Cable/DSL in SMA

Cable/DSL in SMA

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My new apartment will have both cable and a phone line. I will be bringing my laptop with me. What are my best bets for internet service and what costs are associated with them? Also, if one of you is experienced with getting this type of service set up I would be willing to buy a dinner in trade for assistance once I get there :) I had a memorable experience in Cancun with Cablemas setting up a cable modem....partly my fault due to my lack of knowledge!

Thanks!

Mexigrl

elcomputo

Nov 6, 2003, 4:01 PM

Post #2 of 17 (1553 views)

Re: [mexigrl] Cable/DSL in SMA

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I know nothing about using cable. I believe it is a lot faster than a phone connection, plus it does not tie up your phone line. I am using Prodigy over a phone connection. That's because (1) I don't have cable and (2) Prodigy is billed on my TelMex bill (about 200 pesos), so I don't have to make a separate trip to pay for my Internet connection. A lot of people here use a local ISP, Unisono. You will have to ask them why. I think they offer DSL, whereas I'm not sure TelMex does or what the prices would be.

One downside of the basic Prodigy (aside from its dawdling speed): unlike many parts of the US, phone lines are not buried in Mexico. During an electrical storm I was too slow to shut down my computer. The computer did not get zapped, but my modem did.

By the way, before you come down, be certain to invest in a pretty good surge suppressor. Brownouts are not too frequent in SMA, but you never can tell. You will not be here long enough to experience the rainy season, when we do get a lot of electrical storms.

You asked me earlier about opportunities to volunteer with agencies that serve children. I mentioned the Cresimiento. I just found a listing of volunteer agencies in SMA. This agency is actually called Centro de Crecimiento, and it provides holistic treatment for children with handicaps. There is physiotherapy, rehab, speech therapy, a nutrition program, special education, and more. Their address is cencre@unisono.net.mx

There is also Casa Ayuda de Ninos International, AC, which provides shelter and preschool for street children and kids from broken homes. Their local phone is 154-7688.

Contact Eunice Hernandez, stpaulsman@mail.com for the Cnentro Infantil San Pablo, which is a pre-school program for children.

The Feed the Hungry Program, sadlrbrt@unisono.net.mx provides meals for the poorest of SMA's children.

Hogar de los Angeles de San Miguel de Allende is another free preschool program. casangeles_sma@hotmail.com

And Instituto de Rehabilitacion y Ensenanza Especial serves children with hearing and speech impairments. marylun1@yahoo.com.mx.

Hope this helps.

Martin

Nov 6, 2003, 5:04 PM

Post #3 of 17 (1544 views)

Re: [mexigrl] Cable/DSL in SMA

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The cable company has a convenient office in the Gigante shopping mall. We had 4 U.S. networks, CNN, A&E, one HBO, PBS and a few other stations and 256K speed internet, and it was 1047 pesos a month (something like $94 U.S.) They dropped PBS, which was a drag. If you just get the 3 networks it's something like 110 pesos a month. (You have to get the basic package of lots of Spanish-language stations, some of which air English-language programs with Spanish subtitles.) It's cheaper if you get slower "high-speed" internet, and there are all kinds of alternatives, you can see.

We switched to satellite with something like 100 U.S. stations for $58 U.S., and we had to keep our basic cable for the internet--our total a month now is something like $108 U.S. plus it cost $766 for the dish and installation including the first month, plus a 6-month service contract that you have to have. Lots of options, lots of prices. Our networks come out of New York, could have chosen LA, which has later times. The cable service used to be from Florida, now one station is from Nashville, one from Pennsylvania, I think one from NY.

Carol Schmidt

Nov 6, 2003, 7:23 PM

Post #4 of 17 (1538 views)

Re: [Carol Schmidt] Cable/DSL in SMA

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is this satellite Sky or directv?

Do you know if one could use one's dish and receiver if brought from the US? they don't have an e-mail to be asked, do they?

do you like your cable internet?

what other slower but high speed connections were you referring to?

Nov 6, 2003, 8:02 PM

Post #5 of 17 (1531 views)

Re: [lbc] Cable/DSL in SMA

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We have DirecTV. I don't think a dish from the U.S. would work--this one is an inbetween size, not the pizza size we became accustomed to in Phoenix and RVing, and not the huge monsters we had 15 years ago. I was told the small ones can't bring in the long-distance networks. I haven't seen a small one for U.S. channels though they work on local Mexican stations if that's the package you get.

