Thread: CDMA In The Boondocks

Originally Posted by boloa

Two of my friends have had TOT round and they both have a Nanostation Installed. Its a box on top of an aerial that connects to a Router in the house.Both guys have been to TOT and they come round within a week .You can have a few different packages ...One pays about 600 for 6GB speed and one pays about 900 for 10GB...No sure what the download limit is but it might be about 700GB a month or even unlimited "

The cost of the install is 6000 Baht all in......As soon as they have had theirs for a month or so with no problems I will change over. I have tested both their speed and they are getting what TOT have told them.I nip round to their houses to do my downloading, A film can be as quick as 20 mins......streaming Films and Football is great...I can't wait to have the system put in!!

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I have this system for almost 2 years upcountry. One word: Great!
Much better than my ADSL in BKK or my previous CAT CDMA USB.

Here's an oldish review of TOT 'nanostation' which I found useful

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archive...icle10862.html


Tuesday, August 23, 2011 5:47:00 PM

Phuket Live Wire: WiFi you wouldn’t believe


NANO STATION: TOT’s new AirMax “WiFi” system relies on a box like these, mounted on the outside of your house, with a wire going from the box to a router indoors.

PHUKET: There's important breaking news on the internet scene in Phuket: TOT is now offering something they call "WiFi". The first, most important thing to understand is that this isn’t the kind of WiFi you know. It’s completely different.

TOT has taken confusing terminology to new lows. The "WiFi" TOT is selling has nothing to do with the WiFi you probably have on your laptop, or on your phone or tablet. It’s a different technology, invented by a company called Ubiquiti Networks, that relies on a box nailed to the side of your house or office. Ubiquiti calls the technology AirMax on their website ubnt.com, and that’s the term I’ll use.

Here’s how it works. TOT puts AirMax transmitters on its mobile phone towers. The transmitters broadcast a signal that can be picked up from a long distance by a very sensitive box called the Ubiquiti NanoStation M5.

Although the transmission is line-of-sight – meaning you need to be able to see the antenna, more or less, in order to get a signal – these systems are tuned to produce remarkable reception, using something called a 2X2 MIMO antenna array. In Phuket right now we have AirMax connections extending up to 2 kilometers, and they’ll certainly go much further; Ubiquiti claims their systems can transmit up to 50 km.

So, TOT puts a NanoStation M5 box on the side of your house, tunes it to receive the signal from the tower, then runs a heavy-duty Ethernet cable into your house. That Ethernet cable connects to a box that functions as your router.

You can plug a computer into the router and connect via Ethernet, or you can connect a wireless access point box to it – thus producing a genuine, old-fashioned WiFi signal inside your home.

TOT likes the AirMax system because it doesn’t have to run landline wires down the road. The towers are already built, and they’re connected to the main internet lines on the island. Once a tower has an AirMax base station, all of the houses in a 2 or 3 km line-of-sight radius are potential customers. Cheap and easy.

The technical details are fascinating as you can see on the Ubiquiti web site, but the thing I found most surprising is that the AirMax runs at 5 GHz.

If you recall the ongoing fights in Thailand over the 850 MHz, 900 MHz and 2.1 GHz frequencies – well, the AirMax doesn’t use any of them.

As far as I know, the 5 GHz band isn’t regulated in Thailand, which may be a primary reason why TOT chose it.

Leons, in Kathu, has started reporting the speeds for his TOT AirMax "WiFi" service, and they’re breathtaking. He’s consistently getting 5 Mbps international download speeds, which is considerably faster than almost all of the wired connections on the island.

Of course, there aren’t many AirMax customers at the moment, and those speeds won’t last forever. But for now they show that TOT has opened up a fast international connection for its AirMax customers: definitely a good sign.

Leons is using the TOT AirMax 5 Mbps plan which costs 599 baht per month. There’s also an 8 Mbps plan at 799 baht per month. No word yet on speeds for the 8 Mbps version.

If you aren’t yet reporting your speeds on PhuketInternetSpeed.com, please drop by and sign up! We need your help. It’s free, it only takes a few seconds, and the results help everyone figure out what’s working and what’s not worth the effort. Remember that all of the data – more than 21,000 reported speeds at this point – is immediately available to anyone who wants to view, download, or fiddle with the results. Also remember that the Internet Service Providers are watching the reports.

Guys, I sincerely appreciate all the information. Very helpful.

Originally Posted by baldrick

I had not heard of the TOT wifi using ubiquity nanostations

Neither had I until today.
They have been available since 2011 but I can't find any mention of it on the TOT website.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by baldrick

I had not heard of the TOT wifi using ubiquity nanostations

Neither had I until today.
They have been available since 2011 but I can't find any mention of it on the TOT website.

