BajaNomad

Wifi in Baja?

Travelinleah - 3-20-2014 at 05:12 AM

What is the most economical way for me to use my Kindle or laptop in Baja? I don't want a smartphone. Let's say I am on the Playa Santispac, can I get Wifi, pay as you go? Thanks!!

Mula - 3-20-2014 at 06:15 AM

Go to the Internet Cafes in Mulege.

mulegemichael - 3-20-2014 at 07:41 AM

go to scotties restaurant in mulege, have a cold draft modelo and a burger and enjoy with his wifi.

Travelinleah - 3-20-2014 at 12:07 PM

Sounds wonderful!!! But can I get WiFi on the beach?? Is there a Telcel stick, I've heard of getting WiFi that way, Thanks!!!

DavidE - 3-20-2014 at 01:38 PM

One mile south of Mulege count yourself fortunate to receive a radio station signal.

rhintransit - 3-20-2014 at 01:46 PM

I don't know about Sanispac. but if you are in cell tower range, you can use a Banda Ancha Movil (stick/USB modem) from Telmex. buy one in a Telmex store and you get some free time, and you can buy more as needed or desired. plan costs depend on what you anticipate using...low, medium, high usage per Telmex. having an English speaking salesperson to assist you in setting up the account and explaining how to get more time is very helpful.
be forewarned...you can eat through your minutes very very quickly. even if you have a month service, once you've used up your alloted megabites (or whatever) you're done until you buy more. can be done in a store, on line (Spanish), or take the chip out, put it in your Mexico cell phone and have someone add time to it that way.

oops, you said most economical. above is pricey. going to an internet cafe is much less costly.

[Edited on 3-20-2014 by rhintransit]

Mula - 3-20-2014 at 03:44 PM

All that said. . . you can not have wifi on the beach there. Have to go to town. Sorry.

Travelinleah - 3-21-2014 at 04:38 AM

I plan on wandering up and down Baja so banda ancha movil May work, any idea on cost for medium usage? Will use internet cafes when handy. Thanks much!

rhintransit - 3-21-2014 at 07:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
I plan on wandering up and down Baja so banda ancha movil May work, any idea on cost for medium usage? Will use internet cafes when handy. Thanks much!


first remember that much of Baja has no cell coverage.

that said, it's nice to have the ability to log on when you can get a signal.

as well as I can remember (pre my inhouse Telmex wifi, for which I am daily grateful!!!), when I bought my Banda Ancha stick, it was around 300-400 pesos and included something like 200 mbs a month for the first three months. using that for only low level internet might last about 2 weeks, I ran through it much quicker.

you then buy various MB and GB plans, which theoretically last 1 hr to 30 days. I finally gave up and brought Consumo Alto at 3 GB, the highest level and cost, and I believe that ran about 500-600 pesos.

danaeb - 3-21-2014 at 08:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
I plan on wandering up and down Baja so banda ancha movil May work, any idea on cost for medium usage? Will use internet cafes when handy. Thanks much!


Here are the various packages:

http://www.internet.telcel.com/paquetes.html#tab1

SlyOnce - 3-21-2014 at 02:43 PM

Here in Playas my Verizon MiFi (portable wi fi wireless hotspot) works just fine on a US signal. I put an external antenna outside the apartment. Often achieve a 4G connection, usually 3G.

If you leave the immediate border area, most people around here us Infinitum.

bajajudy - 3-21-2014 at 02:49 PM

Banda ancha sticks have their own telephone number. That is how you add time to it at OXXO or wherever.

Travelinleah - 3-26-2014 at 05:30 AM

Thanks so much for all the input, all you guys are great!:bounce::coolup:

Alm - 3-26-2014 at 10:28 AM

First off, the words Wifi and Baja shall not be mentioned on the same page :biggrin:
Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
What is the most economical way for me to use my Kindle or laptop in Baja?

Download all you need and work offline. This is the most economical, to my very best knowledge. I stopped reading books lately, prefer listening to them. A lot of sources on the web, and very often free.
Quote:
Let's say I am on the Playa Santispac, can I get Wifi,

No. Not that it's a total wilderness, it's just that there is nothing there. Difficult to describe, you'll see when you come there.

