3G internet, Linux, QB & disappointments.
Jean-Philippe
Following discussions here and on the BarCampPP list, I went to
Pacific Systems on street 310 which offers either the usb 3g mini-
modem at 150USD or a
Jean-Philippe
Following discussions here and on the BarCampPP list, I went to
Pacific Systems on street 310 which offers either the usb 3g mini-
180usd.
Checking the little usb thingy, I found that lsusb and dmesg|tail
seems to know what it is, but the device itself, since it contains its
own windows driver, switches to CDROM mode when you plug it in. So, as
I read elsewhere, you need a "switch" programme to make it become a
modem again. It's written all over the place that kernels >2.6.20 have
fixed the issue, but with my Fedoar9 laptop which sports one of the
best performing release of NetworkManaged I ever saw, it's not. And
its 2.6.26 BTW. I dropped the ball.
On to the Router then: "T-Mobile web'n'walkBox" at 180USD; this router
integrates well with my Linksys router, the workstations here are
connected; and I turned off the WiFi on the T-Mobile box so my fixed
IP network here remains the same (basically, I removed the Telesurf
Modem and plugged the T-Mobile instead). People at Pacific Systems
where kind enough to put the card in a colleague's 3g phone, enable
the internet, then put it back int he router and configure it for me.
(please notice that even if you are not interested in 3G services, QB
sims work only on 3G phones; my high-end-not-3G smartphone doesn't)
- Speed-wise it's a huge disappointment, with a best-ever peak of
125kbytes/sec average 50 when in a good mood and present 5k. I am
south Daunh Penh (Between Royal Palace and Independence, box returns
only one bar on the screen, anywhere I go in the house).
- The killing feature of the experience is the breakdowns: it is true
that the system is sometimes faster, but it gets reset all the time so
you "feel" you are looking at a disconnected device trying blindly to
get data all the time (...looking up google.com...); your daily
download average may be superior, and is definitely cheaper, but it
looks like I stare at my "Mail out" progress bar all the time,
wandering how much time will I have to re-try to get the message out.
stressful, but OK if launching an overnight download I guess. Yes, I
did switched to OpenDNS.org, yes. Name resolution is faster, but when
you are disconnected, well, you are disconnected & you have to wait.
And hope you didn't crash the T-Mobile box again, cause that happens a
lot too. Worse case for work is obviously mail In, Mail Out with
attached files, but any operation involving YUM, the fedora package
manager, time-outs quickly discard the current operation and you have
to re-do it all over again, and again, and again. But YUM is an animal
of it's own, I know.
- The QB system seems to be filtering p2p networks and Torrents, with
Telesurf I can be a sweet share with tons of files available, while
with QB everything gets locked down, Gnutella, aMule, Transmission:
very few flies shows up, no uploads at all, even with all firewalls
down. What's the point then?
I feel I am adding up several issues here: QB is scarce in signal, so
I don't have speed & get disconnected all the time; the T-Mobile box
was built for the T-Mobile operator, I don't know what's the problem
but with the QB sim card it crashes often; and on top of that,
somewhere along the line, someone is blocking ports for p2p networks,
even if I take a random one...
All in all, a disappointing and costly experience; may be OK for home
(but without filesharing, what's the point?) but definitely a pain in
the ass for office use.
Any constructive comments welcome.
Jean-Philippe
Bart Geesink
Thanks for this extensive review! I have been interested in qb and
what it does from the first time I heard about it. Since I have no 3G
(or actually 3.5G, as HSDPA is usually called) I cannot comment on the
technique itself. But there might be people on this list with much
more 3G experience than I to comment on this (Andrew, you know more
about this, right?). Some general tips though, I can give:
About your modem: Have you upgraded to the latest firmware? This can
usually be downloaded from the manufacturers website. That is for me
always the first thing I do with routers or other appliances: If it
doesn't work, upgrade to the latest firmware first, to be sure it is
not an internal software thing. Maybe that also prevents the
disconnections.
About the speed: That really is a bummer. 4 kbit/s (or kbyte?) is not
exactly fast, and the 125 kbyte/s (which is 1 Mbit/s) might be fast
according to Cambodian standards, but it's far from the advertised
speeds. Have you contacted qb on this? I wonder how their customer
service is. They do have a dedicated 45 Mbit/s to the rest of the
internet, on their own fiber optic line, which gives hope for the
future (I don't like satellite, the latency is too high for me).
