Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rayne]

I've heard about the Wifi Egg from various sources, however, when I google it and use google to look through these forums, I can only find outdated information about it from 2009... back when the WiBro eggs are as big as the phone with an antenna in it:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/27/kts-egg-gives-your-wifi-device-access-to-the-wonderful-world-o/

I heard about it again recently and eatyourkimchi mentioned it in a video:
http://youtu.be/Ip7omsR_XrE
Skip to 3:45 to see it.

Now, it's much smaller, cheaper, better, etc.

I was wondering if anyone has something like this and can give me some information on it, such as what service provider you use, is the wifi unlimited, and can you leave the wifi on all day. I was also wondering if there were any conditions under having this wifi egg.

[Drew10]

[rayne]

Thanks for the information! I think I might try and see if I can get it off a Korean friend's plan, but I want to get as much info as possible before asking people, since I don't want to trouble them more than I have to.

[Troglodyte]

What do you want to use it for?

I you have even a cheap smart phone you can use the phone as a wifi access point. If it's for your computer, you can also get a small USB stick that will connect to the internet (via a built in cellphone modem).

I wouldn't recommend something like this for home use. You won't get the same speed as a cable connection.

[alongway]

The standard plan that most people get gives you 50GB a month. It's around 20,000w.
There was overage last time I checked, and you can plug it in and run it all day, but it does better by a window.

It does not use 4G. It uses Wimax, they're different. It's faster than 3G, but not as fast as the advanced 4GLTE speeds we're seeing.
You can peak on it around 30Mb/s down, maybe higher just depending.

It's much faster than tethering to a phone if you have bad reception in that area. In my apartment, my cell phone only gives me 2 bars. I couldn't imagine tethering to that. The speed would be horrible.

It is not a replacement for a home connection though. If you're using the internet a lot when you're out and about or need to have a backup at home, it's good. You can get Wibro cases for the iphone or a lot of other korean phones these days will have it built in, or you can get the new slim egg.

[Landros]

I have one and use it for wifi and my phones since there is me, my wife and 2 kids with internet devices....

[EricB]

I just happened to get one of these yesterday.
There are several versions of the Egg available. An iphone 4 case version, a really small version with about 4 hours of battery life, or a slightly larger version with a 9 hour battery. I opted for the nine hour version as it is still really small.

Although there is an option for a 1-year contract, the monthly fees were significantly more than with a 2-year contract so that is what I went with.

I started with just 10gb a month at 12,000won. You can upgrade to 30gb for 15,000won a month, or 50gb for (I think) 20,000won. The 10gb choice seems kind of pointless, but the difference is in the contract options.

Basically, you are paying a discounted monthly rate for signing a 2-year contract. The 30gb plan is normally 30,000won per month. So, by signing for two years you get a 50% discount. If, however, you cancel before the contract is up, you must pay the other 50% for each month of your contract.
The discount of the 10gb plan is much less, therefore the cancellation penalty is much smaller as well.

Since I wasn't really sure how much data I'd be using each month, or if I'd still be around in two years, I decided to start with the 10gb plan. It is possible to upgrade to a higher plan at any time.

So far, the Egg has worked well. I've only had it for a day, but I can already see the difference with my iphone compared to 3g.
You can connect up to seven devices at one time, and so far everything I've thrown at it has worked.
Definitely beats having a 3g connection tied to one device, and it seems cheaper as well.

[rayne]

I will not be using it as an alternative for at home wifi.

I'll most likely be using it for my ipod. i have a terrible sense of direction and get lost easily, so I'll use it for google/naver/daum maps. I'll use it for basic things like checking email and surfing the web. I don't play games that require internet access on my ipod. I may use it for calling if my phone runs out. I'll use it for kakaotalk/other types of texting, which is why I wanted to leave it on, but I can live with turning it off most of the day.

I have never had a data plan or anything like that, so I have no idea which option I should pick... I think maybe the lowest one? Any suggestions?

[madoka]

[EricB]

Probably just go with the 10gb. Like I said, if you find yourself running out of data you can upgrade at any time without any additional cost - just the rise in monthly fee.
I wasn't sure how much I'd use either since I have a home connection as well. With the egg, when your data runs out for the month, it simply cuts you off rather than charging you a rate for more data. If that happens regularly, just upgrade. You should be able to do it at any KT Olleh shop.

Also, contrary to what was posted earlier in this thread, I do not have to visit a KT store to pay my bill each month. It works just like my phone bill and is deducted automatically from my bank account. Just make sure you set it up properly and it shouldn't be an issue.

[sundizz]

Anyone else having a lot of trouble with their egg? I've had it for about two months now and it was fine when I first got it. Nowadays, the charge/it staying on is being terrible though. It doesn't seem to charge properly..i have got the 4 hour one I think. Not 100% sure.

Also my KT bill used to 52,710 a month (cable, internet, cell phone) and I noticed my recent bill for the past two months were:

2/25: 52,710 (normal)

3/25: 52,710 (normal)

*Got the egg maybe mid March

4/25: 57, 710 and 5,320

5/25: 52,710 KT and 79,240

I'm not exactly sure what the charges are. I assume some of that is for the egg, and some of that is for the monthly charge (I thought 12k for 30 gigs a month). However, that seems quite excessive.

[Stan Rogers]

Your service provider won't be providing any free goodies. Whatever you get you will be paying for one way or another.

[teecee]

[chungbukdo]

Normally when you do a 2 year contract in Korea with KT, can you put your accounts on "hold" for vacation for three months? This is something that North American phone companies do, but I imagine a three month vacation is unheard of to most Koreans.

[rayne]