Prepaid SmartBro Wireless Internet for Laptops and PCs
We went to the Smart Wireless Center in Laoag City this afternoon to ask about the rates of Smart’s prepaid SmartBro wireless internet for laptops and PCs. We all know how poor is the performance of the postpaid SmartBro internet connection in the past. This made me rethink a few more times getting an “antenna” for my laptop our schedule to go to Baguio City for the Nursing Board Exam comes.
The payment for the prepaid Smart Prepaid SmartBro Wireless Internet unit (aka antenna) is Php 2,800 which includes PhP400 worth of load. This means that the antenna alone is worth PhP2,500. Personally, I think this is expensive. I’m only going to need an internet connection in Baguio City for 6 or 7 days but then I will shell out a minimum of PhP2,800. The hourly rate of the prepaid Smartbro wireless internet is Php20 per hour – equivalent to exisitng rates in most internet cafes. The only difference is I will get the chance to work anytime I want and anywhere there is a Smart signal. Just like the postpaid Smartbro internet, the prepaid Smartbro depends on signals from cell sites.
I’ve had enough problems with Digitel DSL and my past experience with Smartbro makes me reluctant to avail of the prepaid Smartbro internet for my laptop. I will have no use for it after the board exam unless we decide to travel Gensan, Cebu and Dumaguete in December. The problem is I still have a Nursing research to complete until the second week of December and this makes my offline schedules a little more hectic than usual.
I am not even sure if it’s worth getting a prepaid Smartbro because I’m not certain of the strength of signal in the place where we will stay. Even in Laoag City where the signals are good, some friends who have purchased this item experience problems from time to time. If I could only let my wife go to Baguio alone to take the Nursing Board Exam, then I won’t be thinking of getting a new device for my laptop. 
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Tags: Digitel DSL problems, gadgets, Nursing board exam, Prepaid Smartbro Internet for Laptops, Prepaid Smartbro Wireless Internet, Smartbro Wireless Internet Connection
This is something new. First time ko nakarinig ng prepaid wireless internet. If the connection is not good, then shun the idea of purchasing one. But if you’ll be using it for a short period, then just try.
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jessie Reply:
November 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Mhy,
Nung March pa ata yang prepaid Smartbro wireless internet plans ng Smart pero ngayon ko lang kasi kakailanganin sa pag-stay namin sa Baguio. Ang hirap maglakad dun lalo na pag gabi. Pagdating ko sa internet cafe masakit na katawan ko kaya nga naisip kong bumili nitong prepaid smartbro wireless because of its convenience. Pero medyo may kamahalan dahil excluded pa ang load. Reloadable kasi ang prepaid smartbro wireless internet so dapat nilolodan mo sya pag naubos. Yung 300 pesos na load good for 15 hours lang.
jessie’s last blog post..By: Free MySpace 2.0 Layouts and MySpace 2.0 Themes
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bro, i’m using my nokia N82 (smart gold plan) as a modem for my internet access at home. but i am also contemplating of buying a prepaid smart bro. it’s cheaper now compared to their introductory price a few months ago.
ceblogger’s last blog post..Ceblogger Is Now In Manila
[Reply]
jessie Reply:
November 21st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Bro,
Oo nga eh. The prepaid Smartbro wireless internet looks like an interesting alternative to using the mobile phone as modem. Mahal din kasi ang paggamit ng cell phone to connect to the internet. Sa prepaid smartbro wireless, ang iniisip ko eh yung reliability ng connection and speed especially sa Baguio ko gagamitin eh hindi ko kabisado yung location namin dun kung malakas ang signal ng smart.
jessie’s last blog post..iPhone 2.2 News: iPhone 2.2 Firmware Update/Upgrade Available
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Naku naku naku manong, nakabili ka na?sana hindi pa!!!kac meron ako, 1,500 lang brand new pa..hehe!isang beses lang nagamit noon, paano taong bahay na kami.. Let me know if you are interested. Balik ako dito to read your reply hehe!
twerlyn’s last blog post..Threading Not Plucking
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Twerlz,
Sorry sa late reply. Naka-order na kami kahapon iha. Idedeliver na lang yung Smartbro wireless internet antenna dito sa house. Sayang. Makakatipid pa sana ako ng konti. Tsk! Tsk!
jessie’s last blog post..Complete List of LET Passers (September 2008) Secondary Education
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[...] in Baguio right now and I’m using the very unstable and slow Prepaid Smartbro Wireless Internet for my laptop. The Nursing Board Exam is a few days ahead that’s why I’d like to share with [...]
[...] using the Smartbro Prepaid Wireless Internet. The connection is terribly slow and may not be feasible for laptops and desktops for long use. It [...]
I wonder what Senator Enrile would say about this disappearing load time?
What I don’t like on these units prepaid is that they don’t show you how much time you have consumed but instead make you go to a website to sign rather than showing it in real time on the sign in interface. So anti consumer.
And the reason why is they use a complicated formula to charge you in 30 minute blocks rather than charging you actual per minutes used. If you sign in at 8:15 for example, you only really get 15 minutes before the 8:30 blocks comes up.
Its anti consumer all in favor of the phone companies. They should just charge by the minute and be finished with it. Both Globe, globe every time you reconnect they charge you another 5 pesos and Smart do this and maybe SUN too.
Charge Scheme SMARTBRO
10/30-minute block
Cons: 30-minute metering is tricky. It is based on clocktime
5/15-minute session Globe
Pros: You can save if you only stay online for less than 15 mins.
Cons: If yo are disconnected and reconnects within same 15-minute block, the reconnection is considered another 15-minute session.
Load Balance Checking
You have to register to WebConnect to check the balance SMART very complicated as usual
Just type BAL and send to 222 in the application program for Globe
So both SMART and Globe do not always give you what you paid as Senator Enrile says, disappearing load! And Smart makes it harder to keep track of your balance by making you sign in online! Why not just on your login id?
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