Internet Service in Playa del Carmen

[John]

Originally Posted by marissab

Hi. I don't know if it was this Optimizer or if it was cablemas but my vonage is pretty damn good these days and my upload speed is in the 230's!

Yipee!

I just checked my speed... I'm getting 220kbps up now. It looks like they increased the upload speed for everyone!

Once again, the influence In The Roo has on Playa amazes me!

[marissab]

Originally Posted by John

I just checked my speed... I'm getting 220kbps up now. It looks like they increased the upload speed for everyone!

Once again, the influence In The Roo has on Playa amazes me!

Yes, in the Roo and the Followers of In the Roo who go to cablemas and cry and cry and cry out of sheer frustration.

Are you using the highest speed or the 1.5?
B/c if 1.5 then I'm going back to 1.5.
why pay more money if I don't need to.

[John]

We are on the 1.5M plan. However, I frequently see speeds above that. It's nice to get more service than you pay for once in a while.

[hodamayo]

John, if you have a Vonage line, go into the control panel and set your bandwidth manager to the lowest setting. This will help.

Mike

Originally Posted by John

I'm finding that the location of your Telmex connection plays a role in the strength of your signal. A client of mine has Telmex in Playacar and is paying for 2Mb down / 256Kb up - she's getting 350Kb down, 70Kb up. Vonage recommends 90Kb for good voice quality. Where were you living when you had your bad experience with Telmex?

Since our business (website development / computer consulting) relies heavily on Internet access, we're considering paying for both DSL and Cable internet and using whichever one is working better, or working, on any given day.

[marissab]

Originally Posted by hodamayo

John, if you have a Vonage line, go into the control panel and set your bandwidth manager to the lowest setting. This will help.

Mike

Hi. can you please explain how setting the bandwidth to the lowest setting will help? Thanks

[hodamayo]

Open up your Vonage account. Go into Features, scroll down to Bandwidth. There if you are having problems with your upload (Others can not hear you) then you need to set your limits lower. I would recommend setting them to the lowest setting for everyone in PDC. That should solve your problem. Everyone there is sharing the bandwidth in some form so when everyone get on their VoIP it will eat up the bandwidth................Too bad we can not get symmetrical DSL here. So we have to deal with asymmetrical lines here. For a further explanation on ADSL look at ADSL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[PlayaWithMe]

I just have to tell you guys that we were getting 24-36 download off of fifth on an open signal.....Was really fast compared to what I am hearing some of you guys talk about.......

[John]

Originally Posted by PlayaWithMe

I just have to tell you guys that we were getting 24-36 download off of fifth on an open signal.....Was really fast compared to what I am hearing some of you guys talk about.......

The download speeds aren't generally the issues with service here, it's typically the upload speed that we complain about. On my 1.5M/256kbps cable internet, I normally get download speeds in the 150-160K range.

With Vonage, the default speed is set to 90kbps (11K). If you aren't consistently over that for usable bandwidth, your calls have a variety of problems - delays, choppy sound, for example. Vonage gives you the option to change your bandwidth to 30kbps, 50kbps, or 90kbps. Lowering the bandwidth may lower the quality of the sound you are sending/receiving, but it may end up giving you a more enjoyable experience.

[Francis]

I currently use Packet8 and I'll need a second line in Playa so want to try Vonage. Should I buy the modem before I get to Mexico or are they on sale at Walmart or something?

[Libby]

Originally Posted by Francis

I currently use Packet8 and I'll need a second line in Playa so want to try Vonage. Should I buy the modem before I get to Mexico or are they on sale at Walmart or something?

You can't buy Vonage routers here, so you will need to bring that down with you. Your Vonage router will plug directly in to the modem provided by your internet service provider. That is the simplest setup, but depending on your situation, you might have a more sophisticated configuration.

Wireless modems are available here, although they are more expensive than in the states.

EDIT: For the best selection of modems, check Office Max or Office Depot.

[Francis]

Thanks Libby. I'm coming prepared: 2 wireless routers, 3 phone modems and 1 EV-DO router as a backup when my internet connection craps out. I also have what they call a media extender that I use to stream TV shows and movies to my TV, I can't imagine life without this baby.

Francis

[John]

Originally Posted by Francis

Thanks Libby. I'm coming prepared: 2 wireless routers, 3 phone modems and 1 EV-DO router as a backup when my internet connection craps out. I also have what they call a media extender that I use to stream TV shows and movies to my TV, I can't imagine life without this baby.

Francis

Continuing on your tangent, we have our trusty ole ReplayTV here. We can't use the online guide for recording shows, but we can still use it like a VCR for manual recording and instant replay. Some day I'll find out if ReplayTV or TiVo can be hacked to download Mexican cable guides since they are available on the TV Guide website.