Internet in the Philippines

[Terpe]

Sadly I'm making more poor decisions than I would have wished.

On the positive side not expensive decisions.

I signed up with PLDT for there phone and DSL internet.
But to be honest I'm not that impressed with the speed.
Sometimes I can get 2Mbps but mostly it's running at about 0.80 to just over 1 but unpredictable.
I can still watch iPlayer etc but the buffering can become a pain.

A neighbour has mentioned pocket wifi as a back-up especially when there's a brown out.
Incidentally i haven't had a single brown out so far

Fred also mentioned in previous thread about LTE (Long Term Evolution) wifi
Now I've been researching and asking questions and it seems this could be the way to go.

Some of our neighbours have tall poles outside their house with wifi antenna on top. From what I can gather this is connected to 4G router to give fast internet and I think unlimited on a PAYG basis.

It takes time for me to understand all this and as of yet I've no idea on the costs.

Does anyone have any ideas / comments ?

I did try speaking to the sales folks at a couple of SM malls but I really doubt they know what there talking about. Never got the same info on the questions twice

[Steve.r]

We have our internet from Smart, but like I said before Peter it can be pitifully slow sometimes. I can't use skype to talk to my wife as it is so slow, but can use WeChat (strange) I said before that watching things like Youtube or BBC was difficult with the exact reasons that it is always buffering, even using a VPN or using the less loaded youtube option. It is sadly what it is and there is not much you can do about it.
If you are in some areas that have a cable connection I think it get better, but I think mostly for bigger towns, I know where we are it is restricted to the lucky few.

I don't know any better ways right now, and when you go to the shops to sort it out, you might as well be talking to a door. I generally get a bit heated and demand to speak to the manager directly, being a foreigner can work in our favour sometimes as they don't like you getting loud and laying it on the line of how unprofessional their company is lol try this method, it works at least 40% of the time before the wife steps in

[jonnijon]

We use Globe 4G about 1,700 per month with free globe to globe phone calls and has a phone in the package.

[Steve.r]

But any good Jon?

[Terpe]

We use Globe 4G about 1,700 per month with free globe to globe phone calls and has a phone in the package.

But any good Jon?

Yes, please tell us more Jon

[Terpe]

.........
I don't know any better ways right now, and when you go to the shops to sort it out, you might as well be talking to a door. I generally get a bit heated and demand to speak to the manager directly, being a foreigner can work in our favour sometimes as they don't like you getting loud and laying it on the line of how unprofessional their company is lol try this method, it works at least 40% of the time before the wife steps in

I tend to leave it to my wife get stuck in.
Rightly or wrongly I've stepped back from confrontation unless my wife gives the nod to join in the fray

I'm in my chilled out zone

[Steve.r]

I tend to leave it to my wife get stuck in.

Early days Peter, early days

Before long you will see how no one complains and just accepts the poor quality, when you actually stick up for your rights, often you will get somewhere.

[Terpe]

Early days Peter, early days

Before long you will see how no one complains and just accepts the poor quality, when you actually stick up for your rights, often you will get somewhere.

Yes, you're right Steve, very early days.

My dear wife has found plenty to complain about in her own inimitable style.

Seems to do a better job than I could anyway.

[Michael Parnham]

Sadly I'm making more poor decisions than I would have wished.

On the positive side not expensive decisions.

I signed up with PLDT for there phone and DSL internet.
But to be honest I'm not that impressed with the speed.
Sometimes I can get 2Mbps but mostly it's running at about 0.80 to just over 1 but unpredictable.
I can still watch iPlayer etc but the buffering can become a pain.

A neighbour has mentioned pocket wifi as a back-up especially when there's a brown out.
Incidentally i haven't had a single brown out so far

Fred also mentioned in previous thread about LTE (Long Term Evolution) wifi
Now I've been researching and asking questions and it seems this could be the way to go.

Some of our neighbours have tall poles outside their house with wifi antenna on top. From what I can gather this is connected to 4G router to give fast internet and I think unlimited on a PAYG basis.

It takes time for me to understand all this and as of yet I've no idea on the costs.

Does anyone have any ideas / comments ?

I did try speaking to the sales folks at a couple of SM malls but I really doubt they know what there talking about. Never got the same info on the questions twice

I found Smart Cable was no problem Peter and it solved all my internet and TV requirements at Php1,200 per month approximately. Check it out!

[Terpe]

I found Smart Cable was no problem Peter and it solved all my internet and TV requirements at Php1,200 per month approximately. Check it out!

Thank you Michael

[fred]

We used to have to put up with a Smart dongle for the first 4 years in our area..The signal was very bad but no other choice for us in our area.. Only Cell phone signal we could get then was 2 bars on 2G. We bought a 15 meter long special cable with a USB at one end which went into the laptop and the Dongle in the other end winched up the top of a tree with a plastic cup to protect it from rain..That helped.
Then about 2 years ago Globe erected a comms tower that we can see from our house and our cell signal went up to 5 bars..Problem was there was no internet signal coming from it for at least a year.. Once that was upgraded we switched to Globe broadband..
My advice Peter is too check your mobile phone signal with both Smart and Globe..The chances are the best signal will provide the fastest wifi internet speed IF the towers they are coming from are upgraded..
Globe seem to be upgrading the fastest so I would investigate them first.
If you pop into the globe office and ask them to survey your area for LTE,they will sometimes come out and advise you what your best options are in your area.. Try to politely insist they do this as you need to see their findings AT your location.
Wish you luck.
Wifi service for LTE or 3g starts at 999.00 Per month and you can load the sim card in the same way you would load a phone.. Try to avoid contracts here as after sales here are next to useless.
We have PLDT in Cavite BTW and the service is over subscribed with far lower speeds than we are paying for.. I want out! Hopefully next year.

[Terpe]

?....Try to avoid contracts here as after sales here are next to useless.
....

Yep, as I've discovered

Thanks for the replies and advice.

There's an American guy living about 10 minutes away. I'd normally have a serious chat with him but he's definitely strange......either permanently drunk or the heat has affected his brain.
I'm keeping clear of him.

I'll check out who is supplying 4G LTE here....just looking around this morning I see plenty of wifi antenna up aloft.

[jonnijon]

Globe tower is across the road from us so all is good. 5 to 8 meg download and about 6 up.

[Terpe]

Hello Jonnijon,

I'll be passing through your place next week on my way to our true home. Travelling by road around Davao coastline road.

Pity there's no ferry.

One of these days I'll stop by for some ice colds now I'm resident hehehe