this helps you guys to help me unscramble this mess. Thanks

[jeepholt]

I noticed a few mentions of 3BB. Did you guys know the lady who owns it is Khun Chanyut Hengtrakul of Sophon Cable sister? Don't know if that means anything at all to you, just thought I would throw it in.

Edited December 25, 2014 by jeepholt

[jeepholt]

Just bumping to make sure I can find it later.

[RichCor]

[...]

I've had an account with Loxinfo for about 12 years and I still pay for it. I also have CAT subscription which costs around 1300 baht per month. I've had this CAT account for about 7 years.

Question is: do I need both of them or can I cancel one (perhaps Loxinfo since many emails I send don't make it out to US government addresses and even to Yahoo accounts, among others. There are also many websites I cannot access. I'll be darned if I can remember these basic answers to my question. Hope you guys can help.

Hi

Normally you are not bound and can use any Internet Service provider.

The only problem is where your Web site and Email server are hosted ?

Are they with Loxinfo or CAT ?

Tariq

My email is with Loxinfo and I have an old website on Loxley for the past 10 years. But I also have Gmail and Hotmail accounts.

Thanks for the reply.

Do you receive billing statements from these companies? What services to they say you are subscribed to/paying for?

Lease Line data connection with connection to CAT?

CAT peering connection?

CAT ADSL data Internet connection?

LoxInfo Mail hosting

LoxInfo Web hosting

Then, what services to you need moving forward?

Given the age of the account it's possible you are paying LoxInfo for a LEASED LINE, and not a standard ttt/tot/cat provided adsl connection -- meaning the services are linked together. If it is a leased line then you can chose to continue leasing the service OR cancel and subscribe to a new Internet connection (ADSL, Cable, Fiber, etc) with 3BB, CAT, TOT, TRUE, etc.

Note: If you cancel service with LoxInfo/Loxley then that email account goes away.

So, what do your statements say?

[jeepholt]

Hi RichCor. Thanks for responding. The only thing I can make out from the 2 bills is:

Loxley - Web 3 refill

and CAT - Hi Net. My wife says the CAT is for ADSL..

Hope this helps.

[RichCor]

OK.

Getting conflicting definitions of "Web 3" from LoxInfo and CSLoxinfo websites as to what "Web3 Refill" refers to, but this is the most likely:

CXLoxInfo Home Products

Dial Up - Auto Refill

Yearly Sevices : Web 3

The WEB3 Internet service offers a selection of access hours and the convenience of maintaining your Internet account and email address through prepaid refills. Each time you log on to the Internet, the actual minutes you spend online are deducted from your account and any unused time can be carried forward to the following month. The service is ideal for customers who do not want the commitment of a monthly fee.

40 Hrs ฿660 -- 80 + 20 Hrs ฿1300 -- 155 + 45 Hrs ฿2400 -- 365 + 125 Hrs ฿5,500

So... DialUp Internet Service.

And CAT Hinet usually refers to one of four CAT adsl services ( Standard, Premium, LitePaq, ValuePaq )

If you are paying around ฿1300 then it would probably be the STANDARD 14/1 mbps or 16/1 mbps adsl service

So... ADSL always on Internet Service

Again, what services do you require going forward?

[jeepholt]

OK.

Getting conflicting definitions of "Web 3" from LoxInfo and CSLoxinfo websites as to what "Web3 Refill" refers to, but this is the most likely:

CXLoxInfo Home Products

Dial Up - Auto Refill

Yearly Sevices : Web 3

The WEB3 Internet service offers a selection of access hours and the convenience of maintaining your Internet account and email address through prepaid refills. Each time you log on to the Internet, the actual minutes you spend online are deducted from your account and any unused time can be carried forward to the following month. The service is ideal for customers who do not want the commitment of a monthly fee.

40 Hrs ฿660 -- 80 + 20 Hrs ฿1300 -- 155 + 45 Hrs ฿2400 -- 365 + 125 Hrs ฿5,500

So... DialUp Internet Service.

And CAT Hinet usually refers to one of four CAT adsl services ( Standard, Premium, LitePaq, ValuePaq )

If you are paying around ฿1300 then it would probably be the STANDARD 14/1 mbps or 16/1 mbps adsl service

So... ADSL always on Internet Service

Again, what services do you require going forward?

Thanks for the info my friend. Mainly I am just trying to find out if I need both accounts or not? Like I said, my Loxley internet email, many times does not work to US government addresses or even Yahoo accounts. Just wondering if I should cancel Loxley and just use my Gmail accounts. I imagine it will be a real pain trying to inform everyone of my email address change though? Also, many websites fail to load in IE, mainly government websites. So I think that problem stems from CAT or something to do with my ISP address?

[RichCor]

It seems you're only keeping the LoxInfo.Loxley account for the email.

A couple of short emails sent from the Loxley account AND a gmail account notifying all your Loxley email contacts of the new gmail address should do the trick.

As for sites not loading, many people run a trio of web browsers (Microsoft IE, Google Chrome browser, Mozilla Firefox, etc...) so hopefully one of them will successfully pull and render the site properly. I've also installed proxy/vpn browser extensions like "Hola Better Internet" that forces geo-location from another country when some sites have issues reaching Thailand.

So, if you no longer need the services offered by Loxinfo/Loxley, as I doubt you still need dialup service, then do an email notification to those contacts and make arrangement to cancel the service.

Just be clear that's what you want to do.

[jeepholt]

OK, thanks. I think I understand all this? I will consider cancelling Loxley and just run with CAT. I downloaded and installed all that "Torch" stuff. Not sure how that works yet as a VPN? Thanks for your help

[RichCor]

Torch?

[jeepholt]

Torch?

Yeah, that is what got installed when I tried installing Hola. I also forgot to ask you: I am using my old Eudora for my email through Loxley. Will I still be able to use it with just CAT after I dump Loxley? Or might another email program like Thunderbird be able to work with just CAT subscription. Or will I be stuck with Gmail or Hotmail?

[RichCor]

Normally, browser extensions should be downloaded/installed using the Browser internal controls. This makes sure the browser extension are authenticated.

TORCH is an unnecessary 3rd-party browser that's being 'slipped' into a lot of free download installers. You can uninstall this if you don't want it.

Hola!, when installed as a browser extension, should give you an orange/red flaming happyface icon on your browser menu bar. Clicking it should present you with the option of turning in ON/OFF and -- just for the current web domain, changing your LOCATION so you appear connecting from another country. All other web domains will continue to be normal/local unless you set them to another country. Hola! will remember the country setting for all future references to that specific domain unless you reset it back to your current country (Thailand) or turn Hola! off preventing it from redirecting any site.

If Eudora, or Thunderbird, work on your current CAT adsl connection then the programs will continue to work.

You can even set them to connect to your Gmail or Hotmail accounts (if you have imap enabled on those accounts).

--BUT-- when you cancel the service with Loxley they will most likely CLOSE/DELETE THE LOXINFO/LOXLEY EMAIL ACCOUNT.

You'll need to make sure all the contacts using the LOXINFO/LOXLEY email address (that you want to keep) have been notified that the Loxinfo/Loxley email address is being closed and you are using a new email address.

** Sometime a service provider will block ports, preventing you from sending email from a email client such as Eudora or Thunderbird. Service may be restored using alternative ports provided by your email provider.