Wi-tribe Wireless Internet Review

Overall: Good first 2 weeks! Then it just died out.

First of all, like my previous Sun broadband Review this is based solely on my experience. I live in Makati (near Market-Market Mall) on an elevated area. I use Windows 7 and Chrome almost exclusively. Your mileage will definitely vary.

 

If you don’t know what Wi-tribe is please check-out their site and google it as well, since this technology is also implemented elsewhere other than the Philippines. However, here is a brief intro:

 

Wi-Tribe (pronounced as why – tribe) Philippines uses 4G technology as opposed to the 3G technology that other companies(Globe, Smart, Sun) in the country is providing  for the targeted market of mobile broadband. It’s supposed to be the next, better technology, hence 4G (for 4th generation). Honestly though, there are some articles that say Wi-Tribe doesn’t actually using the ‘real’ 4G technology but somewhere between 3G and 4G. Google it for the details.

 

Applying for the Wi-tribe Service was easy. However, unlike the 3G counterpart wherein you just get a USB dongle or at least a SIM card, for this service you’d be taking home a modem that’s almost as big as a netbook. Also, unlike 3G, there is no option for a pre-paid account.

I had my application in a mall in Ortigas. Wi-tribe has booths everywhere these days. I opted for the 1-year lock-in period by paying around PHP2,500 for the modem. The other option was a 2-year lock-in period, but you don’t need to pay for the modem. I didn’t want to get tied for too long, though.

 The typical setup for this type of mobile broadband would be similar to the following picture. So you have the following components:

• Windows PC
• 4G Modem

The modem is connected to your PC thru USB, but it has its own power adapter that needs to connect to an outlet. Even though it is marketed as ‘mobile broadband’. It definitely isn’t for two main reasons:

1. The Modem is as big as a netbook with a power adapter that’s equally as heavy.
2. It needs to be connected to a power outlet.

Compare that to the ‘mobility’ of 3G modems that only uses a dongle (just a tad bit bigger than a USB flash drive). No, Wi-tribe’s modem is nomadic (you can move it around the house) but not mobile.

One other disappointing thing with this modem is its boot (start up) time. Yes, it’s got a boot time (that’s noticeable)! The modem is a essentially another computer that you start up and shutdown. The start up time could take 2-5 minutes before the unit is actually usable. It has 5 bars (of LED) in front that blinks in different order depending on the status of the connection. It’s usable when these bars stop blinking: the number of bars that remains lit indicates your signal strength.

Unless you intend to keep this modem always plugged in and turned on (which is such a waste of electricity), then you’d have to go through the startup process every time you start it up with your computer. These days though, with computers (desktops, laptops, netbooks) having a faster startup time, your computer would probably be the first one to be usable and you’d have to wait a few more minutes for the modem.

Okay, to make this brief, let’s proceed with the main reasons for this review: Speed and Reliability.

The first 2 week of use was good! The speed was just as fast as Sun Broadband’s first week which would give me an approximate speed of 1-1.5 Mbps. I could torrent to an average total of 120 Kbps for downstream. That’s actually fast for a mobile internet (here in the country). I have mark it as just ‘GOOD’ instead of ‘great’ because of the inconvenience with regards to the boot time of the modem. Add to that that i had to put it near a window on top of a shelf and that it eats up another power outlet from the house.

On the 3rd week, the connection just died out! The modem was still functional, i still get the normal 2 bars of signal but the connection is as slow as dial-up. Sometimes it won’t even connect! Both the Speed and Reliabilty just went down the drain. The image on the right is actually one of the better days.

I had to call them up for some help. Their customer service is actually nice. They scheduled a site visit after 1 week. However, their technicians couldn’t find out what was wrong and certainly could not fix it. So, i called them up again and asked them for any resolution. They just said that they need to update their system in our area but that they could not provide me of any specific date when this would be done. I decided to have my connection and contract cut prematurely. They politely accepted and agreed, and since it was a fault on their side, they would not charge me of anything more other than my previous month’s bill.

At least it was a graceful exit. I have to give credit to their very courteous customer service.
(Oh, but don’t expect to get connected right away.)

So, for existing ‘tribe members’ who undergo the same situation, just ask them for a site visit. If they can’t fix it, then politely ask them to terminate your account. The emphasize on ‘politely’: since everything can be done gracefully and smoothly. No need for harsh words or tones ;)

Okay, I won’t give any other details regarding the speed of wi-tribe (again in my area) since the image on the right already summarizes every thing that needs to be said: it was just slower then dial-up.

However, here some other considerations that you need to know about wi-tribe:

1. They have a cap on your monthly bandwith. That means you have a limit of 6GB per month(as of this writing). If you exceed that, your speed would be reduced to half. Please do ask their customer service about this (ask about the bracketed reduction of speed).
2. The most convenient mode of payment is done thru BDO and Metrobank. You cannot pay thru Bayad Centers, nor SM’s bill’s payment nor BPI’s express online.

I would also like to note the probable reason for the reduction of speed: congestion. That’s the bane for all of us consumers of mobile internet, something that these networks don’t really handle all too well. I ‘joined the tribe’ about a week before they started advertising in our area. Now, every corner of our town seem to have either a booth or a poster.

 

Again, again, again: This review does not apply to everyone (or everywhere).

My next target review: Globe Tattoo Broadband (which what I’m using now) and a comparison table of all these mobile broadbands that i’ve used!