My two friends went to TOT many times trying to get a land-line for the Internet,at no time did they ever suggest using a Nanostation,they just said "No have land line in your area"
A local Doctor had changed over to the new optical cable system they have put in locally for Government,Hospitals and school use only.The Doctor told my friend he could have his old system as he no longer used it.He asked TOT to change over the user name and to come and install,which they did. My other friend went to TOT a few weeks later and asked for the Nanostation system and they said "No problem,we do next week "
When my friend ask the TOT official why he didn't offer the Nanostation when he told him he couldn't have a land-line ,the Official said " You did not ask".....

Originally Posted by boloa

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by baldrick

I had not heard of the TOT wifi using ubiquity nanostations

Neither had I until today.
They have been available since 2011 but I can't find any mention of it on the TOT website.

My two friends went to TOT many times trying to get a land-line for the Internet,at no time did they ever suggest using a Nanostation,they just said "No have land line in your area"
A local Doctor had changed over to the new optical cable system they have put in locally for Government,Hospitals and school use only.The Doctor told my friend he could have his old system as he no longer used it.He asked TOT to change over the user name and to come and install,which they did. My other friend went to TOT a few weeks later and asked for the Nanostation system and they said "No problem,we do next week "
When my friend ask the TOT official why he didn't offer the Nanostation when he told him he couldn't have a land-line ,the Official said " You did not ask".....

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Just order it... They will come to your house and test at your place if it will work.
They put the Nanostation first on a bamboopole, and test it from their car.

If it works they will install it on your roof. And bring the lan cable in your desired room.

Originally Posted by Prem

Just order it... They will come to your house and test at your place if it will work.
They put the Nanostation first on a bamboopole, and test it from their car.

If it works they will install it on your roof. And bring the lan cable in your desired room.

Correct.......Both my friends have ended up having to repair broken tiles after they fitted the aerial mast to the roof.I was at my 2nd friends house when they installed the system.I talked TOT guys into putting the aerial on the Rice Barn so they didn't brake any-more tiles , they then throw the cable over the roof and started drilling a hole in the wall near where the computer was situated .I told them to stop, I then told them to drill a hole in the soffit of the house near the rice barn and run the cable in the roof space...not just throw it over the roof...........The guy doing the technical stuff was OK ........the other workers were just Monkeys

Originally Posted by Prem

Just order it... They will come to your house and test at your place if it will work. They put the Nanostation first on a bamboopole, and test it from their car.

any more info about how to order this ? the totwifi website does not mention the nanostation

how did you find out about it ?

http://www.catinternet.in.th/cat_wifi.html

can some one decode this ?

Originally Posted by baldrick

can some one decode this ?

Google translate not bad.

Current access to the Internet is considered to be part of the lifestyle of people today. It can be said that the Internet as a channel to reach out and get to know a variety of information. In the current era, as quickly as possible. Also, most people have to communicate to each other via the Internet. Whether it's a Web Browser, E-mail, Chat. As well as many other applications. Due to this convenience makes people connect. Can communicate to each other easily. As a convenience to those who want to use the Internet. Since most people have a device that can connect to the Internet has. For example, NoteBook, mobile phones. And privacy in the use. The format of the service is currently being developed to meet the needs of applications with more independence. In the form of a wireless system, also known as WiFi to favor convenience to users there.
CAT WiFi. Another service will be introduced. Which serves as a form of Internet. High-speed wireless Powerful Internet network available throughout the CAT. CAT WiFi to present new options. Make every step you experience in accessing the Internet in the form of high-speed wireless Internet Bonneville. To meet every lifestyle for today's lifestyle. Access is easy. I have attached the workplace anymore.
The form of services. CAT WiFi.
CAT WiFi. Service through technology. IEEE 802.X Internet technology to connect wirelessly. Services can be applied in different places as well.
Services provided to residents.

Services within the apartment.

The service. CAT WiFi.
For a CAT WiFi. The user must have a Username and Password on the Login ID CAT WiFi Card. The fee is as follows.
Type 60 baht Use 60 minutes.
Type 100 to 120 minutes.
Type 150 to 300 minutes.
Type 300 to 750 minutes.
You can use the value of the card until it expires. (Card valid for 30 days after activation, except the last 60 days, $ 300) and buy a new card to use it.
Login is required to access the service.
Login to access the screen.

