BajaNomad

Banda Ancha and Windows 7

DianaT - 4-23-2010 at 07:36 PM

Help

Today we stopped at the Telcel in Ensenada and I bought the Amigo pay as you go Banda Ancha. The young lady was really great and walked me through the set up and what would be needed for buying more time---so far, so good. (Also no problem registering the phone late.)

But, later I could not get it to install on my new laptop with Windows 7---shows that the hardware installs, but does not work.

Tried it on the older laptop with XP and NO problem---got it to work quickly.

Any one know how to get it to work on Windows7

Oh, I installed a bandwidth meter, but please help the computer challenged---how many MB to use up 3G

comitan - 4-23-2010 at 07:50 PM

Diane

Its my understanding that as of right now it won't work on windows 7.

DianaT - 4-23-2010 at 07:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by comitan
Diane

Its my understanding that as of right now it won't work on windows 7.


Well, if that is the case, dang good thing we kept the old laptop with XP.

OK, now still need to know about how many MBs it takes to use the 3G. I downloaded the free SharPlus Bandwidth Meter and it is in MBs

Thanks

Diana

LancairDriver - 4-23-2010 at 09:14 PM

1 gigabyte=1,024 megabytes

Russ - 4-23-2010 at 09:27 PM

I know absolutely nothing about tecel & 3G but I googled it and found this sight. It may help or not. _ http://www.telcel.com/portal/personas/amigo/detalles/interne...

jak - 4-23-2010 at 10:02 PM

ShaPlus Bandwidth Meter 1.3.1 is 101 kb in size, I doubt it uses 1/2 MB worth of disk space, 500 kb.

jak - 4-23-2010 at 10:04 PM

Banda Ancha takes 31.3 MB disk space.

rts551 - 4-24-2010 at 07:53 AM

Diane

stop at the Telcel office across from the gas station in Vizcaino. They may be able to help. I am assuming you need the windows 7 driver for the device. Can you tell what make it is. check the system device info.control panel-sound and devices-

comitan - 4-24-2010 at 11:31 AM

Diane

Just checked with my neighbor they can now program the modem for windows 7.

wiley

Riom - 4-24-2010 at 05:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
Oh, I installed a bandwidth meter, but please help the computer challenged---how many MB to use up 3G


The 3GB allowance you get with 30 days of Banda Ancha is 3072 MB. So an average of about 100MB a day (you can use more some days, less some days).

The 30 days ends after 30 days, OR when you use up 3000MB, whichever is first. After that time, you are charged 2 centavos a kB (20 pesos a MB) until your balance runs out, unless you have set the "automatic renewal" online.

Details: http://bit.ly/ddoc5z

Rob

CRAZY

DianaT - 4-24-2010 at 05:59 PM

Well, crazy describes me.

OK, we are now back in BA and discovered that the cell tower here is NOT 3G, only 2G. But when I did the manual settings for connection, I was able to connect to the GSM only. It seems that our cel tower shows as only 2G and not 3G. Gees, more than I ever wanted to know about any of this.

So we are connected at not rocket speed, but not too bad. Also, with the older computer, the SharPlus Bandwidth Meter is not showing as much usage as the computer with the Windows 7 showed.

So we will continue to experiment and see what happens. I also seem to be disconnecting easily---

Thanks for all the help for the computer challenged.

Diana

Thanks for all the responses and suggestiongs.

DianaT - 4-25-2010 at 08:27 AM

Well, this morning the Banda Ancha is working---not as fast as one would hope because we don't have the 3G tower---and so far this morning, it has dropped the signal 4 times---frustrating.

Worst thing is I am having real trouble getting into my e-mail. I get my e-mail through Cox web mail and it keeps timing out before I can get my mail.

It just dropped the signal AGAIN while typing this message. Any one have the problem of dropped signals? I do not have that problem with my cell phone???

Don't know yet if this is going to be a good alternative.

rts551 - 4-25-2010 at 09:08 AM

Diane. Which modem did you end up buying?

DianaT - 4-25-2010 at 09:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Diane. Which modem did you end up buying?


The modem she sold me with the amigo plan is the ZTE MF626 ---3G

Didn't know there was a choice?? Biggest problem right now is the signal being dropped over and over and over.

But, I am hopeful that will change. :o

Also, for now I will use the old computer with the XP and get the Windows 7 tweak later when we are in Vizcaino. Right now that road is so HORRIBLE that we will not be going out there unless absolutely necessary-----

Signal just dropped again while typing, so have to wait to reconnect to send. :fire:

With e-mail, I am typing a message and then copy it so I can paste it into a new message---took four tries to send one this morning.

rts551 - 4-25-2010 at 09:41 AM

have you loaded the driver updates for windows 7?
http://www.zte.com.au/main/Product_Downloads/MF626_downloads...

BajaNomad - 4-25-2010 at 10:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
I installed a bandwidth meter, but please help the computer challenged---how many MB to use up 3G


Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
we... discovered that the cell tower here is NOT 3G, only 2G.


Please note, 3G equipment would likely be referring to "3rd Generation" wireless service, not 3GB of bandwidth over that service.

:biggrin:

-
Doug

DianaT - 4-25-2010 at 11:48 AM

I will take my other computer to where I can download the drivers and see what happens with that computer.

But the dropping of the signal is really AWFUL Just keeps happening.

Thanks Doug---being computer challenged one 3G is the same as another 3G to me. But, I am learning. Well, I just typed this message and have not been dropped yet! Maybe I will be lucky and be able to open my e-mail

On edit---signal was lost again as I hit post and had to reload AGAIN:fire:

[Edited on 4-25-2010 by DianaT]

DianaT - 4-26-2010 at 06:05 PM

SO FAR I DETEST BANDA ANCHA. It is not working out as an answer here---it is more of a problem.

It will not hold a signal. Took me 1/2 hour to just answer one e-mail today and meantime, it is eating up bandwidth with needing to refresh the pages after the disconnect and reconnect and it is quite SLOW so click, click there goes the bandwidth.

Just terrible---but it was an experiment. I will still try to get it installed on the computer with Windows 7 and see if that helps.

Maybe in another area it will work better----and believe me, it is a strong signal---5 bars and it just drops over and over again.

Just an update

pacside - 4-26-2010 at 07:56 PM

Telcel store in Cabo installed my old Telcel 3G modem on my new windows 7 operating system laptop. She got it to work fine but I wasn't paying attention to see if she had to do any downloads for a win7 driver or anything else unusual. She explained how to add days/pesos via the sim card/cell phone so I don't have to stop in the Telcel store each time I arrive. Speed is fine and no drops. However, I can see a Telcel tower from where I use it.
pacside

DianaT - 4-26-2010 at 08:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pacside
Telcel store in Cabo installed my old Telcel 3G modem on my new windows 7 operating system laptop. She got it to work fine but I wasn't paying attention to see if she had to do any downloads for a win7 driver or anything else unusual. She explained how to add days/pesos via the sim card/cell phone so I don't have to stop in the Telcel store each time I arrive. Speed is fine and no drops. However, I can see a Telcel tower from where I use it.
pacside


TelCel office here is clueless---just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. Had I noticed it, I would have had it done in Ensenada. But now I have someone calling a person in Vizcaino for me to see if he can do it for me---140 mile round trip of road horrible. But I hope that helps.

We can also see a cell tower from our place--5 bars on the signal and the phone never drops calls, so maybe moving from the computer with XP to Windows 7 will help---don't know at this point, just hopeful.

Tis a part of life in the rural area. :yes:

But I am still not happy. Dumped me twice while writing this---at least do not have reload this one.

DENNIS - 4-27-2010 at 07:46 AM

Yesterday I hooked up to my old Telcel modem a new computer, Windows 7. No reprograming, no problems. It didn't miss a beat.

[Edited on 4-27-2010 by DENNIS]

DianaT - 5-21-2010 at 08:35 PM

Just an update on our experience with Banda Ancha

Still do not have it on the computer with Windows7---will do that next time through Ensenada----.

Using it with XP in Bahia Asuncion, I had so many problems with it dropping the connection, it was very, very slow, and there was no way a video like a u-tube could be watched---two words, reload.

Well, I discovered that it really was more of a problem with the service in Bahia Asuncion. When I connected, the tower registered as a 2G tower.

So when we were in the San Quintin area, I tried the Banda Ancha. I had a choice of a 2G or a 3G tower. With the 3G tower, it was faster, it did not disconnect and I could watch a u-tube with only a few reloads.

So it seems the local tower makes a big difference. Maybe sometime in the near future they will upgrade our local tower.