About P2P filtering: There are many discussions on the internet about
that. From a technical point of view are these P2P sharing techniques
very bad for your network: TCP/IP is socialistic in it's nature. It
gives everybody (or better, every connection) an equal share of the
bandwidth. So if I am downloading something on a line with 100
kbyte/s, and someone else would also start downloading, then we'd both
get 50 kbyte/s. However, P2P protocols open up many connections at the
same time. So they cheat the system, in order to get more bandwidth.
If we take the same example of the 100 kbyte/s and someone starts on
that line a torrent, with 9 connections at the same time, I would only
get 10 kbyte/s and the other person 90! This is perfectly reasonable
in an environment where there is enough bandwidth, but not here in
Cambodia, where there is very little bandwith to share with many
people. So I can understand that an ISP blocks it here. Which doesn't
mean it's bloody annoying :). Do they also block port 25 (SMTP) to
prevent viruses from sending spam?
About your yum problem: This one could be easily overcome if we could
put into place our own Linux mirror server. I informed this list a few
months ago that I have made contact with someone who's working at the
internetexchange here in Cambodia, and that we can host a server there
(for free!!!). So far, I haven't had any reactions to it, apart from
one of our members who is willing to help in the administration. I do
need some other people though to help getting some funds to pay for
the server. Especially contacts at ISP's are welcome, since I presume
they would have two advantages with a mirror server: Less
international bandwith, and a local fast mirror for their own servers.
Anyone who can provide those contacts? I am still willing to set this
up...
Right enough for now, let us know how your qb experience is going!
Bart
2008/9/24 Jean-Philippe <joaophilippe...@gmail.com>:
Don Robertson
> HI Jean-Philippe,
>
> Thanks for this extensive review! I have been interested in qb and
>
list, where there are a lot of links to Linux resources posted.
> About the speed: That really is a bummer. 4 kbit/s (or kbyte?) is not
> exactly fast, and the 125 kbyte/s (which is 1 Mbit/s) might be fast
> according to Cambodian standards, but it's far from the advertised
> speeds. Have you contacted qb on this? I wonder how their customer
> service is. They do have a dedicated 45 Mbit/s to the rest of the
> internet, on their own fiber optic line, which gives hope for the
> future (I don't like satellite, the latency is too high for me).
>
qb, for international traffic it is the link from qb to the rest of the
world that matters.
When advertising such speeds, qb may be technically correct, but the end
user won't make the distinction and it will not reflect well on them.
> About your yum problem: This one could be easily overcome if we could
> put into place our own Linux mirror server. I informed this list a few
> months ago that I have made contact with someone who's working at the
> internetexchange here in Cambodia, and that we can host a server there
> (for free!!!). So far, I haven't had any reactions to it, apart from
> one of our members who is willing to help in the administration. I do
> need some other people though to help getting some funds to pay for
> the server.
I am extremely unlikely to become involved in any more free projects.
> Especially contacts at ISP's are welcome, since I presume
> they would have two advantages with a mirror server: Less
> international bandwith, and a local fast mirror for their own servers.
>
Good luck. I am not saying I won't use it.
Bart Geesink
>
>> About your yum problem: This one could be easily overcome if we could
>> put into place our own Linux mirror server. I informed this list a few
>> months ago that I have made contact with someone who's working at the
>> internetexchange here in Cambodia, and that we can host a server there
>> (for free!!!). So far, I haven't had any reactions to it, apart from
>> one of our members who is willing to help in the administration. I do
>> need some other people though to help getting some funds to pay for
>> the server.
> I am extremely unlikely to become involved in any more free projects.
This is not really about something for free or not: A server is
expensive, a so is hosting. The only thing I would like to see is
people or businesses who benefit most from it would be able to sponsor
it. The thing to be given for free is the pplug administrating the
server. If such a server would be here, it needs to stay here.
Bart
Andrew Chua
I am somehow involved in the roll out of qb's network and I cannot disclose
much about the details of their network (signed a non-disclosure agreement
them).
But as far as I know this is public knowlege and have verified this in our
testing.
We use Sierra Wireless' USB 3G modem to test qb's network.
http://www.sierrawireless.com/product/compass_885.aspx
Sadly we also use windows xp to test since this is the OS supported by the
modem. I have been trying to use it under linux but to no avail...yet :)
Using this modem, we can connect to qb's network at 7.2mbps. Download speeds
varies generally shouldn't be less than 300kbps (more or less).
