Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

Judy in Ags

Sep 11, 2006, 10:26 AM

Post #1 of 5 (3453 views)

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Anyone using broadband IConnectHere?

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I have been using dial-up IConnectHere for over three years. Since we now have DSL service, I am wondering if it would be advantageous to change to IConnectHere's broadband service. Does anyone use that service and if so, can you compare it to the dial-up service? I know it's more expensive, but is the quality better, or ....anything else that might help me decide.

Thanks!

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Sep 11, 2006, 12:53 PM

Post #2 of 5 (3437 views)

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Re: [Judy in Ags] Anyone using broadband IConnectHere?

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Not being down there using the services, I can only say that DSL upload and download speeds usually are from 5 to 10 times faster than dialup. Makes internet useage much more pleasurable.

Sorry, I misread your post, but the same thing applies to broadband over DSL except the speeds are more like two to six times faster. However, this depends upon you internet service provider and the bandwidth they provide. Usually, i5t's worth the extra charge, depending upon how much time you spend online.
Getting older and still not down here.

(This post was edited by Ron Pickering W3FJW on Sep 11, 2006, 12:57 PM)

bbeitz

Sep 11, 2006, 1:09 PM

Post #3 of 5 (3432 views)

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Re: [Judy in Ags] Anyone using broadband IConnectHere?

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A big advantage using VOIP on DSL over dial-up is you free up your land line for telephone calls. I use Skype and Yahoo Voice through my DSL connection and they both work great.

Tio Bob
It is better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.

johanson / Moderator

Sep 11, 2006, 7:56 PM

Post #4 of 5 (3408 views)

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Re: [Judy in Ags] Anyone using broadband IConnectHere?

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Some general comments

The weakest link with VoIP is the upload speed. And without a good upload speed although you will probably he able to hear the person you call (Download speeds seem always to be fast enough), the person you are calling will not be able to hear you (if your upload speed is too slow). What is the minimum upload speed required? It depends upon the VoIP system you are using. And the compression rate or settings you are using should you have the ability to change it. There are others here who are greater experts on this than I, but I would like to have at least a true upload speed of at least 128 kb/sec and hopefully twice that.

I say again, I am talking about the non-advertised upload speed, the speed that almost no company advertises, because that is their weakest link. It is the link, that almost always makes your conversation fail. Shown below are the typical download speeds I get with ISPs I have access to In both the US and in Mexico.
In the US my CNW dialup link gives me an upload speed of speed of 35 to 41 Kb/sec, I will soon be cancelling same because I moved to town where cable internet is available. My cable Comcast connection usually averages 320 Kb/sec up.

In Mexico the usual dialup upload speeds I measure are between 29 to 33 kb/sec with both lagunanet at www.laguna,com,mx and with Prodigy at www.telmex.com.mx. I also broadband connections with these two ISPs. I happen to have the slowest Prodigy infinitum connection which costs me $401 pesos per month and my upload speeds usually average 52 to 74 kb/sec. For $689 pesos you can double that speed.

The ISP that gives me the fastest upload speeds is a local wireless company, Lagunanet. I usually average in the 300s, but have seen as low as 200 and as fast as almost 600 Kb/sec upload speed. The monthly cost of my connection is $60 US. For $40 US, you get half that.

I happen to have IconnectHere with a broadband connection. It usually works but not always. When it fails, it's because the net upload speed between me and the person I am calling is too slow.

I've given a lot of statistics here, but have made no specific recommendations other than to state that the weakest link is your upload speed. And that my fastest upload speed happens to come from Lagunanet. I know I could pay more for a higher upload speed from both Comcast and Lagunanet and perhaps Prodigy. Good luck trying to figure out what to do with these figures. And sorry Judy, that I could not answer your question about IconnectHere, other than to say that I happen to use them

(This post was edited by johanson on Sep 12, 2006, 7:58 AM)

redoute38

Sep 13, 2006, 11:33 AM

Post #5 of 5 (3360 views)

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Re: [johanson] Anyone using broadband IConnectHere?

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We have iconnect and infinitum which never seems to have uploads over 75 kb/sec. I agree with the others that infinitum is very nice for using internet and being able to receive phone calls at the same time. As for whether infinitium is a big improvement with iconnect, I am not at all sure. I think it is better. For example, in the past when calling France we used to get cut off regularly. Since infinitum that doesn't happen. However, calling the US is probably almost the same. Oddly enough I have the impression that we hear better with infinitium and iconnect (although that may be our switch to grandstream); the people we have been talking to generally could always hear rather well.

The only problem we have had has been in the past weeks. Several times there has been so much noise on the line that we had to hang up. This is brand new and has happened for some hours and then goes entirely away. We use a sip phone that is a little particular (grandstream) and I even called them to see if I had some parameter wrong, but that wasn't the problem. I contacted iconnect and they couldn't see what it would be, but they did suggest contacting them right away during the problem, should it happen again. I suppose that it is some kind of periodic voip blocking from telmex. Of course that would be true with infinitum or dialup.