Job Discussion Forums

Gawain · Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Posts: 66 Location: California

Question to pro expats teaching in Asia or developing world: I maintain a few websites and web surf for hours every night. Can a poor teacher get high-speed Internet access in his cheap room? Need DSL or cable or T1 line. Affordable? Rolling Eyes

Silly question? Probably won�t even have a phone, let alone a computer! If I bring a laptop it will probably just get stolen. I taught three years in Taipei Taiwan and had my own computer. Taipei DSL or cable was way too expensive, so I was stuck with dial-up too slow to use. 10 or 20 seconds per click, frozen screens and disconnection a dozen times per hour would make me so angry I�d punch the monitor, scream and smash keys off the keyboard. Dial-up is absolutely worthless! Evil or Very Mad

It�s 2005 and I�m hopelessly addicted to high-speed DSL. My websites are a big part of my life, much more important than TV. Whole world needs high-speed access RIGHT NOW! Razz

Here�s the real question: Can I just rely on local Cybercafes? A coffee house with a dozen computers, charge affordable rate, open evening after my teaching hours? Cybercafe with high-speed access? Dial-up makes me violent!

If I live in hostel, hotel, shared housing, are high-speed access computers provided? I don�t mind sharing as long as I get a full hour of high-speed access to myself each night. I don�t want to bring my computer overseas. Any advice? Rolling Eyes

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Why not get a laptop and just hit the free wi-fi spots?

Gawain · Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Posts: 66 Location: California

Thanks Guy for all your good work and useful advice on Dave's in all nations! You rule! Everyone listen to Guy! He rules! Razz

Could you or some techie wiz-kid reply and be more specific about how to high speed internet surf in developing nations? Maybe some expat 20-something techie nerd wiz-kid out there has all the answers! Maybe your answers could help everybody who reads this!

I'm an over 40 moderately retarded naive git and don't understand these things. Let's see. You say wi-fi. That means Wireless Fidelity? Is that an expensive service offered by phone companies, or by Internet Service Providers like AOL? Too expensive for a poor English teacher overseas?

Is wi-fi access linked to a home phone or cellphone account from a telecom or can something like AOL or MSN give me wireless in China or Argentina without a phone?

It requires no modem? Just a laptop? Is a modem a laptop? See I'm retarded! Embarassed

Would Wi-Fi give me high speed unlimited internet access 24 hours, as fast as DSL or cable? No dial-up hassles or disconnections? Rolling Eyes

Do wi-fi's have mandatory minimum subscriptions like those awful cellphone minutes plans? What if I only intend to have an account, say in Brazil only 3 months? Then open a new account in Japan? Expensive?

Guy can best answer this one for South America: If word gets out I have a $1,500 laptop, a whole year's salary for a poor South American, is that like writing on your forehead, "Please rob me and burglarize my apartment!" and maybe best to stick to cybercafes? Razz

Mucho Gracias! Cool

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

can't speak for the other countries in the area but ADSL is pretty affordable in China. less than $100/year.

as far as wi-fi goes, it refers to wireless internet access. While some companies offer that as a service (a costly one, I might add), quite a few folks set up wireless neworks in their home to share a broadband connection between all the machines without running cables all over the places. More often than not, your average joe blow will not secure his network and most people can tap into it and surf wirelessly if their computer is equiped with the right card.

In China, such "hotspots" are mainly found in the bigger cities but there are quite a few all around Japan and South Korea.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

When I lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, I bought a complete used P400 desktop for about $150 US. The national phone company had a 56K dial-up service that was generally reliable, and reasonably cheap (about 50 cents an hour). There was cable broadband available in some areas - but not where I lived. There was one internet cafe a couple clocks away from my house.

When I moved into my apartment in Mexico, I realized the door locks were flimsy and easily pickable. I told myself on Monday "Next weekend I'll have to pick up some better locks." Unfortunately thieves broke into the apartment and stole the laptop on Wednesday. Sad

Luckily it was a cheap old laptop worth only $300 or so.

I now have a cheap desktop - and better locks.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

What about Wimax? Will that replace wiFi?

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

Gawain · Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Posts: 66 Location: California

Great thread, party peoples! Let's keep it up. I still can't decide.
Let's say I've got USD800.

$800 can pay for a nice laptop, which might (will) get stolen from my cheap room somewhere in South America. Then I'm SOL. Above post said that is exactly what happened to him in Mexico.

$800 can pay for a long time on local Cybercafes, but above post said that is waste of money, long lines in cafes, not available at night after cafe closes.

$800 can pay for a cheap local used computer and home DSL for years. Maybe that is best? Just buy big old cheap local computer (maybe used) and ditch it when I leave? Not worth carting around the world?

How fluent do I need to be to negotiate a phone line, DSL, computer hassles, etc? Many DaveCafe posts say things like, "get a home DSL line" without considering how hard it is to order services if you don't speak the language.... I don't speak any foreign language well enough to negotiate home phone or cell phone contracts. Embarassed

Any advice? Mucho Gracias! Razz

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

The solution to theft: better locks. I put good locks on the doors and windows after the laptop was swiped, and I haven't had any more problems.

I bought a cheap new desktop for about $600 - you can pick up a used one for much cheaper.

As for getting phone lines, etc., ask one of the school staff to accompany you as a translator.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

When you say Asia, do you have any partoicular country in mind? The situation in Japan vs that in Nepal is quite different.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Korea is probably the most wired country in the world.

Marcethebest · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 60 Location: Argentina

Hello Gawain,
this is Marcela from Argentina. I understand you hate dial up, I myself have DSL! But let me tell you that in Argentina, mainly in Buenos Aires, you can have good speed dial up, DSL, cable or some kind of optic fiber internet. You can also make use of cyber cafe. Everyone is obsessed about their own screen that nobody will try to take a peek and see what you have on your screen.
I pay for my DSL 73 pesos a month to the internet server , called UOL, and 45 pesos to the phone company (Telecom). I know in Buenos Aires the price is less. For dial up AOL I pay 23,70 pesos a month, I decided to keep it because I receive all my e-mails there.
I hope I was of any help, I will be glad if you want to consult me for anything about Argentina! Wink

Just drop me some lines and I will write back soon! Wink

Good luck and have a very nice week! Very Happy

PS Where in the world are you now? Question