Internet help for a complete noob - Best packages with 3BB?

[Jaymk]

Hi all, would appreciate your help.

Moving in a few days and have to get internet installed. Was hoping to go with Sinet, but was told by my building that they only support 3BB. I know next to nothing about the technology involved, I just want to know what a good plan would be for someone who has basic internet needs - watching youtube videos, skyping with Europe and North America, and occasionally streaming American football games. I download maybe 2-3 movies per week.

 

Based on this usage, can anyone recommend a good plan with 3BB? I don't understand their website, and I'd like to have some information before I go talk to their sales people. I have a limited budget, so I don't want to get a plan that has more than I need.

 

Also, is it really impossible to sign up with Sinet if the server is not set up at our condo? Back home this was never an issue, so it strikes me as odd that we HAVE to go with 3BB just because our building says so.

 

Appreciate any help you guys can give!

[steve187]

30mb vdsl 590 + vat baht per month, 1000 baht or so for the router

[Jaymk]

Thanks, Steve :)

[Henryford]

On 23/11/2016 at 7:01 PM, steve187 said:

30mb vdsl 590 + vat baht per month, 1000 baht or so for the router

 

I have this and would agree with Steve, best value for your buck. I would suggest though you forget their (crap) router and buy your own. I got a much better TP-Link VR400 for 2,600 baht.

[ace1]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

 

I have this and would agree with Steve, best value for your buck. I would suggest though you forget their (crap) router and buy your own. I got a much better TP-Link VR400 for 2,600 baht.

Hi....so if I was to order the 3BB 50/10 VDSL fibre network (700 baht promotion at the moment). I would say no to the 1,000 baht for the 3BB VDSL Router 4 Port WiFi and buy a TP-Link VR400 or similar and the fibre would connect straight into it....or would I need anything else.

Thanks,

[Henryford]

Yes when you get them to switch to VDSL you have a choice. Either buy something like the TP-Link and connect it yourself (it's very easy to go through the set up, a few minutes) or you can take their router and change at a later date. The TP Link seems set up for 3BB as it shows their VDSL as a set up option. They will tell you though that they won't support any problems you might have with the TP-Link.

[bark]

But the best and fastest high speed you can get. Then no need for true cable. You Tube only.

[seancbk]

2 hours ago, ace1 said:

Hi....so if I was to order the 3BB 50/10 VDSL fibre network (700 baht promotion at the moment). I would say no to the 1,000 baht for the 3BB VDSL Router 4 Port WiFi and buy a TP-Link VR400 or similar and the fibre would connect straight into it....or would I need anything else.

Thanks,

 

Goes without saying that you need to be sure your building has fibre for 3BB.

I've got 3BB adsl (not fibre) 20mb / 1mb   and have been paying 1600 a month since Sept 2012.  

The 3BB service is great but we haven't got fibre in this building yet (I'm in Bangkok).

 

[alant]

if you can have fibre, 200/50 for 1200 plus vat

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, ace1 said:

Hi....so if I was to order the 3BB 50/10 VDSL fibre network (700 baht promotion at the moment). I would say no to the 1,000 baht for the 3BB VDSL Router 4 Port WiFi and buy a TP-Link VR400 or similar and the fibre would connect straight into it....or would I need anything else.

 

VDSL is not fibre. It is basically a variant of ADSL that is provided over the phone line to your room from some nearby fibre box which may be in the building or outside. To use it you need a VDSL modem which is usually also compatible with ADSL. If you want to buy your own this is normally possible but you should ask your ISP about compatibility before doing so.

 

VDSL can suffer from all the usual problems that ADSL can suffer from: notably a potentially poor connection when it rains or if the phone line becomes damaged or if connections corrode. However this will be minimised the closer the fibre box is to your room. If your fibre box is in the building and you have new phone cables then problems should be virtually non-existent.

 

If you can get real "fibre to the home" (ie fibre all the way to your condo unit) then normally this will be a more reliable connection than any sort of xDSL. But it's a big if. And, of course, it involves pulling a new fibre cable to the inside of your condo and fitting a fibre modem which will not normally be compatible with any sort of xDSL. Generally you are obliged to use the fibre modem provided by the ISP,  though you can always ask them about replacing it with a purchased one if you want.

 

It's worth noting that with these fairly cheap 3BB VDSL/fibre packages, some users find that international connections are not as fast as those previously obtained over ADSL. This is due to deliberate international throttling by the ISP. In all cases the quoted speeds are only guaranteed within Thailand, unless you pay a lot more per month for some sort of premium international connection.

[writeshack]

 That promotion you are looking at is probably a copper wire, not fibre, but it will do the job fine. Buy your own modem/router, not just a modem. The incoming line connects to it with a telephone line plug. TP-Link is a good brand and easy to set up, reasonable support. I  use a cheaper model than the one mentioned above, a TD-W8961ND. It's rated for 300Mbps, has both an ethernet plug and a wi-fi signal you can connect to in your house if within range. And where I live 3BB techs do help if you have a TP-Link modem/router. They even recommended it to me. Buy an aircard and  few gigs of 3G data a month  as a backup for when the service goes down, and it will. Good luck.

