Internet access in HH - how bad is it really?

[katyb]

Hi,

Getting a little nervous as I am seeing a lot of posts about the poor connectivity in HH. Nervous because we are going to be there for three months from Dec to early March and I am going to try and find a rental property with ADSL in order to continue running my business in UK. I need to download files of around 1 MB regularly during the day, sometimes up to 3MB. Am I dreaming or will this be possible? If it isn't we are going to have to rethink, which I don't want to as my other half is mad keen golfer and HH looks the best bet for him.

Can anybody put my mind at rest please?

Thanks
Kate

[buksida]

For the past week its been practically unuseable, read on:

http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/vi ... php?t=4204

It took me four hours the other day to upload about 6MB to a server in the US.

[katyb]

Thank you Buksida,

I have read that thread, it was one the things that prompted my post.

Would you say this situation is unusual? I see that a lot of you run businesses there. Is it a severe hindrance? I would need to be online from 4pm to about 8pm local time if that's significant. Or is it just generally hit and miss?

I really don't want to go back to Phuket again even though I did get a fairly stable wireless connection in our apartment.

Any positive news would be gratefully received (but I'll accept the reality too!).

Many thanks
Kate

[Gutte]

If you NEED the connection for your business, perhaps you are prepared to pay a little more than many others?

I pay 2 500 Baht/month for ADSL with the speed 256/512.
You can also have 256/512 for 790 Baht/month.
The difference is that the expensive one works.

For example: Before going to sleep last night, I started to download a movie, more than 800 MB, and when I woke up it was complete.

I regularly both send and receive mails with attachments around 1-2 MB and this is not a problem whatsoever.

I understand, from another thread, that many people have had problems this afternoon. For me it hasn't been any different than usual.

I guess I should be happy, but I haven't been particularly happy about this before. I'm paying double for 1/16 of the speed I have in Sweden.

But at least I'm not irritated all the time, and that alone is worth a couple of thousand Baht/month.

[Mart]

I've got the 256/512 package from Maxnet which is sometimes slower than dial up. You can get a more expensive 256/512 package that is supposed to actually work, and the packages are supposed to get better the more you pay. I can't say for sure if they do.


I just did this test, must be my lucky night.

Your current bandwidth reading is: 175.30kbps

which means you can download at 21.91 KB/sec. from our servers.

Test Time: August 10, 2006, 7:59 pm



Mart

[fremdulo]

I have the 790 B/M ADSL and have to FTP stuff around fairly often. Sometimes it's better than others but I've never had to give up on anything. When it's bad I just leave it until later, I guess it will depend on the amount of traffic you will generate and how urgent it is. Not urgent = no problem.

[buksida]

The difference is that the expensive one works.

Thats about the size of it.

I think the entire country has been suffering this last week, it isnt usually this bad, very frustrating though.

If you're willing to spend between 2-3 thousand baht a month you'll get an ADSL package that should meet your requirements.

If you spend 790 on Maxnet you'll get something that works now and then and can be slower that dialup ... not recommended if you rely on the internet!

Your current bandwidth reading is:

91.40kbps

which means you can download at 11.43 KB/sec. from our servers.

(remember if you want a true bandwidth speed test you need to run it from an international server, not a Thai one!).

[katyb]

That's great eveyone. Thanks for your input. I don't mind spending the extra as is it for business as long as it works (mostly).

Thanks again.
Kate

[Gutte]

Can anyone please remind me where to go for a bandwidth test?

[buksida]

I usually use this one but it timed out on me this time

http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/

[Gutte]

Thanks Buksida,

Communications 143.9 kilobits per second
Storage 17.6 kilobytes per second
1MB file download 58.3 seconds
Subjective rating Mediocre

"Mediocre" is the word. But as said, good enough to most of the times keep me from getting really irritated.

[curber]

Is it possible to get satellite internet in Hua Hin

[billseymour]

katyb,

Regarding ADSL service providers, if you search this forum (or others) you will see that all providers are both praised and vilified by different posters.

I have been with CSLoxinfo for almost three years, and have found their service to be quite satisfactory -- but others will certainly have the opposite opinion.

If you are relying on ADSL for your business, a bigger problem might be finding a rental that has ADSL pre-installed (or even a telephone line). My wife's daughter has recently rented in HH, and had to wait 7 days for the telephone line to be activated, and a further 10 days before the ADSL service was successfully implemented (by TT&T, the local telephone company).

[barrys]

Satellite Internet is available from IPStar/LoxInfo.
256/128 costs B2000 per month for unlimited use.
After a dire 1 1/2 months or so, they now seemed to have fixed the problems and at the moment it's working pretty well

[STEVE G]

Barry wrote;
Satellite Internet is available from IPStar/LoxInfo.

Hi Barry, is this satellite system any good? I remember it was big news when they launched the satellite last year. Is it a stand alone system with up and down link or do you need a land line as well? I would fit it up in the house in Issan if it works by itself.