I am currently in a love and hate situation with Bayantel. If you are wondering why, here’s my story:

It was noontime Yesterday that I arrived in my apartment, I was excited to open my computer and go online because I wasn’t able to, for 2 days. But then, I noticed my Modem was broken; it won’t turn on. So, I decided to just bring it to Bayantel Center here in Iloilo, located at Robinson’s Place Iloilo for them to just change it with a new one, if proven it is broken. To my dismay, they don’t do technical things in there. However, to confirm my report, the woman plugged my modem into their power supply. She went back to me asking “Maam, how do you know it is broken? Is there lights that turns on?” I was a bit confused in why these employees of Bayantel, doesn’t know how their products look like. As much as I would want to be sarcastic, I was able to calm myself and simply answered her “Yes.” Then she proceeded typing something on her computer and told me, “Maam, I just filed a report. The support team will be checking your modem within 24 hours and if there’s any problem, you could just call our hotline 3002000.” So, I just went home and waited.

Today, at about 3 in the afternoon, I called up the Bayantel Hotline 3002000 because for me, life in the City is really boring without an internet. The support answered, and I told what happened yesterday. Shockingly, the support told me that there were no report logged from my account stating that said problem, so she just wrote a report and told me to wait within 24 hours. I sat and frowned, as I could not seem to wait anymore longer to have my net back. After 8 minutes, someone knocked on my door. To my surprise, it is the support team. I happily let them into my small room and they checked my modem. They discovered that the plug was broken, so they changed it to a new one. Before leaving, one of the support told me, that my Bayantel WiFi was the first one installed in a household here in Iloilo.

Lesson Learned: Better call support than waste time going to Bayantel Center.

Gloo

I recently discovered this new real-time online collaboration tool called Gloo. It is one of the exclusive offers by Globe Broadband.

Gloo is perfect this season, when you have no time to personally meet with relatives, friends or colleagues to discuss plans for Christmas Party or as such.

Let me share to you my experience in using this. First, I signed up and checked my mail for activation, but found the activation email on my Spam folder; so you better check your Junk or Spam folder if you haven’t seen an email in your Inbox after creating an account on Gloo. Upon activation, I created a practice space then made this a chance to talk to my cousin who is away from home, but will be arriving in time for Christmas. I invited her on my “Practice” space. When she accepted my invitation and activated her profile, we chatted about plans regarding our Family Christmas party and I showed her a video of my daughter whom I would like to offer a song number. She loved the idea and liked that I introduced to her Gloo.

After she went offline, I edited my profile and added my Globe number as my cousin did as she activated her account. I tried the SMS feature and it works like a charm. SMS from Gloo is free, but MMS cost Php 2.50. Replying to a message sent from Gloo would also cost Php 2.50.

I really enjoyed using Gloo! This is best use as scrapbook, business page, group meetings, place for parents to interact with their kids and family from abroad, barkada message board, planning events, collaboration tool for business meeting, collaboration board for school meetings.

Inquire about Gloo if you want to know more by texting HELP GLOO to 2910 or call EGG (02) 892-8108 Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

“Connect to the internet from wherever you are and whenever you please,” with Globe Tattoo Broadband. Although the connection and speed depends on location just like mobile phones, this has been a great help during typhoon Ondoy, as some people were able to use this to communicate and ask help online.

I had an experience connecting to the internet thru my mobile phone with my Globe plan account, and the speed was impressive, because it is much faster then the dial-up connection I had. However, when my bill arrive, it was not that pleasing. Then as I read Azraels post about his experience using Globe Tattoo, I knew that with the Tattoo, you have an option to use time based browsing for 5 pesos per 15 minutes or per kb charging for 15 centavos per kb. If you know how you will be using the net, then surely you could save by choosing from those two options; the time based is good for surfing and downloading, while the kb charging is good for a quick email check. The Globe sim is set to kb charging, and it was not the right setting for my net usage. You could check your network status by texting STATUS to 1111.

The designs of Globe Tattoo Broadband is impressive. Check the Globe Tattoo Broadband New Skins for those impressive designs.

Globe Tattoo Broadband Designs

More could be found on Globe Tattoo Broadband Gallery. But if you think you could make a better design than presented, why not try your luck by submitting your design to Globe. They will be awarding 5000 pesos for the best designs and the winner gets a chance to see their work on an actual Globe Tattoo USB skins.

I know I will be buying my Globe Tattoo after seeing those beautiful trendy designs. Don’t be left behind. You’ll never know when you will be needing it, so better have one in handy. It is only for 895 pesos and with 15 internet hours for FREE.