[jamie2009]

I have just had 3BB installed, paid for their Router, it's not fibre in the house but normal telephone cable. I have the 30mbps at 632 a month.

The download speed does indicate around 30mbps but it does stop and start now and again not sure why, I need to go back to the shop and ask why.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Dear Noob(Jymk)

As Steve said,3BB.632 baht deal,inc VAT.

Dunno where the 1000 baht router comes in though,i got mine for 100 baht.Guess it must have been a promotion.

[KhunBENQ]

17 hours ago, KittenKong said:

And, of course, it involves pulling a new fibre cable to the inside of your condo and fitting a fibre modem which will not normally be compatible with any sort of xDSL.

My installation must be a rare exception.

ToT installed a small fibre to ethernet converter.

The converter is connected to the fibre with an optical plug.

Ethernet cable to my previous full feature access point to "wireless router mode" and that's it.

(that was about 2.5 years ago)

 

The converter on top of the grey box where the fibre cable from outside is spliced to yellow optic cable with the  plug on one end.

 

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

My installation must be a rare exception.

ToT installed a small fibre to ethernet converter.

The converter is connected to the fibre with an optical plug.

Ethernet cable to my previous full feature access point to "wireless router mode" and that's it.

(that was about 2.5 years ago)

 

Interesting. Most of the ones I have seen have been Chinese 4-port wifi routers with an optical socket instead of the usual phone or co-ax socket. Yours is a nice solution for anyone who has a decent router already.

[KhunBENQ]

I don't know whether they still do this today.

My setup was somewhat "special".

Paid a substantial amount for a long stretch of "my" fibre cable.

One and only fiber to the home in a wide radius.

 

[MikeN]

23 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

Goes without saying that you need to be sure your building has fibre for 3BB.

I've got 3BB adsl (not fibre) 20mb / 1mb   and have been paying 1600 a month since Sept 2012.  

The 3BB service is great but we haven't got fibre in this building yet (I'm in Bangkok).

 

I'd suggest you go and talk to 3BB, their prices have come down a LONG way since then. Currently offering 30/5 for 590 baht !

[jamie2009]

I have 3BB 30/5, speed ok but tends to stop and start, not fibre spoke to the girl in the shop about fibre to my house. The nearest fibre box is in the next Soi and she said it would cost 3000 baht for Router. I said no thanks but she said let them do a survey first, she wouldn't take no for an answer, maybe on commission for referrals?

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, MikeN said:

On 11/25/2016 at 4:56 PM, seancbk said:

I've got 3BB adsl (not fibre) 20mb / 1mb   and have been paying 1600 a month since Sept 2012.  

The 3BB service is great but we haven't got fibre in this building yet (I'm in Bangkok).

 

 

 

I'd suggest you go and talk to 3BB, their prices have come down a LONG way since then. Currently offering 30/5 for 590 baht !

I've been meaning to for about the past year or more.... keep forgetting and I can't think where I've seen a 3BB shop.

 

[MikeN]

^  I think most of the Big C and Tesco malls have a 3BB desk but neither of the ones near me in On Nut could speak English well enough to explain things to a techno-luddite like me ( and my Thai is nowhere near good enough for anything vaguely technical) so I went into Centralworld , they have a desk there where one of the girls speaks perfect "American" and explained the various options available !

Of course, a few months later they started dropping their prices but I have to wait until my 12 month contract finishes soon 

[seancbk]

46 minutes ago, MikeN said:

^  I think most of the Big C and Tesco malls have a 3BB desk but neither of the ones near me in On Nut could speak English well enough to explain things to a techno-luddite like me ( and my Thai is nowhere near good enough for anything vaguely technical) so I went into Centralworld , they have a desk there where one of the girls speaks perfect "American" and explained the various options available !

Of course, a few months later they started dropping their prices but I have to wait until my 12 month contract finishes soon 

Cheers Mike.

I'll get myself over to CentralWorld in that case and see what they have to say.    
 

Got my contract here, signed it on the 22nd Sept 2012, so well past the 12 months it was for.

 

[sniffdog]

I have 3BB 30/5, speed ok but tends to stop and start, not fibre spoke to the girl in the shop about fibre to my house. The nearest fibre box is in the next Soi and she said it would cost 3000 baht for Router. I said no thanks but she said let them do a survey first, she wouldn't take no for an answer, maybe on commission for referrals?

I think you didnt understand well. The router is not a purchase, but on loan. The 3,000 baht is a deposit. You get this back if you return the router. You missed an opportunity. You cant find anything better than the 200/50 package. Especially if youre into torrenting and downloading.

[jamie2009]

2 minutes ago, sniffdog said:

 

I think you didnt understand well. The router is not a purchase, but on loan. The 3,000 baht is a deposit. You get this back if you return the router. You missed an opportunity. You cant find anything better than the 200/50 package. Especially if youre into torrenting and downloading.

 

I don't do torrenting or downloading so can't justify the additional monthly cost, 

[ace1]

Thanks for the info chaps.

The TP-Link VR400 has both ADSL and VDSL and also has a guest network which is handy as I will also use it for customers. Will set it all up in a couple of months when building works are finished,