ronb
Hi colorful, and welcome to the forum. You will find a user review of speedy at
http://www.expat.or.id/info/internetaccess.html but I am not sure when it was written. Anyhow that user was fairly happy.
But you say:
Also please keep in mind that I will be using the internet a lot, so options with limited hours won't really work for me.
colorful
This may also mean that options with download limits won't suit you either, and that review of speedy mentions a 750 Mb download limit before extra charges are added.
Good luck.
colorful
Dear forum readers,
I would like to ask for some help on internet connection. I realized I've never had to arrange my own internet connection before so I hardly understand the difference between ADSL and broadband or whatever else. So please forgive what may be some silly questions.
First, does anyone have any comments on Speedy? I am currently staying at a guest house where they have speedy, but I am wondering if it is reliable or not. I tried downloading with it and it downloads at about 5-8 kiloBYTES/ second, or about 4 minutes for 1 MB.
I am staying in Bali temporarily because I felt bored travelling and really wanted to do some research and writing. I dont think I can stay long term, so renting an apartment that would have a phone line installed seems out of the question.
I have read many of the other posts here but it is confusing to me what is the name of a COMPANY or product vs. what is the name of a technology. From my reading it sounds like 3.5g, or perhaps 3G are the best options. However its not clear to me whether this technology/product would require a phone line or not.
ALso price is a factor. If installation/ startup would be really costly, it may make sense just to continue at this guest house.
Also please keep in mind that I will be using the internet a lot, so options with limited hours won't really work for me.
Thanks to anyone who can help, I really appreciate it.
colorful
ronb
Hi Sanurian, you say
[quote]The problem with that site is that it's often not up-to-date, and a little bit too Jakarta-centric.[/quote]
but the Speedy review on that page is written by a Bali user, and is quite detailed and helpful - take a look. Also, I noted that it was hard to know when it was written, but the info looks OK.
Roy
I’m in total agreement with Phil, and he knows this stuff very well. Like him, we have been on Telkom Speedy for about a year now, and considering the past dial up modem speeds we were used to for many previous years, Speedy is a VAST improvement and is also very economical.
In the past year, we only noted one breakdown, and that was the result of a broken underwater cable. The problem was resolved in a few days.
Jimbo
If you want a no hassle connection you might want to use a CDMA connection. Works like a phone card and is charged the same way. Cost of the hardware which plugs into a usb port is about $60 and $20 of cards lasted me about a month but I was not a heavy user.
You can use it anywhere just like a wireless connection. Check with Indocom for more details. May suit your needs.
toucan
Jimbo, does the CDMA network cover all of Indonesia? I am debating whether to buy a small laptop which I would want to use in Bali as well as East Java (in a village area). Would this type of connection work in both? Is it just basically a wireless bit of hardware that plugs straight into the USB with a pre-paid card? Would probably only use it for a couple of hours per day, and not every day, would this be a suitable option in your opinion. Did try to google Indocom without much luck. Could I pick up hot-spots in Bali, but then swap to CDMA when no hot-spot available?
Sanurian
Hi, [b]colorful[/b]
Don't be embarrassed by asking "simple" questions regarding internet options in Bali (or the rest of Indonesia). "[i]Simple answers[/i]" are hard to find. Unless you want [b]this[/b] one:
[i]"Fast" internet connections in Bali are expensive.[/i] Period!
Regarding [i]Telkom Speedy[/i]: I've been using it from my home in Sanur more than a year now. It's OK, but don't expect blindingly fast "speed". Technically speaking, the [b]download[/b] speed is a [b]maximum[/b] of 384Kb/s, which, in reality, means approximately 330Kb/s, (or less, on average). The maximum [b]upload[/b] speed is a paultry 64Kb/s (like somewhere around 20Kb/s, if you're lucky).
[i]Telkom Speedy[/i] accounts come in a variety of flavours. The "normal", cheapest one is around [i]Rp[/i] 220,000/month, (including tax), for 1GB of traffic (up and down). The next level is 3GB/month of traffic for [i]Rp[/i] 440,000, (including tax). A much better and "realistic" quota. Charges can mount up very dramatically if you go over the monthly limit!
If the guest house you're staying in is using a 1GB/month [i]Telkom Speedy[/i] account, it doesn't take a real lot to exceed the monthly quota, (even unintentionally). And then, [b]somebody[/b] has to pay for the extra!
Many factors affect actual obtainable internet speeds. Here are just a few:
1. The computer being used and its "health". Has it been checked recently with [b]up-to-date[/b] virus, malware, adware scanners?
2. The computer's operating system, eg, [i]Windows XP[/i]. Windows' default internet settings leave a lot to be desired and can be tweaked, (if you know how).
3. The quality of the electrical wiring and phone cable to the house, (including how many rats are in the ceiling).
4. With ADSL, the distance from the nearest node to you...the farther away, the slower the performance. (Works better within a couple of kilometers or so.)
5. Programs working in the background on the computer and slowing things down like, unwanted spyware/trojan infections, etc, often without the owner's knowledge (hence point 1 above).
6. Most Windows's based computers have some version of [i]Adobe Acrobat Reader[/i] installed on them so that [i]Portable Document Files[/i] (pdf) can be displayed. That's great...however, what many people don't realise is that it also has an "Automatic Update" feature, which, [b]unless turned off[/b], will try to download "updates" every time the computer connects to the internet!
