Internet how when no wireless or adsl

[radioman]

I'm sure I'm being terminally dumb here but just wondering if somebody can point me in the right direction.

 

About to buy a laptop for a 'friend'. Primary purpose will be web activity and Skype but thing is 'friend' has no landline and no wireless in sight of the location it will be used at.

 

I have used my mobile as a wireles router to GPRS EDGE and it works okay though sometimes unreliable and needs fiddling with to get it working again, reset laptop or reset phone or both or re-enter some configuration detail etc.

 

Friend has a phone but I'm not impressed by this method and it somewhat precludes phone calls whilst surfing.

 

I have seen a number of USB 'dongles' that seem to take a SIM card and provide internet access. Are these more reliable? Need something that just works! Is the sort of likely connection, GPRS EDGE around Suk 22 and Rama IV likely to be good enough for Skype audio? Video? Do True have 3G coverage in this area? If so can I buy a True 3G SIM card and use it on a pay as you go basis?

 

Thanks

 

[Bar4]

I have seen a number of USB 'dongles' that seem to take a SIM card and provide internet access. Are these more reliable?

 

Just yesterday talking with a friend about this. Yes - the dongles are fine and I would suggest DTAC. I have had enough of True Wi-Fi and am thinking of that solution. 500 THB per month I believe. Same price as True and there is a chance it will work!

 

cheers,

 

Mark

 

[Dumsoda]

I play with my Dongle...every day

 

Up here in Surin I am 12 kms from the City and the Broadband ADSL is only available as far as 7 kms out....Argggghhh !!

 

Options:

1. Satellite Dish... NO too expensive (approx 1800 Bt a month) and a friend who has IP Star says it's often Dead slow

2. CAT com CDMA USB modem. Initial cost 7k Bt for modem and 850 Bt per month for unlimited access

(supposedly fast download speed...but from what I've heard it fluctuates greatly)

 

3. Dumsoda's way: (cheap charlie option) EDGE USB modem (non 3G, cos it wont be available up here inside 12 - 18 mths) Cost: 1500 Bt

 

AIS net SIM 139 Bt including 30 hours internet time (better than using normal phone SIM)

 

Then AIS unlimited package....Unlimited internet hours for 650 Bt per month

 

It's NOT fast...download 460 kbs...but it's OK... especially with windows 7 where you can keep lots of windows open and easily switch between them.

 

It works for me.

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers DS

[radioman]

Thanks for the inputs so far, looks like there is a way to make this work pretty much as I thought. A Thai friend just told me about 3G365 which I think is TOT, he says it covers much of the city area now but from what I can find on this interweb thingy it only works in Thai.

[Nervous God]

iPSTAR is good if you get the right provider, same as DSL - depends on the service provider, iPSTAR isn't the service provider,

 

That said, DS solution is great because it's mobile, I use my mobile to connect to the same interent packages he uses, works great, even in a speeding bus!

[radioman]

DS, your cheap Charlie method sounds like it might work but I have a couple of questions.

 

Do you use Skype, mesenger , or other text message and voip/video application?

 

If so do you find the EDGE connection adequate for voice calls pc-pc?

 

Wondering about the modem, I see a number of different 'dongles', no obvious brand names, am I likely to find all will be as good as each other?

 

Thanks

 

 

[radioman]

Hi,

 

Well just realised I could sort of check this out myself by connecting laptop to EDGE through wireless router in my cellphone and then with desktop machine connected through normal ADSL line. Skype texting works fine and voice does work but the delay would likely prove annoying in real usage. So I guess it's a 50//50 thing.

 

Will look more at the 3G365 offering and take it from there I think.

 

[Dumsoda]

Most work OK....with exception of video

 

Half meg is not sufficient to give good results IMHO

 

Still I'm making do with what I've got and surviving

 

Cheers DS

[Mekong]

Need something that just works! Is the sort of likely connection, GPRS EDGE around Suk 22 and Rama IV likely to be good enough for Skype audio? Video? Do True have 3G coverage in this area?

 

Thanks

 

TRUE 3G network is expanding all the time, Suk 22 / Rama IV was covered back in January. Traveling into the city last weekend I noticed I had a 3G connection out at Bang Kapi whilst on elevated highway. Phone switches between EDGE / 3G Automatically depending what is available, may have got 3G sooner but I only realised it when at Bang Kapi.

 

Do a search on my other posts about 3G / EDGE

[chilli13]

yeah True 3G (unlimited data free on any postpaid package starting from 299bt or lower OR various 3G data packages on prepaid). Need 850Mhz supported HSPA/3G/UMTS phone/dongle.

 

tot 3g direct or via one of the various service providers such as '365' etc. heard packages are not cheap in the 1k++/month range, but coverage is bkk wide more or less & growing (just a tad ahead of true which however cover places like huahin, samui etc!)? TOT requires just a 'standard 2100Mhz/2.1Ghz HSPA/3G/UMTS/WCDMA phone/dongle.

 

As to skype etc functionality it may work better on 3G than adsl due to lower latency, but stability may be worse. For sure better than edge/gprs/cdma/satellite!