Mobile USB Broadband

[MissT]

Hi
I am looking to come to Bali for 2-3 months early next year. Just wondering if you can get USB broadband modems up there yet and if they are are available on prepaid/reasonably priced. Will probably be in an apartment with no internet wired in.

thanks

Tracey

 

[ronb]

I am looking to come to Bali for 2-3 months early next year. Just wondering if you can get USB broadband modems up there yet and if they are are available on prepaid/reasonably priced. Will probably be in an apartment with no internet wired in.

Just got one yesterday from RTC Gatsu becuase I am moving around so much at the moment and dpending on WiFi spots is not so easy.

The one I got is a ZTE model MF628. Described as a HSDPA USB modem with download up to 7.2 Mbps and upload to 2 Mbps. Some info and pics at ZTE MF628,3g USB MODEM, ZTE MODEM:900/1800/1900MHz, 7.2Mbps

It cost me Rp400,000 (they started asking 450,000) - more effective haggling may have got that down a bit.

Then I started with a Telkomsel Flash Unlimited SIM card with a small amount of pulsa - then found a pulsa seller who helped me get onto the monthly plan with a 1.5 GB limit before it throttles back to a 64K download speed limit. This is package 3 on this page Telkomsel | Product | Flash
(use Google translate)

With one day of experience in just one location, it is mostly good, but occasionally just stops - presumably because of network congestion. I note they have an option called Turbo where you can raise your priority in the network - but I will wait and see how I go.

 

[MissT]

Great info, thanks heaps Ron
One less thing I have to worry about

 

[Markit]

Same as that I got an O2 usb with my 1.5 Gb plan from telekomsel and the chances of using that much in a month are illusory to say the most - in the mornings I'm getting d/l speeds of max. 5kb and uploads correspondingly less. After all the bitching though it is a connections (well, most of the time) and does ok for reading emails and a bit of light surfing. Right now 2:30 afternoon am getting a massive 10kb/sec d/l speed - almost blows me away.

Didn't think to haggle over the price of the modem, don't know why? Cost me 600k from telekomsel itself... just thought that was the price, could boot myself now - thanks Ron!:icon_cry:

 

[BKT]

I'm paying 175 per month for Smart which is unlimited. Here in Singaraja I constantly get 12k download speed, In Renon its a little slower and less reliable. To the OP, you should have these guys come out and test it at your house for free, if its too slow for you then don't buy it. The Modem is 1 million and you get 3 months free interent

 

[Jimbo]

I pay 50,000 for unlimited downloads. Only good enough for email and light surfing i.e no downloads or skype but cheap.

 

[ronb]

Same as that I got an O2 usb with my 1.5 Gb plan from telekomsel and the chances of using that much in a month are illusory to say the most - in the mornings I'm getting d/l speeds of max. 5kb and uploads correspondingly less. After all the bitching though it is a connections (well, most of the time) and does ok for reading emails and a bit of light surfing. Right now 2:30 afternoon am getting a massive 10kb/sec d/l speed - almost blows me away.

Ok - a bit more info - I think it depends on how up-to-date your local telkonsel tower is - I mean the software systems.

In marketing they use these terms 2G, 2.5G, 3G & 3.5G - and when you are just making calls and sending SMS's, this mumbo-jumbo just goes over our heads as calls and messages work much the same no matter which G. But for computer connections it makes all the difference. Some info at 2G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and 3G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. if you local phone tower is only 2.5G - then a max download of 10k bytes/sec is likely.

I have been getting good download rates - see the attached speedtest - so will easily consume my 1.5 GB allowance in less than a month. Then you just live out the month at 64K download speed or pay extra in 50,000 amounts to get the faster speed for the remaining days.

My modem status (2nd attachment) often displays HSDPA showing that it is connecting with this protocol which is usually dubbed as 3.5G

Like you, the box my modem came in had O2 prominently printed on the box and it mentioned HSDPA and 7.2 MB download speeds. At the time it meant nothing to me - but I now realize this is what you want in order to be able to work with the best your mobile phone company can offer at the place where you are. They had other modems for a bit less that did not support HSDPA.

