3G: Sun versus Globe

An anonymous fellow commented on my article “How to unlock your Huawei 3G USB modem.” Below is what he/she posted on my article:

“I use a ‘Redbox’ Globe tattoo. It is called such as it came from a red box. Its a Huawei e1552, 3G/HSDPA-capable modem that performs well anywhere. It even reached a max of 2mbps (using the Supersurf service of Globe-the 1-day no limits {almost-it has an 800mb/day LIMIT} surfing service), and 1mbps (using the tunneling service Tor++) But the thing is, it can't be unlocked. I can't use a Sun SIM (in some areas, I detect a Sun signal in 3G. This will work well with those using the SmartBROKE kit (almost all mobile broadband users I know find that SmartBROKE sucks). For Sun users, its good if you're from Metro Manila or in urbanized areas and will travel in the province.”

@Anonymous :)

Unlocking the E1552 modem

The next time I met my sister who uses Globe Tattoo, which I believe is the same “Redbox” variant you’re referring to, she asked me to have her modem unlocked. In her case, she wants to have it unlocked so she can use her Globe Tattoo modem with a Sun Broadband SIM or SmartBro SIM card. I tried to unlock the E1552 modem the way I did with my E160… and I failed. There’s no problem with the unlock code I got from the website. What I got after inserting the Sun Broadband SIM is a popup message that says, “action not allowed.” The thing is, the wise people from Globe might have disabled or used up the 10 attempts for unlocking the modem. Haven’t heard of any work around yet.

Globe unlimited 1-day service

Globe calls it “unlimited” for marketing purposes only. To be fair, it is unlimited if you’re going to surf the net lightly which involves opening web sites and not downloading large chunks of files. But nonetheless, it sucks to have an unlimited service only to find out that you have in reality a 800MB limit. I learned about this when I downloaded a 700MB movie in just 25 minutes and then after a while got a message that I reached my 800MB limit. Then my connection went ppfffttt. The speed though was remarkable compared to other 3G providers and so I went to a Globe center and asked whether their postpaid unlimited scheme also have a cap. To my dismay, the limit is set at 1GB per day. Not enough for heavy downloaders like me. Not switching to Globe anytime soon.

SmartBro, SmartBroke, SmartBulok

If you’re smart, you’re not going to go with SmartBro. This I learned a few years back when I used their canopy service. Back then, I usually get 15 percent of their advertised speeds. Surprisingly the other day, I looked at some SmartBro plans and I noticed that they have lowered their advertised speeds. And if I apply my 15 percent expectation of the service, I might be better off with a dial-up service.

Speed at 2Mbps

May I know where were you and what time of the day/night when you reached 2Mbps? Because if that was during the day, then it is awesome! The E1552 I believe is newer than the E160, however the E160 is also capable of reaching up to 3.5Mbps. Wireless connectivity is really a tricky business. Unpredictable number of clients in an area tends to degrade service but telcos are partly to blame too. Most of their installations are not optimized to handle heavy traffic; their slow back haul links are to blame.

Tor++

I haven’t used tunneling as I am much satisfied with Sun Broadband. But I’ll definitely try it out and play with it in the future.

As of press time

Sun Broadband is still the best 3G service versus cost and data limit. Sun Broadband is, for me, truly the “unlimited service.” Globe may have the largest coverage and the fastest network but they suck because of data limitations. If you’re a heavy downloader like me, you can leave your rig after midnight ‘till morning and enjoy 200+ kBps torrent download speeds (B is to bytes: b is to bits), which you won’t get with Globe.

Good news or very very bad news

Sun Broadband subscribers’ won’t be happy with current developments though. Sun was acquired by Smart recently. Will the service stay that way? Or dark days are upon us? Our last hope is Sen. Joker Arroyo but if he fails… Good thing my lock-in period with Sun is about to expire! Kampai!

How to unlock your Huawei 3G USB Modem

I've never thought it would come to the point I’d be unlocking my 3G USB modem… but it happened. I was on vacation last December at my hometown of Iba, Zambales. I brought along my Sun Broadband USB modem believing I’d get a 3G signal since our house is located at the heart of our town and for the fact that they have been advertising their nationwide coverage plus my hometown is considered Digitel territory. And boy I was devastated to see my modem signal indicator turned “green,” meaning it is only able to detect a 2G signal. Still, I tried to connect to the net using SUN’s EDGE network and it totally sucked! Knowing I have to unlock my USB modem first I tried to insert my Globe Tattoo SIM thinking maybe those guys from SUN forgot to lock it! But they didn’t. As soon as the Mobile Partner app appeared, a dialog box appeared prompting me to enter the “unlock code!” With that… “Light Bulb!” (borrowed from “Despicable Me” hehehe) I had an idea that I don’t have to go to some cellphone repair guy and have them unlock it for me… I can do it on my own!