[Edited on 3-26-2014 by Alm]

David K - 3-26-2014 at 06:19 PM

Speaking of WiFi, Jose and family at Mission San Borja now have it... The Internet in the middle of Baja!

Travelinleah - 3-28-2014 at 05:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SlyOnce
Here in Playas my Verizon MiFi (portable wi fi wireless hotspot) works just fine on a US signal. I put an external antenna outside the apartment. Often achieve a 4G connection, usually 3G.

If you leave the immediate border area, most people around here us Infinitum.

Would an external antenna be helpful when using Banda Ancha at all?

Alm - 3-28-2014 at 10:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TravelinleahWould an external antenna be helpful when using Banda Ancha at all?

Baja is 1000 miles long. If the area has at least a weak signal from BA towers, antenna may help. Antenna merely amplifies whatever signal is there.

Travelinleah - 3-28-2014 at 11:48 AM

Worth a try, do they sell them at Radio shack?

durrelllrobert - 3-28-2014 at 12:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
Thanks so much for all the input, all you guys are great!:bounce::coolup:


Baja playas are reserved for fishing, diving and girl watching! Why would you want to use your laptop there?

mtgoat666 - 3-28-2014 at 12:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
Worth a try, do they sell them at Radio shack?


you want portability?

best accessory antenna is a directional antenna fixed on pole or side of building. let's you pick up cell tower up to 70 miles away.

willy's in national city can fix you up with a system to add directional antenna at your house, may have portable antennas too - they have everything for radio heads

Alm - 3-28-2014 at 04:17 PM

"Up to X miles" in sales brochures implies a perfectly smooth terrain. In a hilly terrain there can be dead zones where you won't have any cell phone signal with the best directional rooftop antenna.

Travelinleah - 3-28-2014 at 07:04 PM

Worth a try, do they sell them at Radio shack?

Travelinleah - 3-28-2014 at 07:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by Travelinleah
Thanks so much for all the input, all you guys are great!:bounce::coolup:


Baja playas are reserved for fishing, diving and girl watching! Why would you want to use your laptop there?



Haha!! Crazy I know! I don't want WIFI on la playa, it's just that Santispac is one area I've been to and it's a good point of reference.

phoenix2121 - 4-1-2014 at 09:42 PM

I have a friend living in TJ and he told me that Telnor is "out of contracts" for new service. Apparently they have a fixed number of clients they can handle and they're all out... told him to check back next month.

Anyone ever heard of this? Sounds a bit odd.

RnR - 4-2-2014 at 06:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by phoenix2121
I have a friend living in TJ and he told me that Telnor is "out of contracts" for new service. Apparently they have a fixed number of clients they can handle and they're all out... told him to check back next month.

Anyone ever heard of this? Sounds a bit odd.


It happens with Telmex in the smaller towns in the La Paz area, also.

The number of client requests exceeds the capacity of the equipment and you have to wait until somebody gives up their contract.

Phones were first installed in our town about ten years ago. We missed the sign-up list for the first install and had to wait an additional 7 months for the equipment's capacity to be expanded.

There was also a 2-3 month waiting list for DSL internet contracts just last year.

And, this past Dec to Feb, the wi-fi speed was abysmal. Service is improving as the winter crowd is leaving. The town was obviously approaching the limits of the equipment once again.

[Edited on 4-2-2014 by RnR]

willardguy - 4-2-2014 at 11:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by phoenix2121
I have a friend living in TJ and he told me that Telnor is "out of contracts" for new service. Apparently they have a fixed number of clients they can handle and they're all out... told him to check back next month.

Anyone ever heard of this? Sounds a bit odd.
although I don't know if they service the playa's, quickspeed wireless internet is available through the rosarito corridor, I used them in la mision and it was excellent.:yes:

DavidE - 4-2-2014 at 02:07 PM

Banda Ancha is a USB stick like Flash Memory. Where do ya stick the amplifier and antenna in? The OP keeps asking and the responses keep wandering...