Two weeks ago I applied for a Globe Broadband service. I was told that my account would first be surveyed and then someone will call me within 24 hours if what the result of the survey was. The next day, I went back to the Globe Lines office again (at SM City Iloilo) and another person told me to just wait for the call. As I arrived home, I called their support (032) 410-8888*(VisMin) and asked how long it would take for the survey and if approved, how long it would take for installation? The support on phone answered me that for survey it takes 3 to 5 days and for installation its 5 to 7 days. So, I waited for THE CALL. After a week, still I haven’t received a call from SO-CALLED GLOBE. I called them again, then the support asked me informations that I have already filled in upon application, SHOULD I BE ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AGAIN? GLOBE HAS TO IMPROVE THEIR SUPPORT METHOD, to only be asking questions like name and number so that they could look on their database if there has been reports that has been done by the one calling. In my anger, I shouted to the support, “MISS I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN THOSE INFORMATION UPON MY APPLICATION AND I AM JUST CALLING TO FOLLOW UP THE STATUS OF MY APPLICATION.”
The support then answered me that she will report it and again I will wait for feedback within 48 hours. AGAIN, it has been more than 48 hours yet no call from GLOBE.
TO GLOBE: IS THIS THE WAY YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS?

It has been a week since I started contacting Smart Support. Since, I can’t seem to get any answers from calling *1888 using my Moms phone, I went into their office last thursday. I have been promised that within 24 hours, someone will call me to give me a schedule on when their technician would go to my house and repair my connection. Someone did call within that 24 hour period, and informed me tech would be going to my house sunday.

During sundays, I made it a point to be with my family, to spend time with my kids, even for just that day in a week, but since smart tech are coming, I decided to stay home while my family spend our regular family time together.

I waited for whole day for the smart tech to arrive. I even prepared some snacks for them, but no one came. They really ruined my family day! No one even informed me that no one is coming, they have kept me waiting!

Today, I was informed by someone who is using Smart Bro in my area, that the tech told him that they couldn’t do anything since the damage is from the main server or antenna of smart and not from our antenna’s. Our area is on Sector 3, color code 69 which has been damaged since the storm Frank visited Iloilo.

I think reports had been made but hadn’t they concluded that its not the antenna’s of those people in my area that is damaged but from their root? 100% of us in my area using Smart Bro have the same complaint! But they kept me hanging yesterday, waiting for them. I even remember asking the support from *1888, “Isn’t it that your main server is the one damaged?” Then she replied, “No Ma’am, everything is alright so it should be running.” That time, it made me think that maybe it was my antenna that has been damaged, but now. I just would like to file a case of Negligence against the smart team. How many weeks had passed? YET NO REPAIR ON MY AREA?

TO SMART: PLEASE don’t file a schedule when the tech won’t surely come. Some of your clients have some special schedules during the week and in my case it ruined my family day.

It has been 2 weeks since the storm Frank passed by where I live and had damaged my Smart Bro antenna. It bent a steel bar (see pic below)! That storm really had a strong wind. So, I waited for a week to see if it had damaged my connection since the power was fixed a week after the storm.

Obviously the storm damaged something on my internet connection, it was just not clear to me what; was it my antenna or the smart’s main system in my area?

I tried calling the smart support hot line *1888 but I could not connect, it says “Your number cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and dial again.” With that, I decided to go to their office to report the issue, but when I went their, even their support is not available, because they said, they were offline and could not check.

WOW — that was really bad! They are Internet Service Provider, yet they went offline.

Anyway, I also have a Smart Bro plugin, but it didn’t work as well.

NOTE: I love my smart bro unlimitted because it is the only fast internet connection that could reach my area, and the speed I had with it and the service when it was working was satisfying. I just had my connection back today, after weeks of torture from the storm. I am happy with my connection now, but not happy of the support that Smart has.

I want to share to you a problem on my smart bro plug-it. Just awhile ago, I have encountered this problem. See that I am currently connected and that it is just running for a minute and 13 seconds. Also check that I have full signal on UMTS of HSDPA. I am within Iloilo City, so it is expected to have a full signal. Now, check the Rate, it is 0 and not moving.

It has been my third time that it happened, then after awhile when it is stuck to 0, it will disconnect.

Then I would connect again, and so on and so forth. So if you see, this plan has what they call, BLOCK of 30 minutes, so that 13 seconds is considered to be 30 minutes when it got cut off.

That is the problem with the Smart Bro Plug-it. I don’t know if it is because I am running it on Mac that it keeps on disconnecting, because they said there are still bugs in it. So, anyone having the same problems who is using windows?

I just have my SmartBro Plan 999 installed at home, since I am not satisfied with the Smart Plug-it using GPRS signal in my area due to no 3G signal available here.

Here is my first Speed Test and I am happy with it:

This is my connection in the office. For out tech here in the office, they say that this is the best ISP here in Iloilo.

Speed Test: