Broadband with laptop

4gotoIndia

Hi all,
We're coming to India (Tamil Nadu) in 2 months, and are hoping to be able to get broadband through our laptops (without a landline). Does anyone have any experience of using USB modems? How reliable, fast, costly etc? Any comments much appreciated.
best,
4gotoindia

sbellam

Almost all the regular broadband service providers have something for wireless internet as well... the usb modem or wireless card will cost Rs4k-6k and the plans tend to border around Rs 1k/month.

Best to look up the service providers websites directly for more information.
Reliance Communication
Airtel
TataIndicom
are a few of them.

They are quite reliable.

brownboy66

Fast and reliable are not two term you would probably use to describe mobile data services here (I'm presuming that's what you mean when you say a USB modem is a mobile device - as opposed to a wifi pcmcia card or wife USB adapter).

As yet - India does not have 3G mobile services (although I did read somewhere that EVDO was available in mumbai). So what you tend to have here is wide spread GPRS with EDGE (for those using GSM phones) - and 1XRtt for those with CDMA. So neither 2G service (or 2.5G for EDGE) was that fast before factoring in interference, network congestion, etc - so if you intending just to check emails you'll be fine - otherwise be prepared for a leisurely browsing experience.

If you're talking wifi - the experience will be a bit better. If you laptop is reasonably new then chance are you already have wifi built in. In most of the major cities there are hotspots and cafes, etc - you can tap into (check out the hotspot thread in the electronics forum).Check out some of the other threads in the electronics forum and you'll get a fairly good idea of what the mobile services are like.

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Nick-H

Depends who you ask!

Airtel are probably mostly ok, though their focus is on sales, rather than [i]after-[i]sales

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sbellam

lol... alright alright. Airtel customer service sucks. and I have never used any wireless internet service. But I have friends who do and are quite happy.... of course, it all depends on where and when connecting. I would think they use the same networks that they do for the cell phone service... so if you are in an area with poor cell phone service, you are prolly looking at a poor internet connection as well.

By reliable, I meant the internet connection will be alright. My point being if you are carrying a laptop, you might as well get one of them wireless internet services. Will be better than having to search for a cyber cafe.

joseph10

Airtel mobile office i worked with, it's slow (3 to 10Kb/sec) but quite reliable and it worked anywhere i went, but slow.
With wireless internet over here don't expect the speed you're
used to (wireless broadband in India?), if you can get a average speed of 70Kb/sec you should be happy i think...
Lately i use reliance netconnect and over here the speed is acceptable, at least much faster than airtel MO, but it'll always be a bit of a gamble wich provider to take in wich area.
You can check some forums and find many different experiences, but a good advice is to have a demonstration at the spot and then to decide.

Good luck.

4gotoIndia

Thanks for your input.
Our laptops will be new, and will have built in WiFi - so I know that I'll be able to use this is hotspots, cafes, some big hotels etc.
But I was hoping that I'd be able to get broadband at home, without a landline. For this I thought there was something that looks like a USB stick, but acts like a phone. Brownboy, is this 'mobile data services'? I've heard them called dongles ???


Sorry to sound daft - but I got completely lost at this point:

BROWNBOY: So what you tend to have here is wide spread GPRS with EDGE (for those using GSM phones) - and 1XRtt for those with CDMA. So neither 2G service (or 2.5G for EDGE) was that fast before factoring in interference, network congestion, etc - so if you intending just to check emails you'll be fine - otherwise be prepared for a leisurely browsing experience.



Can someone explain this to me in idiot's language?!
thanks,
4gotoindia

joseph10

Forget about all technical specs and don't get distracted by good looking folders showing high tec equipment and promises.

If you stay in one place most of the time check the provider at the spot for a demonstration but don't expect wireless broadband
or 144Kb all day.
If you want internet for at home why wireless by the way, you can also get internet without a landline, probaply cheaper and less frustrating than wireless.

Also for registration the providers want to have several copys of documents (adress proof, passport/lisence, passfoto etc)

It's easier to do trough an Indian friend or connection.

brownboy66

correct - if you buy a USB modem then its used for a "mobile data service". If you buy a USB wifi adapter - then thats used for wifi of course.

So basically if you want any sort of useful connection that can handle most browsing requirements - it wont be via a USB modem/ doogle (the ads here are very slick in relation to mobile data services, but it can't overcome the physics of what is basically a limited 2G service).

So your option really are DSL, cable, or wifi.

fsg

I have replied to other threads using macs. Similarity with PCs Pls check electronics thread

I got a perfectly adequate service with Airtel Mobile Office a bluetooth phone and my wifi Mac.......... not broadband, but OK

It takes a bit of setting up, and you have to persevere with Airtel help line,[ almost useless until you get the right guy to explain and go through the process of setting up your phone] @ 75 /- per week in TN its well worth it, as far as I m aware there are few hot spots in TN and they charge a lot,

Check up the Airtel web site costs and availability

BTW where in TN are you going to?

sannna

I will be moving to Bombay in August and will live in the same apartment for 6 months. There is no cable connection in the apartment and I am now in the process of figuring what I could do best to get myself online. (I do want to have an internet connection in the house and not having to rely on internet cafes and WiFi spots outside.)
I have a new laptop with WiFi in built (Windows Vista, Jan 2008). What are my best options given that I am in Bombay (Mahim) for 6 months? Any advice would be most welcome.

skk

re #11

Check out the conversation in this forum at:
Prepaid mobile phone in India - a starter's guide! (roaming, SIM cards, networks...)

My location will be Maharashtra and most likely Pune and I'm at a decision point between AirTel and Vodafone; there are some persuasive posts in favor of AirTel in that thread.

-skk

brishti

sanna:
i have a broadband [?} connection - its a cable connection - private/local provider
have lots of them in every 'nabe in mumbai... efficient/fast most of the time.

wifi is convoluted - more expensive.
just ask anybody in your area for broadband connection - no documents/landline are required for the connection -
just a downpayment of about Rs 500 and the monthly payment of whichever scheme you choose.




:brishti

sannna

Thanks for your replies! I did see the discussion in the other threat but I cant say that I understand much of it. It is a bit too technical for me. My basic question is first what the best method would be (broadband, mobile card thing to stick in your laptop, wifi), only after that I can try to understand something of the subtypes in that.

From what I understand from brishti's post getting myself a broadband connection would be the best to do. As I will be there on a tourist visum, I am not sure whether I am allowed to do so, but maybe my landlord can help me out here. With regard to this quote:

Who is anybody? And where do I find him/her/them? :-)

mirjamd

Check out Airtel. In Chennai we got Wifi free with our 2 mbps broadband connection. Don't know the situation in Bombay, but it might be the same. I don't know if you need a cable in the building already though.... They gave us a landline with the internetconnection as well.