Because we kept our high-speed internet service through cable, we had to keep the basic cable package, but we went down to 128K instead of 256 and haven't noticed any difference. There's an even slower option. That's what I meant by options. The service does go down a lot, several times a week for an hour or more.

I love DirecTV and satellite in general--more choices, easier to handle programming for the VCR, more information on the guide, and you can get future programs and what they're about for around 36 hours ahead and set up your VCR accordingly. (I tape a lot.) With cable I had to leave the TV on the same station for all recording, couldn't have it switch stations to catch several shows on different stations while I was gone.

It also costs more to get newsgroups here, $10 U.S. a month I believe, and newsgroups used to be free in the U.S. I miss them.

Carol Schmidt

Nov 6, 2003, 8:05 PM

Post #6 of 17 (1530 views)

Re: [Carol Schmidt] You can get voltage regulators here

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Forgot to add, surge protectors just protect against the highs in electrical current, they don't protect against the lows, the brown-outs. So get a voltage regulator instead, and they're available at Costco and Office Max in Queretaro about 40 miles away. The good regulators with lots of places to plug in all your equipment are about $75 US here, though I think there are cheaper ones.

Carol Schmidt

Nov 6, 2003, 10:20 PM

Post #7 of 17 (1525 views)

Re: [Carol Schmidt] You can get voltage regulators here

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thank you for your thorough answer. I am happy to know that I will be able to have fast internet and direcTV, yipiee.

ALso what are these things called in Spanish voltage regulator against brownouts? I will go to Celaya when I get there or should an American visitor bring them?

Brian

Nov 7, 2003, 5:22 AM

Post #8 of 17 (1519 views)

Re: [Carol Schmidt] Cable/DSL in SMA

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Carol

There are a couple of ways to get newsgroups for free here. The easiest is through google.com. It is strictly web-based and there are no binary groups but its definitely worth the price.

saludos

Brian

Nov 7, 2003, 9:44 PM

Post #9 of 17 (1491 views)

Oops, I have DISH, not DirecTV

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Partner just informed me I made a mistake in my last post. I think I'd just seen a commercial for DirecTV and my mind leaped.

Carol Schmidt

Nov 7, 2003, 9:55 PM

Post #10 of 17 (1491 views)

Re: [lbc] You can get voltage regulators here

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The CostCo in Celaya didn't have them when we were looking, though the one in Queretaro did. You can never be sure CostCo will have something on a regular basis. It was a bit more expensive at Office Max in Queretaro.

The word regulator was close enough in Spanish to English that I had no trouble picking one out--plus it was right next to the surge protectors. I think the box was in both English and Spanish, another hint. We had a hell of a time trying to explain what we wanted to a clerk though.

When my CRT monitor went kaput, we could only find the new flat screen LCD monitors at CostCo and Office Max and Office Depot, for around 6000 pesos for a large size. So we drove around Celaya's downtown shopping streets with a 1999 yellow pages and managed to find a computer store with one of the old-style big and clumsy CRT monitors, at double the cost we would have paid in the States (2240 pesos). But there was no duty nor shipping nor delay.

Carol Schmidt

Nov 7, 2003, 10:38 PM

Post #11 of 17 (1485 views)

Re: [Carol Schmidt] You can get voltage regulators here

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thank you Carol, for your thoughtful replies. I am glad to know that those two costcos will differ in those two towns. Sounds like the Queretaro one is a better bet and also has a much better road.

I could have brought you a 15" flat screen monitor from wal-mart for 150 $ US. I have a KDS. It is lightweight and I enjoy it so much more than my old crt clunkers. Maybe one of the many visitors can bring you one. Even if you had to pay duty on that amount, it would be fine.

But you had fun with your yellow page hunt. Thta's worth something, too.

But you did mean direcTV and did not mis-speak, right?

ARe the nights chilly enough for my electric matress pad???

elcomputo

Nov 8, 2003, 7:45 AM

Post #12 of 17 (1476 views)

Re: [lbc] You can get voltage regulators here

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Yes, the nights are now getting chilly enough for your electric pad. You would have to find out from someone else how much that would increase your electric bill, as I used an old-fashioned quilt. I understand the electric rates go up at night, just the opposite of the USA.

