BajaNomad

Technology challenged

Cliffy - 12-29-2013 at 09:01 PM

I just saw a post that talked about something called a Banda Ancha PC stick. I presume this allows internet via laptop and phone system much like aircards up here stateside? As we live on our laptops and email where can I learn more about this if it is as I suspect?

As we plan on spending a couple of weeks around Conception Bay and Muleje would this be an option around there?

Rumple - 12-29-2013 at 09:09 PM

This is a Telcel product. I've used it in La Bufadora ONLY in emergencies (when HughesNet is ill). It is painfully slow. I don't know if the service extends as far as you're going - sorry.
I hope someone comes up with a better solution for you!

EnsenadaDr - 12-29-2013 at 09:17 PM

I used it in my clinic in Zorrillo but the data gets used up fast and it costs $200 pesos a "refill". Yes it is a stick and can be used in all isolated areas. I would check for hotels and restaurants that have wifi beforehand and head for these areas. If you were staying somewhere permanently you could install Telnor Infinitum which is unbeatable, I have better internet service (i.e. Skype video) in Mexico than I did in Hawaii with Cox Cable and in El Cajon in some areas.
Quote:
Originally posted by Cliffy
I just saw a post that talked about something called a Banda Ancha PC stick. I presume this allows internet via laptop and phone system much like aircards up here stateside? As we live on our laptops and email where can I learn more about this if it is as I suspect?

As we plan on spending a couple of weeks around Conception Bay and Muleje would this be an option around there?

Cliffy - 12-29-2013 at 09:53 PM

So it sounds like we better find a good internet cafe or something to email family? She wants to email every day while we are gone (2 -3 weeks). I guess we'd have to leave the TT on the beach and go to town to find a wifi spot? Hmmm I plan on a cheap phone with sim down there but maybe it won't even work on the bay shore.

willardguy - 12-29-2013 at 09:58 PM

sucks to have to leave your Trophy Truck on the beach to get an email out!:wow:

EnsenadaDr - 12-29-2013 at 10:02 PM

Mexico is literally littered along the way by Internet Cafes. Shouldn't be a problem!!

mtnpop - 12-29-2013 at 10:07 PM

Plenty of wifi spots in Mulege,, hotels, cafes, several other places..
You will have to leave the beach and come to town for who knows anyway.
Cerveza, water, etc, etc, etc,,
have fun and what would we do without technology..... damn

Cliffy - 12-29-2013 at 10:12 PM

Trophy truck :-) I wish 2006 F150 with a 1978 Excel TT that has been rebuilt. Did 9000 miles with it last year inside USA. Would have to leave the TT on the beach (locked up of course) while we went to town. I guess a daily cervesa run might work?

willardguy - 12-29-2013 at 10:17 PM

ahhhh, TT=travel trailer! sorry, must have racing on the mind!:P

dasubergeek - 12-29-2013 at 10:31 PM

If you're going to spend that much money on Internet access anyway, stop in Tecate, buy a cheapy Samsung Android smartphone with a Telcel SIM in it. Comes with 200 MB data to start, I believe, and 300$ (pesos) credit. You can text 5050 to get more data allowance (http://www.telcel.com/portal/personas/amigo/detalles/paquete...) and any grocery store, convenience store or department store can re-up your phone credit. I believe you can even tether your laptop. The maximum and highest-speed plan (got by texting alto30 to 5050) gets you 3 GB of data valid for 30 days and costs 399$, or about US$30. The phone itself will run you about 1400$, or US$110 (but the banda ancha would run you 509$ anyway).

Make sure to ask for a LADA (area code) 615 number if you're spending most of your time in Mulegé and Bahía Concepción.

Cliffy - 12-30-2013 at 03:01 AM

Nice link Thanks It looks like I could go with no more than the middle one as she just wants to have email ability. She doesn't do social media at all nor do I. Texting is out as her mother is 94 and barely handles email. We barely handle one smart phone for our business. Our personal phones are dumb not smart :-)
I guess I have more to learn now about how to "tether" to her lap top. I'll be surfing for a couple of days on that one to learn how it's done. That seems like the best way to go for her. She can jump on her laptop and send email to Mom that way. Email is all she really needs to do down there, Surfing would be very limited, no movie streaming and social is not needed.
It's a steep learning curve but I'm climbing the mountain!
I need to find a book like "Dummies Guide to Smart Phones and Their Technology"
:-) :-)

pre-paid Telcel SIM card question Part 2 :-)

Cliffy - 12-30-2013 at 05:07 AM

I am rethinking my wife's need to email home every day. Maybe buying a cheapo phone as Part 1 suggested with prepaid minutes would be better. She could just check in every day that way.
Does anyone know how costly this idea would be at 2 or 3 mins per day to Arizona? No real need to call inside Mexico or receive calls from inside. Just need to check in every day with family.
I think she could also just text to her brother for family distribution from him every day. That might be cheaper.
Like I said, I'm studying and learning fast! Any help is VERY appreciated.

BajaNomad - 12-30-2013 at 05:45 AM

Not that it's your cheapest option, but it is an option:

$96 Android smartphone from t-mobile, can be a mobile hotspot (with cell service available), or make/recieve calls over a wifi internet connection:

http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-l9-refurbishe...