 

[MissT]

Wow quite a bit to digest here......so presumably you purchase the modem from one place and then buy the prepaid internet service from another provider ?? or do Telkomsel have a shop that you can do the whole lot together?

I am coming up to Bali next Thurs for a few days to scout aruond for apartments and will be in Kuta/Tuban area so will try and investigate further.

Thanks for all your help and hope to meet some of you early next year.

Tracey

 

[pollyanna]

I'm attaching a screen shot of today's internet speed. On Monday I'm going to take Ronb's advice and head down to RTC Gatsu for one of those funny modems. I hardly have the courage to drive in Denpasar but I've got to do something about my internet speed.

Just got one yesterday from RTC Gatsu becuase I am moving around so much at the moment and dpending on WiFi spots is not so easy.

The one I got is a ZTE model MF628. Described as a HSDPA USB modem with download up to 7.2 Mbps and upload to 2 Mbps. Some info and pics at ZTE MF628,3g USB MODEM, ZTE MODEM:900/1800/1900MHz, 7.2Mbps

It cost me Rp400,000 (they started asking 450,000) - more effective haggling may have got that down a bit.

Then I started with a Telkomsel Flash Unlimited SIM card with a small amount of pulsa - then found a pulsa seller who helped me get onto the monthly plan with a 1.5 GB limit before it throttles back to a 64K download speed limit. This is package 3 on this page Telkomsel | Product | Flash
(use Google translate)

With one day of experience in just one location, it is mostly good, but occasionally just stops - presumably because of network congestion. I note they have an option called Turbo where you can raise your priority in the network - but I will wait and see how I go.

 

[pollyanna]

Address for RTC Gatsu

I have found two addresses for RTC Gatsu. Can anyone tell me if this is the correct one?
Cokroaminoto Road 82, Denpasar.

 

[hermit]

I have found two addresses for RTC Gatsu. Can anyone tell me if this is the correct one?
Cokroaminoto Road 82, Denpasar.

What is the other adress?Gatsu usually is short for jalan Gatot Subroto,so if there is one there that is probably what it is.Gatot Subroto is the big avenue running from the Topahti Junction all the way west to Kerobokan.Not easy to find an adress there as the nummering is divided in west,middle and east Subroto.I have never been able to understand the system completely.It is possible it is located on Cokroanimoto close to Gatsu,hence the name.Is the R in RTC standing for Rimo ,the computer center on jalan Diponegoro? There will be the same things for sale there i guess,and maybe easier to reach.
call me if this sounds confusing.

 

[pollyanna]

Ah, yes. Thank you Hermit. Ronb had told me the "Gatsu" was the address abbreviation but I'd forgotten. I think I'll make a note of both addresses in case I get hopelessly lost, a very easy thing for me to do even in a small village like Bona .
I'm looking forward to My Big Adventure of a trip to Denpasar. Also planning to get speakers for my computer while I'm there. We're watching movies on the laptop and some of them have poor sound quality. We gave up totally on Eat Pray Love, could hardly hear a word.

I am most excited about the new wandering, fast modem.

 

[ronb]

Ah, yes. Thank you Hermit. Ronb had told me the "Gatsu" was the address abbreviation but I'd forgotten. I think I'll make a note of both addresses in case I get hopelessly lost, a very easy thing for me to do even in a small village like Bona .

RTC Gatsu is on corner of Jl Gatot Subroto and Jl Cokroaminto. See Google Earth attachment. You enter from Jl Cokro and there is car parking at the back of the building.

This is the intersection where there is a statue of Gusti Bagus Sugianyar with his finger in the air. There is a Panoramia photo of the statue at Panoramio - Photo of Patung Mayor I Gusti Bagus Sugianyar - Denpasar - Bali

I also recently bought small speakers for the laptop. I was after portability so wanted speakers that used power from the USB connection (no separate power supply), and were compact. So the volume is not as big as some of the other larger systems with separate power - but 10 times better than the built-in speakers of my Acer laptop. Good for movies. They cost Rp235,000. They glow blue light which has no practical use - seems to be popular with many accessories.

 

[pollyanna]

RTC Gatsu is on corner of Jl Gatot Subroto and Jl Cokroaminto. See Google Earth attachment. You enter from Jl Cokro and there is car parking at the back of the building.

This is the intersection where there is a statue of Gusti Bagus Sugianyar with his finger in the air. There is a Panoramia photo of the statue at Panoramio - Photo of Patung Mayor I Gusti Bagus Sugianyar - Denpasar - Bali

Uh Oh. I looked at that photo. Naughty man. But thank you for sending the link. Now I know what to look for - the finger man.
I'm going as heavily armed as possible. I've even printed the Google Earth attachment. If BaliPod never hears from me again you'll know I'm forever wandering the streets of Denpasar.

 

[Bryan]

Modem Internet

I am in the first week of using our new 3.5G modem with Telkomsel Flash Unlimited and its great! We live in west Bali and the best internet option till now has been a trip to the local resort whose connectivity has been incredibly unreliable for ages. Now I'm online on the verandah in country Bali and using two browsing pages open with quick loadup.

We bought ours at Rimo from a small shop at back of ground floor. Friendly young guy was really helpful and set-up the Telkomsel Flash there and then, total cost rp500,000.

 

[kabouter]

I'm a bit confused, is it possible to get a prepaid usb stick from telkomsel with priority 1 and around 6gb/month?

I'll be staying short term but really need a reliable connection.

 

[spicyayam]

I think it is better to buy a modem that is not locked to a company and then choose which company has the best deal and works best in your area.

 

[ronb]

I'm a bit confused, is it possible to get a prepaid usb stick from telkomsel with priority 1 and around 6gb/month?

I'll be staying short term but really need a reliable connection.

You just buy the modem - mostly they are made by ZTE in China but come with various labels like O2 or Mobinil or others. On the back it will reveal it is ZTE and have a model number - MF626 is good. Price is Rp350,000 - 400,000.

Then get a SIM card. Pre-paid are easy to get, but the best unlimited plan is is the Rp200,000 per month which gives 1.5GB download, at 500K, then drops back to 64K for the rest of that month. It does not say what priority - but I guess it is 2 or 3. You get these SIM cards from any mobile phone pre-paid shop that says it has Telkomsel Flash - so at any of the computer places like RTC.

On a post-paid SIM card (KartuHALO) which is billed monthly at the end of each month you can get a Rp400,000 per month plan with a 4GB download limit at download speeds they say are 7 Mb, then it drops back to 128K for the rest of the month. This plan is priority 1. I am using this one - and tend to use up the 4 GB in about 2 weeks - although I am hoping to do better. To get KartuHALO, you need a KITAS, or else you need to do it in the name of someone with a KITAS or and Indonesian identity. I guess they are assessing the credit rating of the KITAS holder or local person. You go to Telkomsel for these, you get it while you are there, but it is activated 1 day later.

Find the details of the plans at
Telkomsel | Product | Telkomsel-flash

 

[mat]

For sale.

I have a ZTE MG880 [CDMA 1X] and a Smart AC2726 download max 3.1 Mbps and upload 1.8, CDMA 1X, EV-DO Rev A [still boxed lightly used] USB modems for sale.
No reasonable offer refused.
Reason for sale is I have 'speedy' through my fixed telephone line now.
I live in the North [where I found Smart performed best]

 

[brisbnewbie]

Hi Ron,
When i arrived in bali last month, i followed your helpful advice and went into RTC on Mar 10 2011, where i bought the same model USB (for 400) and got an unlimited online arrangement supposedly for 100 per month, it's a 3G thing with prettyy reliable connection but very slow i must say, wow.

the chap at RTC charged me 50 to get going, saying i'd have to pay another 100 within ten days.

but i couldn't understand how to do this or what he meant ..... ?
:icon_e_confused:

i'm not expecting to track into RTC again.
please would you give me some guidance about to 'recharge' ?
i asked the phone pulsa seller around the corner, she didn't know.

what do you do ?!

i'm staying at kerobokan

warm regards, kate

Just got one yesterday from RTC Gatsu becuase I am moving around so much at the moment and dpending on WiFi spots is not so easy.