In the town of Sanghkla in Surin you'd get normal highspeed near town at 6mbs using TOT landlines at least that's what I get nearby you in the north in Surin. If phone lines reach you, then no problem. They are running a special Internet line to the temple near us which will allow for free wifi for the kids. This might be a nationwide project to offer wifi at temples. Not sure but if you are near one you might get free wifi. I know you are out in the sticks. Well, good luck anyway.

^I will check it out. That would certainly be the easiest solution.

I spoke about the TOT Nanostation that 2 of my friends that have had it fitted.Both paid 6000 Baht + 600 baht a month and get good speed and I said as soon as they had test run it for a few month I would then go out and buy the set up as I'm on a Dtac dongle that is so slowwwwwwww.

Anyway last week with out me knowing a Thai neighbour had the system fitted.He is a 15 year old boy that lives with his Grandpa and Grandma.His sister had paid for the set-up for him and pays the monthly bill of 500 baht.I checked on my laptop setting and unfortunate even though the Wifi shows up its too far for me to connect too.

So I had a brain wave..........How about running a wire from his Wifi box ( it has 2 extra Ethernet outputs) to my Laptop.There is a concrete Electric pole by his house and one buy my house which is about 20 meters apart ( easy to run a wire ).I suggest we get the guy from TOT to come round ( I have his private number ) and get him to wire it up.I also suggested we upped the package to 10GB ( 600 baht ) and I would pay the extra.I also said as they had paid the 6000 baht for the Nanostation I would pay the whole bill for 10 months ( 6000baht ) and after 10 months we would split the bill 50/50 so we each paid 300 baht .That means they will get their Nanostation for under 1/2 price and get 10GB speeds for 300 baht a month after 10 months free usage.

This was translated by my wife who understood everything and even explained it back to me in English so as to make sure she had it 100% correct.

The young lad was over the moon getting his Internet package increased for less money and his Grandpa and Grandma thought it was a great idea to save money.Then the young boys sister phoned ( who paid for the system ) and said to the Family she didn't want her brother to share.When my wife explained to his sister she would have no bills for 10 months saving her 5000 baht and after 10 months her bill would be further reduced she said ' I don't care,I not want to share'...she also said she didn't want he brother to have 10GB speeds as he could then look at to many sexy ladies.I tried to explain that he could do that now if he wanted but she was adamant and wasn't having any of it.

So the outcome is in the next few weeks I will be going to TOT paying 6000 Baht for my Own Nanostation and paying 600 baht a month for 10GB speeds. No big deal really as I was expecting to pay that anyway........but it could have been a whole lot cheap for my Thai neighbour and after 10 months I would have only been paying 300 baht for my Internet package.......sounded like a done deal to me

Originally Posted by boloa

You can have a few different packages ...One pays about 600 for 6GB speed and one pays about 900 for 10GB...No sure what the download limit is but it might be about 700GB a month or even unlimited "

6GB and 10GB are not the speed, they are possibly the monthly download limits.
The Ubiquiti Nanostation M2 or M5 can not give you more than ~ 80-90 Mbit/s under best conditions (full wifi signal and no other customer apart from you connected to the ToT tower base station).

There is no download limit. Download Speed is 7-9 MB.
Again if it's available in your area, take it. It's simply the best.

8-9 Mbps download, more than enough for most of the things.

Originally Posted by boloa

So both your comments are wrong Lom

You'd better find out the difference between Giga and Mega and the difference between Bytes and bits before saying who is wrong.
Oh, and the difference between amount of data versus speed of data..

Originally Posted by lom

Originally Posted by boloa

So both your comments are wrong Lom

You'd better find out the difference between Giga and Mega and the difference between Bytes and bits before saying who is wrong.
Oh, and the difference between amount of data versus speed of data..

I'm no Internet geek,all I know is I can download a film in 30 minutes or less on the TOT system,watch You-Tubes ,Stream live sport and TV..........none of these I can do on my Dtac dongle that cost me 700 baht a month .....as I have no Dtac or 12call 3G in my locale.

this thread has been very informative so far

has anyone found out anything about the CAT wifi option ? is it similar to the TOT using nanostations to a basestation tower or is it just the standard wifi access via APs in the city

Agree w/ Baldrick - very informative.

Seems as the age old problem in the sticks - decent connections and service.

Looking to get away from a mobile transister connection and explore a solid wifi options......can this be done with a satellite receiver?

Interestingly enough, my good wife is far more knowedgable regarding electronic gadgetry than this old fart [not a luddite].

Jim and Alan - expect emails from me for advice and info. Sounds as if both of you are tuned in as to what is needed for decent serice in the bush.