$50 month-to-month plan in USA will include international roaming on Movistar in Baja, with 2G data (just fine for email). Calls to USA would be $.20/minute, or free over a wifi connection. Some cafe's block the ports needed for voice calling over wifi, but I've had no problem with hotel and residential networks.

fyi

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=71273

Mulegena - 12-30-2013 at 06:12 AM

Mulege wifi: is readily available at nearly all restaurants in town and 3 internet "cafes" in town, too. An economical way to send and receive email and call your family up north is on Skype which you've downloaded onto your laptop.

There is no phone reception on the beaches and buying and using a Mexican phone to call north isn't as economical as using a US phone from Mexico (Verizon does not work here, btw, but others do).

There are plenty of campers on the beaches for the next couple months-- 'tis The Season once again-- so there will be plenty of vendors coming around with fresh seafood and vegetables. Additionally, there are a couple of small stores on the highway down by Playa Burro and Coyote for other basics. You may find it unnecessary to go to town every day.

Enjoy your vacation.

[Edited on 12-30-2013 by Mulegena]

paranewbi - 12-30-2013 at 06:44 AM

And while your on the beach and those vendors are coming around (and they do) ...form a relationship with one or two and request them to brings items you need the next time they come around (small gratuity). I've even had the local fishermen/divers make small hammocks for my veggies to hang in while sharing beers with them. Don't forget to hit up any diver for some of those bay scallops!

Floatflyer - 12-30-2013 at 07:16 AM

Concerning the Banda Ancha Tel Cel "stick", we have both the stick and Hughes Net. We find that the Tel Cel stick is faster than Hughes Net.

Most of our neighbors have quit Hughes Net in favor of Tel Cel. We are delaying our decision until we are SURE that the Tel Cel option is the best(and cheapest).

A side note is that we have had Magic Jack for several years and have always found it to be problematic with Hughes Net. Sometimes you have a good conversation but usually the party called complains about "you are breaking up". We found a free App for our I-Phones for Magic Jack and even though our phones are not active we can make phone calls on them with our Tel Cel stick plugged into a router and the phone quality is excellent including 800 #s to the USA.

Katiejay99 - 12-30-2013 at 07:20 AM

I have used the banda ancha from Telcel and from Movistar. As long as you don't have anything working in the background - like automatic updates for programs - the "time" on it can last a good while. Skype eats it up. I prefer the Movistar option myself. Going to sites with pictures on it eats it up as well because every picture that loads on your screen goes against the "time". Facebook eats it up. Many browsers have an option that you can not load pictures - that would help if using one of these.

Movistar has a great new plan called "ilimitado" (unlimited) and it includes free email, facebook and twitter, free Movistar calls and 500 minutes free calls to Telcel phones. The phone is a smart phone and it costs around $1,300 pesos but the plan only costs $200 pesos per month. I go in the first of each month and put $200 pesos in "recarga" (recharge) and that's all the money I spend on it. It has saved me a ton of pesos! If you are not used to typing on that small of a screen keyboard it can be frustrating at first until you get the hang of it.

Using your computer at a wi-fi place would probably be the easiest if small screens/keypads are challenging.

Keri - 12-30-2013 at 07:24 AM

What is the name of the free app. for MJ, Does it work on tablets,k

dasubergeek - 12-30-2013 at 07:45 AM

I tend to chat on the phone a lot when I'm down there, but I don't know of the prices are different for BCS. My Tijuana-area phone (LADA 664) costs 1.99 pesos ($0.15) per minute to call the US.

If she just wants email you could set up email on the smart phone.

Floatflyer - 12-30-2013 at 08:03 AM

Wife was told about the app by a friend, she found the app on the I-Phone App Store. Do not know if it works on tablets, wife couldn't find anything about the app on her I-Pad.

Our cell signal comes from a newer cell tower with a 3G signal.

We turn off our router, therefore our Banda Ancha when not in use.

Wife is the techy one, not me.:yes:

Cliffy - 12-30-2013 at 07:01 PM

THANKS FOR THE IDEAS! Now I've got to learn what it all means. I'll be reading and surfing all night . You folks are a great help.
All I really need is for her to contact home ( aged Mother or brother) every day. Won't be surfing or streaming videos and we don't social network (too old maybe :-)
Keep the ideas coming I'm still climbing the steep hill of learning here.

bajaguy - 12-30-2013 at 07:10 PM

If all you need is a daily check-in or an "I'm OK" message, check into getting a SPOT satellite tracker. Will send the above messages, can be used to request help and also to send a 911 emergency message. Uses a satellites, not cell towers.

I use SPOT all the time when I travel in Baja and send messages and tracking to friends in Baja, California, Colorado and Tennessee.

http://www.findmespot.com/en/
Quote:
Originally posted by Cliffy
THANKS FOR THE IDEAS! Now I've got to learn what it all means. I'll be reading and surfing all night . You folks are a great help.
All I really need is for her to contact home ( aged Mother or brother) every day. Won't be surfing or streaming videos and we don't social network (too old maybe :-)
Keep the ideas coming I'm still climbing the steep hill of learning here.

Cliffy - 12-30-2013 at 08:23 PM

Have talked the wife into being comfortable with just a phone and checking email every few days at a cafe or hotel. She needs to call her elderly Mom very day to see to her welfare and needs to be able to receive a call from her brother in case something happens to mom.

Now that I have that figured out I'm looking at maybe doing an ATT Go phone from here in the USA with Mexico in and out calling. Most calls will be from her to Mom while we are in the Muleje area. Might be easier for her brother to call in to us with a USA number. I would think this will be more costly than a Telcel phone in Tecate.

I'm researching tonight Thanks again. I'm still listening.