ADSL HH

[skippy]

ADSL here in HH.
I have signed up in April on the silver cyber plan with TOT for the first week it worked ok now for the last three weeks it has been either not working or very, very slow.

I have used the speed tests suggested in the forum. If it works at all the results are any thing from 104.1 to the best 209.3 kilobits per second.
I have contacted TOTs help line many times, they take my phone number nothing more is heard. I have had one vist from their techs and they said the problem was in BKK and they will be back in 2days. Waited two more weeks still nothing. Last friday the 4th of May when into the office here in HH. Guess what left my phone number and heard x?ZXing nothing.



My phone line appears to be very noisy by this i mean when i pick up the receiver and listen to the dial tone very scratchy. So i think its more of a line problem. But what would i know.

I have a wirless option on my computer, but where i live, behind Market Village I get a very weak signal that drops in and out from Sunshine WiFi.
However i have used this service from time to time with one of their prepaid cards. Maybe there is a way i can get a better signal from them. to enable me to use this service.

any ideas would be helpful.

[buksida]

A lot of the answers and an explanation of why your ADSL connection is so bad can be read here:

http://www.expathuahin.com/internet-huahin.php

Essentially you have two things to do if you want a faster connection, get the phone cables replaced and cleaned at the junction box and pay for a higher package.

[skippy]

Yes i looked at that information first but did not see my package.

The phone lines is interesting how and who handles this TOT. I am only renting. But the phone account in in my name.

What package would you recommend?

[buksida]

Yes i looked at that information first but did not see my package.

The phone lines is interesting how and who handles this TOT. I am only renting. But the phone account in in my name.

What package would you recommend?

The information is general as stated - you can work out what package you come under from your monthly bill and quoted internet speed.

Yes TOT technicians are responsible for the phone lines but as you have found out they are less than reliable.

Recommended package depends on how much you need to be online, if you need to rely on it I would go for one of the premium ADSL packages for around 2,500 per month - anything cheaper than 1,500 and you're going to get the same problems due to over subscription regardless of provider.

[skippy]

Tot not answering the phone today must be a hoilday.

The plan i am on is 512/256 giving me 100-200kb the next is gold 1024/256 how much may i expect actual speed.

[buksida]

Yes, its a holiday today - banks closed too I think.

The general idea is not to go up in speed but go up in price if you want a faster connection. Get the next price level up for the same speed you're currently on - it will have less subscribers and hence be closer to the advertised speed.

[skippy]

Thank you for your help
tommorrow back down to TOT
cheers

[skippy]

Update
same, same but different. Yes went to TOT yesterday and was told some one come now you wait at home. So i rush home fantastic.

guess what (As pink floyd once said);I AM STILL WAITING

[lomuamart]

Maybe you've been a bit unlucky?
I've called the TOT technicians out countless times over the years and they've always been prompt.
Some of the explanations as to slow connection speeds have been entertaining though. I think the best ever was to my observation that it was fine early in the morning, but slowed down mid afternoon. The reason? "Well it clouds over in the afternoons, so the connection's not so good". When I pointed out that I had a land line, not satelite connection, they sheepishly shrugged their shoulders and left.

[buksida]

Many of the providers have a habit of changing stuff like DNS numbers and SMTP servers without informing their clients - really doesn't do much for your connection.

Still ... can't complain, we are in the third world.

[nevets]

My ADSL is ttt maxnet broadband 2000tbt . This still gives trouble and i live out in the sticks , mainly router has to be reset.

[Guess]

I think the best ever was to my observation that it was fine early in the morning, but slowed down mid afternoon. The reason? "Well it clouds over in the afternoons, so the connection's not so good". When I pointed out that I had a land line, not satelite connection, they sheepishly shrugged their shoulders and left.

Good observation and worth mentioning. However what I have noticed with TT & T (I guess the skills level is similar to TOT) is almost zero. The guys (and once a lady) are trained to identify the entry point (to your house) for the cable and fit the cable so that is clearly visible for all your friends to admire. There is usually one of the team who is very highly skilled and can connect the cable to the junction box and then to the modem and on one occasion I had one visit who knew where to plug the lead into the PC. They also connect the cable at the Tessabahn post end. This is usually where the source of line noise originates and can be easily rectified yourself although strictly speaking you are illegally interfering with Tessabahn and TOT (TT & T) property.