By the by, I assume you have eliminated Prodigy as a possible ISP. That is probably a good idea, as Lisa is having a terrible time redirecting her service to another number. TelMex told her she would have to come to their office, along with her former landlady, in order to get the service canceled from the former phone number.

This is worrying me because, after the apparent murder of one of my dogs by the local gangsters, I am hightailing it out of the heart of gangland and into another neighborhood as quickly as possible. If I have to take my landlady down to TelMex to get Prodigy disconnected, it is going to be a problem because she lives in London.

Now I know why people here apparently prefer Unisono. I should have known that anything involving TelMex would entail problems. If you hated your telephone company in the States, you will quickly learn to detest TelMex, another one of Mexico's (un)regulated monopolies.

Now, to offset this "bad news" letter, I am going to tell you something nice about SMA. Last night as I was walking home from the movie down at the Biblioteca, I crossed the Jardin. There, in front of the Parroquia, was the "Tuna Oratorio," a group of 10 male musicians and singers dressed in the garb of Guanajuato troubadors. For a small donation, I got to stand there singing along with them and all the other happy tourists, expats, and locals. Just another of the surprising little joys that pop up and hit you every once in a while in this town.

Oh, and regarding voltage regulators, I believe a brownout will only result in the loss of data you have not recently saved it. (Save often!) A power loss will not damage your computer unless the power comes back on with a surge. A voltage regulator is nice if you can afford one; a surge suppressor is a lot cheaper, especially if you bring it with you from the States. (Doesn't take up much room in your trunk.)

Nov 8, 2003, 12:10 PM

Post #13 of 17 (1465 views)

Re: [elcomputo] You can get voltage regulators here

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estimado senior geezer extraordinaire--es un nombre ,myu apropriado para ti...

joke aside, "a surge suppressor is a lot cheaper, especially if you bring it with you from the States. (Doesn't take up much room in your trunk.) " what kind of cheaper are you talking about? 10$ 100$ US dollars.

Thank you for the info on the brownouts. AND THANK YOU for the uplifting and beautiful encounter of the musicians in the jardin. I am going to put that one on my fridge when my doubts of living here return?

Thanks for sharing that with us. May you have a pleasant sabado y domingo.

elcomputo

Nov 8, 2003, 8:11 PM

Post #14 of 17 (1447 views)

Re: [lbc] You can get voltage regulators here

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There is an electronics store named Frye's. They are very big in California and have new stores in Austin and Houston. While in Austin six weeks ago, they had surge suppressors for $10, $20, and $30. The higher the price, the more jeules (whatever the hell they are). But from reading the packages, I was convinced that the $20 one would protect me adequately. (Though I often wonder, what if one of those lightening bolts touches down on your metal office chair. You would be fried, but would the surge suppressor protect your computer?; then again, if you're fried, what difference does it make?) But the $20 one also had a connection for the modem, and that is what got hit before, so that's the one I wanted.

mexigrl

Nov 12, 2003, 4:50 PM

Post #15 of 17 (1406 views)

Re: [elcomputo] You can get voltage regulators here

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Dear GE ( I really like the new name )

Had I known about the concert I would have made it a point to get to SMA by now! As it stands I'm on my way, in North Carolina tonight. I can pick up the voltage regular and/or surge protector - just trying to figure out which one is a better bet. I am traveling with a new laptop so would like to protect it.

I am going to sign up for DSL service when I arrive. My new landlord has been wonderful and has agreed to pay 1/2 for the modem - which you must buy at the price of over $100. He can then rent it out to future tenants. Makes it worth it for me since I am planning to stay for 4 - 5 months.

I am also going to pick up an electric blanket - landlord said that was fine. I am always cold so I'm sure it will be worth it. When it gets really cold at night you all can stop by my house and find me wrapped up in a bunch of blankets! What is that they say about cold hands and warm heart :)

Cuidate,

Mexigrl

pathall

Nov 15, 2003, 8:53 AM

Post #16 of 17 (1372 views)

Re: [mexigrl] You can get voltage regulators here

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Good idea about the electric blanket. We always take our electric blanket for those cold winter nights in SMA.

tfyoung

Nov 15, 2003, 12:12 PM

Post #17 of 17 (1358 views)