[i]Acrobat Reader[/i], [b]especially Version 8[/b] and above, is [b]extremely[/b] bloated software. Also completely unnecessary because there are many alternatives available, such as [b]Foxit Reader 2.3[/b]. (Faster, leaner, one tenth the size of [i]Acrobat[/i] and no silly bullshit going on in the background. Also free and with options for more functionality, if you want that. Some extras you have to pay for, but at least you get to choose! And even the paid-for extras are [b]much[/b] cheaper, by a long shot, compared to Adobe's offering.
7. Disabling Acrobat's [i]Automatic Update[/i] is [b]not[/b] intuitive. If anyone wants to do this and is confused, please PM me and I'll show you how. Better to get rid of it entirely, IMHO.
I'm trying to "nail" [i]Acrobat[/i] based on my own experiences. I've checked its folders on my computers and have been astonished to see file sizes in excess of 90MB. I've also caught it trying to download "updates" of 30MB! Halo? It's supposed to be free pdf reader. Apart from Adobe "security up-dates" because of many problems in the last couple of years, I see no other reason for having it. Piss it off, so to speak.
As far as using various available handphone technologies in Bali, (3G, 3.5G, etc), to connect to the internet, be aware that they're relatively slow and expensive. If you have a laptop computer with a wi-fi device included, (most do), you could try using free wi-fi hotspots. There are many along the main beach road in Kuta and you don't even have to go into any shop, restaurant, bar, hotel. Good connections can often be got in front of Circle K outlets. For FREE. Worth trying...
One last thing.
I know that [b]ronb[/b] meant well referring you to the link in his post. The problem with that site is that it's often not up-to-date, and a little bit too Jakarta-centric. Read it for yourself...I'll bet you get even more confused.
I hope this helps you and sorry if I've been too long-winded.
:D
Jimbo
You have got it in one. As to coverage for the whole of Indonesia I do not know and you would have to check with your service provider as there is more than one.
A running rule is that if you have mobile phone coverage you should be OK but please check.
toucan
Thanks Jim, much appreciated. I know we have no trouble with mobile reception so sounds like this could be the go, but will take your advice and check which network to go with.
milan
[quote]Jimbo, I thought I read you post in an earlier message that "CDMA is soooo slow"? You said you didn't use that much, but about how many hours were you able to use for the $20 card? (or is the $20 for a certain amount of GB?)
[/quote]
That's what I thought as it was on my thread where it was written - "Internet: Home or Cafe".
So, which is it, Jimbo? Coz I need to know. Will be in Jkt in July. Thx.
colorful
Hey everyone,
Thank you very much for your comments- I truly appreciate your effort to respond.
So far the Speedy connection is not too bad- it has been mostly reliable but as noted, not extremely fast (nor incredibly slow).
But when you mention that it is only 440K Rp for 3 GB I wonder if I would be better off to get my own connection. But its not clear to me- do I need to have some kind of special hardware or equipment in order to have my own Speedy account? (presumably I would need the wireless router). Would I need to have a phone line? (Since finding a short term rental place with a phone line already installed would probably be diffcult, except for a major price) This is important to consider because obviously its additional overhead I would have to pay in addition to the monthly fee.
I noted what Sanurian said about Adobe Acrobat- fortunately I think I have my computer set not to automatically update but to ask me first. It actually asks me quite regularly if I want to update Adobe which I usually decline since it still works on the old version (and how much detail do you really need to read one of these docs anyway?) I have the same settings for Windows updates, so that prevents me from having interference from these updates.
The other factors you mention are important, and I will have to review them and consider them more carefully.
Jimbo, I thought I read you post in an earlier message that "CDMA is soooo slow"? You said you didn't use that much, but about how many hours were you able to use for the $20 card? (or is the $20 for a certain amount of GB?)
Thanks again, and I do look forward to any further input you may have on setting up with Speedy and/or CDMA (if you have time of course!) 8)
colorful
Jimbo
[quote]Jimbo, I thought I read you post in an earlier message that "CDMA is soooo slow"? You said you didn't use that much, but about how many hours were you able to use for the $20 card? (or is the $20 for a certain amount of GB?)[/quote]
It is slow but reliable. Basically you get an hour for about 5000 tenge but it is also limited to bytes downloaded whichever comes first. It was the best answer for me as I did not want to take on a contract (normally a year) and a monthly fee of arounf 300,000 tenge.
Once again rather than rely on me see the service providers for exact information. For example there are different tafifs if you just want coverage in on area or whether you want throught Indonesia which is useful for travelling.
CDMA system is best if you mainly want your emails and a limited amount of surfing. Downloading large files or volumes..forget it.
Sanurian
[quote]...do I need to have some kind of special hardware or equipment in order to have my own Speedy account? (presumably I would need the wireless router). Would I need to have a phone line?..[/quote]
You need to have:
* a telephone line
* an ADSL modem
From memory, I paid about [i]Rp[/i] 1,000,000 for the complete setup, including the modem. Probably cheaper now.
If your main computer is a laptop, a wireless modem/router combination would be the way to go.
The telephone line should be less than about 5kms from the nearest Telkom "exchange". Telkom will tell you if your location is suitable, within range, etc.
Monthly telephone rental charges are not high and if your place has an existing line, you would usually just take over the existing account. I don't use my telephone all that much and typically pay about [i]Rp[/i] 500,000/month, including my ADSL. For foreign phone calls, I use either the best rate available on handphone SIM cards or a VOIP account.
:D