You should not expect these people to have even the basic knowledge of communications or electricity. Physics & Computer Science has only very recently been introduced to the school curriculum.

Although I agree that the response to the service level at different times was a rib buster, it actually is possible that sometimes even if you have, and pay for, a land line you may at some point go via satellite.

This is highly unlikely in Hua Hin or anywhere in Thailand. Timbuktu, maybe.

[Guess]

I have just been through the process of moving to a new house that had no comms connected and no phone number so have some up to date additions to the article on the ex-pat site specified by Buksi.

The wireless and satellite options are still more or less the same but I think a price war between TOT and TT & T is going on as the prices I was quoted were lower, by a fairly larger degree than those specified for ADSL. Here is my info on all options.

Wireless.

Has to be pretty much line of site with the Hilton Hotel (I think) and seems only to reach out about 3 KM at most. It is cheap to install and monthly charges are low. 1,500 BHT to install and 400 BHT per month unlimited access. It need an antennae fitted in you property so those above sea level or those that can erect a taller mast may get improved access. Only Sunshine doing it as far as I know. They will be using a leased line and multiplex all their customers through that so the dreaded kid turfing out of school time may not slow you down.

Satellite.

Most flexible. You need to buy the kit from a supplier (one in Nebkerhardt Road a few doors north of the cross roads where the old Asia Properties Office was.) I believe the kit is about 6,000 BHT and it requires a PCI card to be fitted. I assume a desktop or laptop PCI card can be supplied but am not sure. I have recently spoken to someone who has it and he says it has been OK even through the recent mini monsoon. As for speed no one will commit themselves but I think good enough for light to medium home or small (non IT) business usage. Monthly charge is about 300 BHT by means of top up cards.


TT & T Maxnet service.

TT & T and TOT seem to have parallel service offerings with only minor differences. I think the quotations on the ex-pat site are from TOT. In general TOT have been slightly cheaper for the same service than TT & T.

The costs per month are:

Indy aimed at the one PC in one house home market.
256/128 590 BHT
512/256 790 BHT
1024/512 1,000 BHT

Premier aimed at multiuser at a single premises:
256/128 1,090 BHT
512/256 1,990 BHT
1024/512 3,400 BHT
2048/512 5,200 BHT

Biz aimed at the business user.
256/128 5,900 BHT
512/256 9,590 BHT
1024/512 15,900 BHT
2048/512 27,500 BHT

The Biz service is a dedicated line, hence the high cost. Nobody at TT & T could explain the difference between Indy and Premier apart from obvious cost and the not so obvious under subscription. In other words you probably get the specified speed and longer up time with Premier but you pay for it dearly.

What surprised me that with all the complaints about the Indy service TT & T are still promotion heavily and currently offer two months free usage. There is also a discounted Modem on offer. If you take up this service check the modem that is supplied (over the counter) when you pay up. They gave me a LAN Modem, meaning that my LAN connection was used and I will now have to buy a router to connect other PCs to my main PC. If you don't have a second PC, no problem.

So far I have had no trouble but get nowhere near the advertised speed of 1024Kbs in the day time. I have still got to check it at night where usually speed is quicker.

According to the TT & T engineer it is quicker at night because there are less light particles around to slow down the electrons. Perhaps Lomu could
ask the same question to TOT.

[skippy]

As an update no one ever contacted me from TOT after mant vists and phone calls to the office here in HH.

I started on the 512/ 256. Am not sure the name but Indy has the same prices.
As part of my own research i upgraded to the 1024/ 512 which which was slower than the 512/ 256 . May be to many users on the 512 so i will go up.
I have just returned from Pattaya,BKK and Buri Ram using my computer in the hotels and Wifi with great speeds.

Back home here in HH again slow, if it downloads at all. I am changing to the 256/ 128 and will let you know.

Why is there such a big difference in speed tests between overseas speed tests to the Thai sites

Landlord replace the phone lines ( yeah right you pay)

[buksida]

Why is there such a big difference in speed tests between overseas speed tests to the Thai sites

When you are testing on a local (Thai) site it is similar to using an intranet or local area network. Less limitation on bandwidth.

International websites suffer bandwidth limitations by CAT who do no have the budget (or inclination) to purchase anymore. Afterall most Thais only look at Thai websites - they don't care what farangs want to look at.

It also seems that the internet in Thailand is still used only for entertainment as opposed to productivity and work, hence the term "len net" instead of "chai internet" (play internet instead of use the internet).