Before departing Los Angeles Liz dumped a cup of coffee into her “newish” computer. After I drained it (at least no cream or sugar), I decided to put it into its case and let it dry out for the remainder of our air flights. More on this later.
At LAX there is no free internet access in the Bradley International Terminal. This was not repeated in either Incheon or the Kuala Lumpur Airport. Access was readily available, and free terminals were all over the place. Free WiFi is everywhere in Malaysia, or at least in the Klang Valley.
After arriving in Kuala Lumpur, and after an overnight rest, I attempted to boot the Toshiba. Still no luck, but the Asus and the IPAD2 were working great and connected into the hotel network. We were reconnected to the world, reading e-mail, and the New York Times. The hotel network was somewhat flaky, but it was free….and worked better than when last encountered in October 2010.
Phone Service:
First stop Saturday morning after arriving was to the mall to purchase SIM cards and load up on our prepaid service (we made the investment in unlocked GSM phones years ago and use them all over the world with local carriers). Here we have always used the DIGI network in Malaysia. We had to wait until after 11:30am for the store to open (Malaysia is a “late” country). Armed with our RM 10.00 we had new phone numbers and RM 8.50 worth of calls on the card (about $3.00). We purchased a bunch more which will last until mid May when we will recharge. Then the messages began to flow….from DIGI. Their business plan includes sending SMS messages to their clients with new offers after making a phone call. No we don’t want to implement MMS, video services, and daily internet services. I do like getting notifications of the amount of RM I have used on phone calls. A typical call to the US is $0.03 to $0.04 per minute, less than the typical charges in the US for a domestic non-roaming call on a prepaid service. And here you pay only for the minutes used when you originate the call. We will not install a landline when we get an apartment. Once free of the tether you never want to be tethered again.
Internet Service:
This had to wait until we picked an apartment. The key was the floor of the highrise building. We discovered that above the 5th floor, WiFi broadband service may be limited. Three companies would not guarantee service above the 5th floor, with one company refusing to refund charges if it does not work. Our apartment is on the 12th floor. Armed with this information, its address, etc. we started visiting the booths of the various broadband companies, DIGI, CELCOM, MAXIS, P1, and YES. We ruled out landline based broadband due to cost and lead time for installation. We also opted for a prepaid service because our MM2H visa is still in the future and postpaid plans required hefty deposits for foreigners. We became customers of YES (a service of the YTL company). Advertised as a 4G WiFi service with speeds up to 20Ghz. rivaling the best cables services in the US.
A word about APPLE
We dropped into an APPLE affiliated store in a local mall. An APPLE trained employee listed to our choices: said no to one, was unenthusiastic about three, and said yes to YES. With this recommendation, I went to the YES store at KL Sentrall (the main train station), was able to borrow a WiFi dongle to take home and test. It worked, so back again I went and purchased a “ZOOM” Yes device, a WiFi modem with a router built in: all at “N” standard. It had the added benefit of an RJ45 port (remember Liz's Toshiba: it is now working but the wireless card appears to be fried), and a telephone jack for an analog line. Home again, home again, install the model, boot it and I have a fast internet connection. Only one problem, the ASUS wireless is a “G” standard wireless card and the ZOOM router will broadcast on only the b, g, or n specification. But my IPAD2 connected without a flaw.
A Trip to a Computer Mall:
Befitting a country with a city name Cyberjaya, there are malls which specialize in all things “Digital”. In Petaling Jaya there is the Digital Mall, and some floors of other malls are devoted to computer and phone related stores, kiosks, and booths. I decided to go the LOW YAT Mall in downtown KL.
This mall has 6 floors devoted to all things digital. The first three floors are all phone stuff….ANDROID, NOKIA, SAMSUNG, APPLE, WINDOWS MOBILE, DIGI, MAXIS, CELCOM, P1, YES. Rather amazing. The remaining floors are computer related. COMPUSA would not be able to compete. For those of you who have visited J&R or B&HPhoto in NYC have an idea of what you see at LOW YAT, but they are mild in comparison. The store I visited is stacked floor to ceiling with boxes of stuff, with enough computer nerds present to assist the customer with their questions.
I needed to purchase a printer, scanner, and copier. I could have survived by going to various internet café’s for my printing needs, but I discovered I needed to be able to scan documents and fax them. While in LA, spent over $12 to fax 6 pages of documents to my real estate agent, and the MM2H process requires printing, faxing and scanning of documents. My specifications included the ability to “AirPrint” from my IPAD2, and wireless connection to my ZOOM router. The HP B210A meet all my needs, it was available in the local market and cost less than US $133. The only downside is the cost of inkjet cartridges, but it is colour copier, a scanner, and a network wireless printer. I also purchased two 300 mbps “N” wireless adaptor dongles for my Toshiba, and the ASUS at less than US $20 each.
Conclusion:
We now have good internet service in the apartment, three computers, a Kindle, a IPAD2, an ASUS netbook, an ACER Netbox, a Toshiba Laptop, an ITouch, a IPOD, a wireless network printer (which can receive stuff sent via e-mail), and three cell phones (one a loaner for guests). We are now waiting for the cable service decoder box to be installed.
PS:
The YES service works great. The only problem is an occasional drop out during the afternoon thunderstorms. I cannot get my NETFLIX subscription to work. NETFLIX blocks international access. Amazon will deliver books to my Kindle but my account needed to be established prior to leaving the US. I have ordered books and they are delivered flawlessly. I may investigate a VPN service to a US center to give myself a US internet presence. This may resolve the NETFLIX issue, but I think the moguls of Hollywood will prevail.
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