Luckily, my sister who is also home for the holidays brought along her Globe Tattoo USB modem which I’ve used before and quite satisfied with it. Most Globe Tattoo users in Manila have shelved their modems for other providers but in my hometown, Globe Tattoo is king! It provides a decent service better than what I get with SUN Broadband in Manila in terms of 3G signal strength! So I borrowed my sisters modem fired my browser and Googled “how to unlock your 3G USB modem.” I wasn’t happy about the search result because most of the sites listed required me to download some software for unlocking my modem. Aside from the fee, I feared that I might download some kind of malware. I rephrased my query and with a little bit of patience, stumbled upon a not so eye catching site that turned out to be “the way!” that lead me to “the site!”

the way!

the site... eureka!

So… How to unlock your USB modem?

All you need is your modem’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). I thought I’d have a “Metal Gear” moment in finding my modem’s IMEI where I would exhaust all my energy just to find it when all of the time it was under my nose (play Metal Gear on the Sony PS1 so you’ll know what I mean). My modem’s 15-digit IMEI was printed on the backside of my modem. Entered it on the “unlock code calculator” of the site then BOOM!... returned a 10-digit unlock code! It’s that easy!

The only problem now is that the sites I’ve mentioned are sometimes down so just be patient :) The unlock code calculator might not cover all Huawei modems so be sure to check your modem model number with the modems covered by the calculator first.

Below are the pictures of my Mobile App with SUN Broadband SIM and Globe Tattoo SIM. And… Let me know whether you’ve unlocked yours :)

National Broadband Network V1.0?

The Philippines is flooded with a lot of American TV shows, be it on free local TV or cable. A lot of local cable TV show providers looking foreign produced has sprung up with most of the content purely American. It’s not that bad since they are more entertaining and for the most part cutting edge especially in terms of upcoming technologies in communications which sometimes makes me wish our government should have. Shows like CSI, they can access other government organization databases like the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to check on identities, match DNA and other information they need with a particular case. In 24, satellites are utilized to track down suspects hoping that they would lead them to the “big boss.” Such systems may or may not be in existence but just imagine what one can do with such tools at your disposal.

Our town has been computerized for the last five years. For a third world country and not being considered a first class municipality, I’d say, that’s not bad. Recently there’s a buzz regarding plans by the government to build a National Broadband Network (NBN) focusing more on wireless technology. I never thought such an idea would ever come by in my lifetime since the government is faced with a lot of other things to attend to. If ever it pushes through, it’s going to be huge, maybe bigger than the Biofuels Act.

The network once established would facilitate better communications between agencies, municipalities and other sub units within the government. In mobile communications, the government is expected to reap savings, as they would not be relying on third party service providers most of the time. High-end cellular phones nowadays are considered hybrid cellular phones which can handle GSM, 3G, EDGE and WiFi. VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol was limited to personal computers before but since hybrid phones have WiFi, mobile VOIP is now possible. For inter-building communications, PABX systems and all that wires with it will no longer be needed making offices more mobile less clutter.

The way I look at it, it’s not just savings from mobile communications that the government would benefit from. Since the network is primarily a data network, interconnecting all agencies data systems would result in improvements of the way government services are being delivered. I have one inconvenient experience with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) a couple of years ago regarding car registration. We have acquired a pre-owned pick-up truck and we have to register it in our local LTO but we are not able to register the automobile without first getting some certification from where it was originally registered and that is in Manila. So we went to Manila to get the certification and while there I met somebody from Samar who basically needs the same document but in his case just for the second hand engine he bought from Manila. I am from Zambales that is four to five hours’ drive to Manila but I pity the person from Samar, I think he needs to ride a ship or an airplane to go to Manila. Imagine the cost incurred by us just to get the certification, a piece of paper not even worth 500 pesos that could have been done thru e-mail.

Another sector that would benefit from it if included is education and labor. A lot of public schools lack decent libraries but recently, a lot of public schools have established computer laboratories with the aid of mostly politicians. With the NBN, these computer laboratories can also serve as virtual libraries by connecting to the Internet, therefore filling the gaps brought by outdated libraries and the so called declining teaching skills. Implementing such a network will require a lot of personnel but it’s not a problem since our country is churning out IT professionals that rival countries like India by the minute. But the question is, will they stick with the government or rather bail out like the rest of migrating Filipinos because of meager pay.

Is now really the time for this project? Some would say the money would be better spent for education. Building more classrooms, books and improvement in the education system should be the priority of the government, which is really true. If only we have research capabilities and resources like other countries, we could build this network on our own, no need for others to do it for us like the Koreans do. At the end of the day, technology would actually dictate whether it’s the right time. We may as well wait for another two years or four because the technology is still in its early stages (for the VOIP and WiFi). Issues of coverage and reliability will be its Achilles heel, better wait for the next evolution of 802.11.