SmartBro Plug-It Review: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Loading ...I am thrilled as I am pained to review Smart Broadband Plug-It (SmartBro Plug-It) as I have been using it for more than a year already. This is my honest review of the product and it could be subjective since I am basing it on my own experience. I would like to cover almost all of the aspects of this product for others to know; this is an honest to goodness review and I am not paid to write about this one.
What can you get from this review?
Information. That’s all I want to partake to all SmartBro subscribers or those who are planning to get one. But we have to remember that we are in the country that is so far behind when it comes to technological innovations. Thus, you cannot expect Philippines to have a stable internet connection like the US. Besides, our country is an archipelago and we prefer cellular technology rather than cable.
I am reviewing this product as a SmartBro Plut-It subscriber. I may not dwell much on technicalities which most of the Internet users couldn’t understand.
SmartBro Plug-It: the Good
- Moderate Design – personally, I like the black and orange color combination used in the latest SmartBro Plug-It USB modem. For those who haven’t seen it yet, the USB modem is colored black with thin orange lining.
- Neat and Easy Interface – you have to install the application which comes with the USB modem to be able to use it. And I just like how they made the interface easy to navigate and professional.
- Micro SD Slot – there is a micro SD slot you can use at the side of the USB modem; it adds to the functionality of the device.
- Portability – you can bring your modem with you wherever, whenever. The point is, as long as you have prepaid load (Prepaid users) you can always have an internet connection as long as you are in the area covered by any Base Transceiver Station (BTS) or cell site.
- Stable and Easy to Use - of all SmartBro plans, Plug-It is the most stable and easy-to-use. You can use it right after you have installed the software. As long as you have a good USB port to insert the modem to as well as a good signal from Smart BTS, then you’re good to go.
SmartBro Plug-It: the Bad
- Download Speed – Smart advertisements have always been boasting about how fast the download speed of their Plug-It is. The truth is, the actual download speed is so slow that it’s not even close to what they are saying in their advertisements. SmartBro Plug-It has a BURSTABLE SPEED of up to 2 MEGA BITS per second. What I am getting under HSDPA signal is just 200 Kilo Bits per second or less.
- Upload Speed – it’s stupid to have an upload speed as slow as 50 kbps considering the fact that SmartBro’s counterpart offers 150 kbps. When you are attaching a document to your email, it will take time to send it because the upload speed is really slow and oftentimes connection will be reset.
- Network Congestion – Smart has been so successful in acquiring too many subscribers but they have forgotten to upgrade their equipment. That is why, if you are a SmartBro subscriber, you will always encounter having NO or SLOW connection. The Base Station (cell site) where I am in has a maximum capacity of 7 mbps only. This will be divided among hundreds or even thousands of subscribers. And Smart still has the audacity of telling people that their SmartBro Plug-It will reach up to 2 mbps. Well, you do the math.
- Easy to Overheat – if you use SmartBro Plug-It even for just an hour, you will notice that it is just too hot for an electronic device especially if you are under a 3G network.
- Customer Service – I will not say this because Smart’s customer service agents are useless but because Smart made them so. They don’t have enough tools to be able to troubleshoot with the customer especially if the subscriber is under 2G network. Although there are agents who do not know what they are doing and are incompetent, still it is the responsibility of Smart to provide superb customer service. So, if you don’t have connection and you’re calling the hotline, do not expect that your concern will be addressed properly and that you will regain your connection after the call; you will just be advised to monitor your connection within 24 hours. The day after that, call the hotline back and you will be advised the same thing. I have some friends working as SmartBro Technical Service Representatives; in fairness to them, they are all good people and this review is not written to embarrass them.
SmartBro Plug-It: the Ugly
- The Price – way back 5 months ago SmartBro Plug-It kit was just P995, now it’s P1495. I think it’s just not worth it considering the fact that it’s not really that good when it comes to connection speed.
- The Lock-in Period – if you want to apply for SmartBro Plug-It Plan 999, think twice. You have to consider that you will be having problems for 24 months. Yes, the lock-in period is 24 months for SmartBro Plug-It Postpaid.
- 3G Network Coverage – only the base stations or cell sites within major cities have 3G-capability. If you are is a NOT so distant municipality, you will have 2G or GPRS connection and that SmartBro agents cannot help you when you are having problems with your connection.
- Slow-Action Customer Service – if you call the hotline, you will be put on hold for 4 minutes or more and once the agent comes back, he/she will just tell you to monitor your connection for 24 hours because he/she has already created a report about your concern. Thus, you cannot have a resolution by the time you are calling. After 24 hours, you will be advised (AGAIN) to monitor your connection for 24 hours because a report has already been submitted and the agent will just have to make follow-up reports.
So far, those are the things I have personally experienced with SmartBro Plug-It. Now, they are offering a new product, an upgrade to their technology. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend SmartBro to my friends unless they will upgrade their equipment such as putting 3G signal to all their cell sites.
If you are planning to get one, call the hotline first and ask if your place has 3G signal. If not, then look for another ISP. I believe that Globe, the strongest counterpart of Smart, is upgrading most of their cell sites to 3G network. In a place where Smart Communications and Sun Cellular offer 2G connection, Globe does offer 3G. Please check further information you may need below;
SmartBro Plug-It Kit
Price: P1,495
Speed: UP TO 2 mbps (that’s what Smart is claiming)
Corporate Website: http://www.smart.com.ph/smartbro
Fan Page: Smart Communications
Hotline: *1888 (you need to use Smart number) when you hear the recording, press 44 to directly connect you to a representative.
Rating: 5 out of 10 (10 is the highest)
thanks for sharing! too bad i bought my smart bro plug it already before i read this article. sigh…
Did you purchase a prepaid plug-it kit? Well, it would be too bad for you if you are in the place where there is no 3G signal from Smart cellsite. However, if you are within the city, I believe Smart would be good ONLY if the cellsite is not congested.
Moreover, if you are thinking that Globe Tattoo would be a perfect alternative, I would tell you “Beware!” I discovered something that the extensive internet users may not like.
I will be reviewing the Globe Tattoo maybe on Monday, by then, you will be able to know if Smart is better than Globe or vice versa.
im using prepaid smart bro plug-it in san jose hagonoy bulacan and most of the time, either i dont get signal connection or i get a very slow speed connection. i am thinking of upgrading it from a prepaid to smart bro sim plan only. what do u think.
my cousin has suggested me to apply for a pldt dsl 990 plan and it will give u a better or strong signal connection. my worry is that do i have to pay more than 990 every month, even if i dont use their landline.
any better suggestion…. would highly appreciate your comment / recommendation.
thanks a lot
isabel
Hi Isabel,
Thank you so much for dropping by.
First off, if you are not getting a signal it means your place may be a bit far from the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) or Cell Site of Smart. For this alone, there is a good reason to believe that you really cannot get a good internet connection. For wireless internet connection, distance does matter a lot.
Secondly, the distance may also be the reason why you are getting a very slow connection. If not, then the Cell Site is congested. It means that there are a lot of internet users in your place sharing about 5 mb or 7 mb. Now, if you call SmartBro hotline (*1999) the representative will tell that’s not the issue because they cannot disclose to the subscribers what’s really happening with their cell site. Or, they will tell you that its either your computer/laptop that has a problem or your smartbro plug-it; and they will tell you to bring it to their wireless center for checkup without resolving the issue.
Third, it could be that you are receiving 2G (GPRS) signal and not 3G (HSDPA). What can you do about this? