Seeking information-Wireless internet speeds/experiences (+ own my Smartfren testing)

[jaffa]

Wondering if those in the know could provide some anecdotal information in regards to wireless data speeds around Bali (either using a USB Dongle, Wireless router box OR using your phone as a modem).

I was just about to take the plunge and buy Smartfren's new whizz bang wireless internet box (can support up to 5 devices - Smartfren Router AR910B) until I did some testing around Seminyak with a friends box (and all the way down Sunset Road and then Ngurah Rai to Nusa Dua) and found the absolute maximum speed is 0.6 Mbps despite the marketing that it runs at 14.7 Mbps.
At the shop they reluctantly admit that the CDMA network here is not mature and those speeds are absolutely not achievable in Bali due to the network hardware. Being a newbie to Bali, I did the daft thing and asked if someone in the company knew the max. speed that could be achieved. I won't bother re-iterating the nonsense and mis-information they told me (clearly not having a clue)
Here are links for people who would like to check up Smartfren and their plans

Smartfren Connex

Anyway, used my Android phone connected to laptop (using Telkomsel Flash Unlimited - 1GB plan per month) and got speeds of 2.0Mbps. Problem is that the absolute max data limit you can buy is 2.5GB/month (as its a data plan for a mobile device NOT for people using phone as a modem with a computer) AND it seems to throttle/restrict certain sites (Will not load up Google.com/Google.co.uk).

So, cutting a long story short, I would like to hear from anyone who has a Wireless internet plan (above 6GB/month) who either has run a Speed test (Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test) OR can comment on speed and coverage based on their own Anecdotal evidence . I'm based in Seminyak (Dhyana Pure). Could be any hardware - USB, stand alone box or using Phone as a wireless modem.



Cheers

 

[balibule]

Hi Jaffa

2Mbps with Telkomsel is impressive. The speeds I got with them were painfully slow.

I now have Smartfren and while it is definitely not 14.7Mbps, it is faster than the Telkomsel card I used to have. It is also more consistent (my Telkomsel connection would disconnect all the time) and te price is also considerably better whereas with Telkomsel I paid 225.000 for 3Gb, now I pay 150.000 for 12Gb.

Ok, I could get faster, maybe Speedy or some other funky cable internet but the price would also be considerably higher and for what I use my internet for, the 0.5 - 1Mbps speeds I am getting from Smartfren I am happy enough.

I guess speed depends on how much you wan to pay really (and your position if you are using SIM)

 

[balibule]

Oh yeah, I have a wireless router and for some reason, the speed I get on my laptop is faster than the speed I am getting on the other device I connet to the WiFi network. I guess that's normal although I don't really know the technical side of it.

 

[jaffa]

Wireless Internet

Oh yeah, I have a wireless router and for some reason, the speed I get on my laptop is faster than the speed I am getting on the other device I connet to the WiFi network. I guess that's normal although I don't really know the technical side of it.

Makasih banyak BaliBule. 1 month trying to get information out of phone shops - and I have the answers I need in 10 mins on BaliPod!!

 

[minz56]

I'm checking this out too ... I'll be in Bali in mid July. Have you checked out the sub forum on Internet and Mobile services? There's lots of usefull information there.

 

[balibule]

When it is time to get rid of my USB modem I am going to either get myself a phone that can do thethering or one of those modems that come with a battery like the one you are looking at from Smartfren. I think USB modems will slowly dissapear.

 

[ronb]

That 2 Mbps is pretty normal from Telkomsel PROVIDED that you have a good 3G signal. Your phone or software for the USB modem tells you if its 3G - sometimes labelled as HSPDA. Sometimes I have got 3 Mbps - but mostly it's 2 or a bit over. The connection speed between you and the local tower is 7Mbps - but the network beyond the local tower seems unable to get beyond 2 or sometimes 3. That 7 Mbps is the number for Telkomsel's network that you would compare with Smartfren's 14.7. My guess, from what you say, is that Smartfren may have a poorer data network infrastructure when you look beyond the local tower.

 

[ronb]

When it is time to get rid of my USB modem I am going to either get myself a phone that can do thethering or one of those modems that come with a battery like the one you are looking at from Smartfren. I think USB modems will slowly dissapear.

I have a Huawei phone (Android 2.2) that can tether and can provide wireless connections around the house - I use it with my laptop when I'm travelling. When the wireless is turned on, the battery runs down faster so you often need to keep it on the charger. So in a sense using your phone for a wireless service is at odds with using with using it as a phone (where you'd rather have it in your pocket - not plugged into a charger).

But I also have a USB modem that is slotted into a wireless router for the house. This works well and so I don't expect USB modems to disappear. This one exceeds its quota half way through the month, so household users have to put up with the 128K speed for part of the month. I have yet another USB modem I use on my laptop for faster speeds in that part of the month where the other service is slow.

I agree that it's good to get away from having the USB modem sticking out of your laptop - so the availability of wireless is simpler, however it's done.

 

[jaffa]

That 2 Mbps is pretty normal from Telkomsel PROVIDED that you have a good 3G signal. Your phone or software for the USB modem tells you if its 3G - sometimes labelled as HSPDA. Sometimes I have got 3 Mbps - but mostly it's 2 or a bit over. The connection speed between you and the local tower is 7Mbps - but the network beyond the local tower seems unable to get beyond 2 or sometimes 3. That 7 Mbps is the number for Telkomsel's network that you would compare with Smartfren's 14.7. My guess, from what you say, is that Smartfren may have a poorer data network infrastructure when you look beyond the local tower.

Ron,

I am dubious about the network tools and icons when connected to an Indonesian network. I worked in mobile telecoms for 10 years and whilst in a 1st world country when you phone says GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G/3.5G/HSDPA is it usually accurate I am not so sure here. I get my phone telling me it has 3G connectivity when clearly it can NOT pull through any data.

Wondering if anyone has got data plans/pricing info for Telekomsel for USB Dongle or similar?? I'd like to think that if I can get 2Mbps with my phone using Telekomsel Flash (2.5GB max per month and restricts many sites including some email and Google) that they have similar speed using USB Dongle or wireless router.

 

[borborigmus]

I used an Indosat USB stick which drove me spare with its drop-outs and glacially slow connection speeds. A Jakarta friend with Indosat confessed that that was the norm, because the policy is to sell as many accounts as possible, which means that there are way too many subscribers trying to access any given tower.
Finally bit the bullet, signed up with CBN (their offices are in the Istana Galeria complex), guys installed the roof antenna on the same day, (that will be 1 juta, thanks ...!) connected the antenna cable to my wireless router, and bingo! I have an unlimited download connection at a nominal speed of 54Mbps.
The downside is the price (672,000 per month), but for me, it is absolutely worth every rupiah.

 

[JohnnyCool]

Finally bit the bullet, signed up with CBN (their offices are in the Istana Galeria complex), guys installed the roof antenna on the same day, (that will be 1 juta, thanks ...!) connected the antenna cable to my wireless router, and bingo! I have an unlimited download connection at a nominal speed of 54Mbps.
The downside is the price (672,000 per month), but for me, it is absolutely worth every rupiah.

That sounds like an astonishingly good deal, especially in Bali. There is no other ISP here that I'm aware of that offers anything like what you appear to have.

Curiosity got the better of me so I went to CBN's website (link) to see for myself. Their prices in and around Jakarta are a lot cheaper than Bali (that's "normal").

The CBN directnet package offers speeds up to 512Kbps (download) and 256 Kbps (upload). (This is the only package I saw that requires an antenna.)
Their "best" ("unlimited") ADSL package is up to 1Mbps/128Kbps for Rp 2,000,000/month, plus 10% tax. (Would probably cost more in Bali.)

There is no way you can be getting an unlimited service at 54Mbps for that price. I don't think 54Mbps speeds exist in Bali, or anywhere else in Indonesia!

So, what's going on here?

The 54Mbps is to do with your modem/wireless router and how fast it can shunt data to your computer. That speed can vary also, depending on the quality of your modem (usually less than 54Mbps).
It has little or nothing to do with how fast your internet is.

How can you check your download/upload speeds?

One popular site is Speedtest (link).
It has two main sections: speed tests and ping test quality. (The latter takes into account more things than raw "speed" alone.)

I can only assume that you don't have a land-line telephone. A normal phone line would enable you to use Telkom Speedy's ADSL.
My unlimited package with them is 2Mbs/512Kbps and costs about Rp 1,100,000/month (with tax). They have cheaper packages as well.

Hope this helps you.

:icon_cool:

 

[borborigmus]

Johnny - you're absolutely right. I quoted the nominal router speed (54Mbps) which of course is misleading when it comes to actual data transfer rates.

A Speedtest gives me a ping time of 37mS, a Download rate of 0.48 Mbps and Upload of 0.24 Mbps.

In terms of perceived speed, it feels only marginally slower than the Telstra Wireless Broadband I used 4 years ago in Oz - and without the nasty capping & throttling I used to get 3 weeks into my monthly allowance. And several orders of magnitude faster than the USB dongle I suffered with here for a year.

In short, it works well, which for here, is an almighty bonus ;-)

 

[jaffa]

Johnny - you're absolutely right. I quoted the nominal router speed (54Mbps) which of course is misleading when it comes to actual data transfer rates.

A Speedtest gives me a ping time of 37mS, a Download rate of 0.48 Mbps and Upload of 0.24 Mbps.

In terms of perceived speed, it feels only marginally slower than the Telstra Wireless Broadband I used 4 years ago in Oz - and without the nasty capping & throttling I used to get 3 weeks into my monthly allowance. And several orders of magnitude faster than the USB dongle I suffered with here for a year.

In short, it works well, which for here, is an almighty bonus ;-)

Yeah thanks for clarifying JohnnyCool - you're absolutely right. And quoted speeds are theoretical and usually consider optimum conditions (beside base station, no other users sharing, non peak times etc). With wired connections (internet over copper) then call it 'contention ratio' which used to relate to the number of modulators/demodulators (Modems) at the local switch site. As users go up the speeds fall, sometimes to the point where you are getting 1/20 of quoted speed.
BUT I am pretty sure from experience that dedicated wired (or dish) connections here in Bali get much much higher speeds that Wireless (SmartFren, Telkomsel, XL, etc) where you are sharing voice/data channels on the network with other users (and where voice calls take priority over data).

My SmartFren box started fantastic but I'm now finding that surfing in the early evening or Skype is impossible. And it will only get worse unless the mobile network they use (not sure which one) adds more base stations or additional capacity to each cell site (more transceivers).

Look out for 1 x SmartFren Rev B box for sale on Bali Advertiser very soon (probably smashed into many pieces after I throw it against the wall!))

 

[pollyanna]

My SmartFren box started fantastic but I'm now finding that surfing in the early evening or Skype is impossible. And it will only get worse unless the mobile network they use (not sure which one) adds more base stations or additional capacity to each cell site (more transceivers).

Look out for 1 x SmartFren Rev B box for sale on Bali Advertiser very soon (probably smashed into many pieces after I throw it against the wall!))

Months ago we changed to Blueline. In the beginning speeds were as promised but recently Blueline has become s-l-o-w. If they can’t fix the problem I’ll be looking for another solution and I really dislike fooling with the internet stuff because I don’t understand it at all and find it frustrating to make the necessary decisions.
It seems like there must be some good internet business opportunities in Bali. I can’t be the only person who goes into an ignorant daze when bits and bytes are discussed. Thank the gods for the expertise on this forum.

 

[bellabali]

Smartfren

Hi - I am back in Bali next week long- term & will have to set up my own Internet for the first time. My research seems to indicate that phone lines, fibre optic etc get expensive, so your option sounds interesting. When I am back in Oz I use my android phone as a wifi dongle via tethering. I use a pre-paid optus voucher which gives me phone calls & 5GB of data monthly. So in effect I can use my optus sim & voucher for both calls & use the data credit via my phone as a wifi dongle.
I had a look at the smartfren website page INTERNET PACKAGE Smartfren Connexand I think I found the service you mentioned. Does it work in the same way as I mentioned above?
Am I correct in assuming the 12GB plan rp150,000 that you mentioned is the one on this page?
Do I need to get a smartfren sim card and is it easy to purchase & set up?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Cheers :icon_wink:

 

[bellabali]

Hi - I am back in Bali next week long- term & will have to set up my own Internet for the first time. My research seems to indicate that phone lines, fibre optic etc get expensive, so your option sounds interesting. When I am back in Oz I use my android phone as a wifi dongle via tethering. I use a pre-paid optus voucher which gives me phone calls & 5GB of data monthly. So in effect I can use my optus sim & voucher for both calls & use the data credit via my phone as a wifi dongle.
I had a look at the smartfren website page INTERNET PACKAGE Smartfren Connexand I think I found the service you mentioned. Does it work in the same way as I mentioned above?
Am I correct in assuming the 12GB plan rp150,000 that you mentioned is the one on this page?
Do I need to get a smartfren sim card and is it easy to purchase & set up?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Cheers

Hi Jaffa

2Mbps with Telkomsel is impressive. The speeds I got with them were painfully slow.

I now have Smartfren and while it is definitely not 14.7Mbps, it is faster than the Telkomsel card I used to have. It is also more consistent (my Telkomsel connection would disconnect all the time) and te price is also considerably better whereas with Telkomsel I paid 225.000 for 3Gb, now I pay 150.000 for 12Gb.

Ok, I could get faster, maybe Speedy or some other funky cable internet but the price would also be considerably higher and for what I use my internet for, the 0.5 - 1Mbps speeds I am getting from Smartfren I am happy enough.

I guess speed depends on how much you wan to pay really (and your position if you are using SIM)

 

[JohnnyCool]

Let's get a few things straight here. Internet access in Bali is way over-priced no matter which ISP you use. For the most part, various flavours of the available wireless-type connections suck.
If you're lucky enough to be in an area with good signal strength, it's passable (just). If not, you'll be sorely disappointed.

The biggest "provider" of wireless services in Indonesia is Telkomsel (not to be confused with Telkom, although they both fall under the same umbrella).
The main backbone that most services use are controlled by these "giants". In a sense, you can't really win because the infrastructure in Bali is still quite primitive.
If you live in the right areas of Jakarta, Bandung, Jogjakarta, Surabaya, you can get much better speeds and far cheaper prices than what's available here. A few parts of Bali now have fibre-optic cables - depends where you are.

I signed up for a Telkomsel "unlimited" package at the fastest speed they had on offer a few years ago. It was so bad I took my laptop to their main office in Denpasar to get them to check it.
I couldn't even get a connection right there! They took the computer out back somewhere for nearly an hour. It had a "connection" later but was so bad I wanted my money back (which I never got).
I suggested to them that their operation was actually criminal, false advertising, and false promises. Things might have improved over the years, but I doubt it.
Indosat were not any better (with all kinds of excuses).

Other companies charge exorbitant amounts of money for not much better (like BlueLine, but it's not the only one).



Have all the "fun" you're prepared to suffer with your dingle-dongle USB modems, phone chips, etc. The chances are they'll be sub-par to what you're used to back home.

For me, the only affordable and realistic internet option here remains an ADSL connection via a fixed telephone line from Telkom.
Most of the time I get 2Mbps download speed and 512 kbps upload. My unlimited account (with no throttling) costs Rp 1,100,000 /month.
I feel sorry for people who don't have a fixed telephone line.

On the other hand, one could just go to bars, cafes, restaurants, mini-markets, etc, with free wi-fi.
Find the best one and eat/drink/flirt more. Probably cheaper in the end (and more "fun").

 

[Markit]

Johnny I think it's cruel for you to hold up the solution of a fixed line internet connection as the only decent option without mentioning that if you don't already have a fixed line in your house/rumah/cave/villa then the chances of one being installed are the same as waiting for pot to be legalized in Indonesia. NONE - I've been to telekom and have friends with connections do the same on my behalf - it all comes to the same thing, there is no interest on the part of the powers that be to lay more copper down to anyones house as the future is mobile.

Even the expensive fiber optics that were laid throughout Bali 5 years ago will fade into the mists of memory - the future is mobile.

3G booster for better internet

Just wondering if anyone has tried to improve their internet experience by using a mobile telephone signal booster. In most of Europe and America to run a transmitter, which is what a signal booster effectively is, is illegal unless you have a license. They take any available mobile signal...

balipod.com

After now 1 month trialing this little MIFI I'm still pretty impressed as it will give me download speeds of 500k at quite a distance from the tower - the only complaint is the moving/swaying trees and the occasional thunderstorm can interrupt play for short periods. All this on 50k IDR 1.2, 100k IDR 3 Gb voucher. I am able to skype, occasionally with vid, emails, surfing galore. I've actually taken on a proxy server to watch BBC - but this does eat up the bytes though :O(.

 

[JohnnyCool]

Umm, Markit: Maybe I'm just a luddite. I agree with you that the future is mobile. My comments were based on my own experiences.
I hope I'm still alive when Bali has lightning fast mobile connections at an affordable price.

...I'm still pretty impressed as it will give me download speeds of 500k...

A download "speed" of "500k" just doesn't cut it for me, no matter how cheap it is.
I've downloaded three large files (movies) since ten o'clock this morning. Try doing that on your coconut connection. My Skype calls (including video) just work.

Right now I'm on this forum, another big file is downloading in the background, my wife's playing an on-line game on a networked laptop, plus she's using her Blackberry on the same home network and nothing has fallen over.

It's pretty windy here in Sanur today. How is it where you are? Wind doesn't affect fixed land-lines.
However, I have a TV satellite dish and a rather large mango tree near it that sways quite a bit at times.
We all have to adapt, of course, but I think I'd rather get hit on the head by a mango than a coconut, (if I had a choice), although they would both hurt.

Never have mango trees and coconut palms too close to each other.

 

[ronb]

Hi - I am back in Bali next week long- term & will have to set up my own Internet for the first time. My research seems to indicate that phone lines, fibre optic etc get expensive, so your option sounds interesting. When I am back in Oz I use my android phone as a wifi dongle via tethering. I use a pre-paid optus voucher which gives me phone calls & 5GB of data monthly. So in effect I can use my optus sim & voucher for both calls & use the data credit via my phone as a wifi dongle.
I had a look at the smartfren website page INTERNET PACKAGE Smartfren Connexand I think I found the service you mentioned. Does it work in the same way as I mentioned above?
Am I correct in assuming the 12GB plan rp150,000 that you mentioned is the one on this page?
Do I need to get a smartfren sim card and is it easy to purchase & set up?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Cheers

Bellabali, let me talk of Smartfren since you were asking. (The contributions from JohnnyCool and Markit are interesting but don't address Smartfren.) The rate you quote, Rp150,000 for 12 GB is correct and is the best rate around for downloading big files over a mobile network connection. When you pay the 150,000 they give you a 6GB bonus - but the catch is you must use that 6GB inn the first week - so they encourage you to download like mad initially, and then you might keep going. Anyhow that 18GB for 150,000 is around 10,000 per movie (many movies are between 0.7 and 1.5 GB) - so this compares with the cost in DVD shops.

But things you need to know. Smartfren is a CDMA network - not GSM - so I'm not sure if your Android devices talk CDMA. Also Smartfren is often poor for interactive sessions. Further up this thread Jaffa was going to throw his Smartfren modem at the wall - I can relate to that feeling.

I have both Telkomsel and Smartfren. Quickly my Telkomsel service passes its monthly allowance and throttles to 128K for the rest of the month, so I depend on Smartfren for downloading movies overnight. It can often be downloading at faster that 1 Mbit. But when I want to interact with balipod, Facebook, Internet banking, etc it is often better to switch to the 128K service from Telkomsel. This jumping from one service to another is messy - but then Internet services in Bali are really not all that good.