As for signal strength, generally this is the concept: A cellsite that
operates at a low frequency, e.g. 850MHz, this means that the range
(distance of handphone to cellsite) can go as far as 35kms. but the down
side of this is that cellsite signals gets reflected once it hits walls, so
if you are indoors the signal strength will be reduced significantly. On the
other hand if the cellsite operates at a higher frequency like 1800MHz,
indoor signal strength are good since high frequency can penetrate comcrete
walls, consequently range is significantly reduced also to around 4kms from
the cellsite max. This is why operators are use dual-band. Currently qb is
in the process of upgrading to dual band so most of the areas in Phnom Penh
in the near future will have no problem with signal strength.
Andrew
Norbert Klein
Hi everybody,
So I will give up - for the time being - to dream about a qb, after my xda II
(O2) broke down after 5 or so years. In the meantime, I am still "in transit"
on the simplest Nokia I could quickly find: a 1200/1208, until I am sure what
next step to take.
Any other similar research like Jean-Philippe's? I am, of course, dreaming of
a dream machine which has everyting: phone, camera, WiFi, GSM, PDA functions.
And of course very cheap ;-)
Norbert
=
On Wednesday, 24 September 2008 09:33:25 Jean-Philippe wrote:
> ..Hi List
>
> Following discussions here and on the BarCampPP list, I went to
> Pacific Systems on street 310 which offers either the usb 3g mini-
> modem at 150USD or a .standalone wifi router with one lan port at
> 180usd.
[snip]
--
If you want to know what is going on in Cambodia,
please visit us regularly - you can find something new every day:
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com (English)
http://kanhchoksangkum.wordpress.com (Khmer)
;
Bart Geesink
2008/9/24, Norbert Klein <nhk...@gmx.net>:
> Any other similar research like Jean-Philippe's? I am, of course, dreaming
> of
> a dream machine which has everyting: phone, camera, WiFi, GSM, PDA
> functions.
> And of course very cheap ;-)
>
HTC just released the first phone with Google Android, a platform for
mobile phones which is based on Linux. It will be available in the USA
first and will come to the rest of the world in Q1 2009. I am afraid
it is not cheap, and it seems that you can only get it with a T-mobile
subscription, but I am sure we can get it somehow here in Asia without
it:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/g1/overview.html
Cheers,
Bart
Jean-Philippe
from an operator... the site is in German, and all their product line
is called web'n'walk...
ALL, and especially Andrew: this is just a real-life test; yesterday
was 50kb +/- stable, with a lower limit around 10, today it is 4/6kb
very unstable (best ever peak is 15); I know 48hours isn't near
enough, but it shows irregularities, drop outs (lots). Overnight
downloads aren't possible because of the drop-outs, the
disconnections, or the crashes.
[total so far 6 crashes including one where I "witnessed" that nothing
happened, I wasn't doing nothing and neither were the computers.]
BART/kh server: ever tried the ubuntu kh servers? they drives you
crazy. I usually rely on skynet servers in Belgium, that's so much
better than a lousy, next door, server. You wouldn't believe how
Japan, Taiwan or Korea actually got poor (over-exploited?) bandwidth.
BART/p2p: Gnutella covers its ass by defaulting to an auto-calculation
of "low-profile" behaviour; you can further tweak it with a cap on
both Up and Download trough a simple yet refined setup. It's cool, you
can reallly do other stuff in the meantime. I understand Torrents to
be the thing you fire up at night when nobody else is still in the
office :) Your behaviour counts!
DON/Speed: 125kbps was the best ever recorded peak in my logs, it
lasted for milliseconds, it's in no way an actual result, just the
peak on the graph. And just Once. Don't envy me, or make an offer to
buy me back this set.
Andrew: either get a nickname to register on this list and uncover the
info, or stop the PR talk: I just lost 230USD here, with a best-of-
luck option that in the next 6 months or 2 years I will be able to use
it. I wouldn't be surprised the info is actually that the whole of
Phnom Penh is covered by 2 antennas and 1 dns server.
Norbert: At the moment, I feel like buying a second hand nokia 2xxx
series too. I wander why. And a tuk-tuk too. Machines are available by
the dozen; service is not [I just toyed with my wife's office Mobitel
3g phone, can't get a youtube tune either on one of those, time out.]
A word on setup/material:
- best signal strength is from my daughter's balcony on second floor
on st51, where the signal jumps from a reported 3/31 "poor" to 9/31
"moderate" (according to the web interface);
- there is NO difference at all between speeds achieved with a 3/31
signal against a 9/31 signal, it's all the same 4/6. At all time the
device faces an open window.
- It's screen is a bit like a 1980's cellphone, with time and date in
the middle, name of carrier on top and bars to the right side for
signal (can't get more than two, then).
- One stumbling detail is the U lower-right; I think that only U means
No internet, U with Corners around means Poor connection or Connecting
Phase, and a full square around the U means a real connection. [This
part is still to be explored. When yo have poor speed, restarting the
connection doesn't "better" it alas.]
Cheers, sorry Andrew for barking, and constructive comments still
welcome, I will try this till friday.
Jean-Philippe.
Jean-Philippe Monteiro
> Hi Norbert,
> HTC just released the first phone with Google Android, a platform for
> mobile phones which is based on Linux. It will be available in the USA
> first and will come to the rest of the world in Q1 2009. I am afraid
> it is not cheap, and it seems that you can only get it with a T-mobile
> subscription, but I am sure we can get it somehow here in Asia without
> it:
> http://www.htc.com/www/product/g1/overview.html
>
>
> Cheers,
> Bart
I say: wwwi.openmoko.org - that's linux, that's opensource, that's...
...ultimately geeky if not completely obscure. Years of efforts ruined by 6 months of Google
marketing.
Jean-Philippe
--
Cheers... From Cambodia!
Luke Skywalker:
Your overconfidence is your weakness.
Emperor Palpatine:
Your faith in your friends is yours.
--Fedora 7 / Enlightenment DR16--
Frederic Muller
Don Robertson wrote:
> [...]
> I am extremely unlikely to become involved in any more free projects.
>
Why is that? Just curious...
Fred
Norbert Klein
Who is dealing with HTC in Cambodia? is it qb or somebody else beyond?
Norbert
=
--
felixdzerzhinsky
wvdial.conf file look correct?
sudo gedit /etc/wvdial.conf
[Dialer Defaults]
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 230400
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ISDN = 0
Modem Type = Analog Modem
Phone = *99***1#
Username = ""
Password = ""
Stupid Mode = 1
Save file and then:
sudo wvdial
Or do I need some QB username and password?
Regards,
Paul
felixdzerzhinsky
someone who is googling like crazy to find out how to connect.
This is the correct /etc/wvdial.conf
[Dialer Defaults]
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Modem Type = USB Modem
Phone = *99***1#
Stupid Mode = 1
ISDN = 0
Password = aa
New PPPD = yes
Username = aa
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 460800
Andrew Chua
Thanks for this...
Finally able to make this work.
Andrew
felixdzerzhinsky
The same /etc/wvdial.conf setup apparently works for Starcell as well.
I am finding that Starcell have better connection in my case at home
and at work at this stage. QB gives me no signal at work and at home
at this stage. I am aware that they are planning to upgrade their
towers.
A lowtech opening www.bbcnews.com at the same time with my iMac on
CityLink wimax and the my laptop on the Starcell shows the Citylink
being faster.
Starcell also have an 'unlimited' plan at $US40 dollars a month. But I
take the "unlimited" with a pinch of 'marketing' salt in this country.
I havn't tried to download an iso with a torrent yet.
The problem with CityLink Wimax is that the connection drops out. What
I had planned to do is download iso's at night time. But the link
stays up for only about an hour. Then it drops out and you have to put
in username password. Annoying.
The best internet I had was with PPCTV but it is so expensive I would
have to sell my children into slavery for three generations to pay for
it. The high cost of internet has to be a drain on the economy. I
think other than cheese it is the only thing that is more expensive in
Cambodia than in the industrially developed world.
I really miss www.wanadoo.nl!
Andrew Chua
Yeah I've tried starcell and it worked fine too.
I was able to download a full iso of desktop ubuntu last week using qb's
connection.
I was able to do it without any glitch. I was using ftp from one of the
mirror sites in the USA instead of torrent.
Here's the stats of the download.
Start time 9/25/2008 6:31:05 PM
Stop time 9/25/2008 10:49:11 PM
Elapsed time 4 hr 18 min
Incoming Outgoing
------------------------------------ ---------------- ----------------
Total of data transferred 703.7 MB 14.8 MB
Maximum transfer rate 786.8 kbps 40.2 kbps
Average transfer rate 381.2 kbps 8.0 kbps
Regards,
felixdzerzhinsky
My take on this is if you are in a good location and QB works with a
good signal it is the better deal. I will give them another try in a
month or two after they get some more towers up.
For the moment though I will need to use Starcell as it works at home
and at work and on the boring one hour + bus ride between the two.
Also if you move around outside of PP Starcell's network is currently
in more cities.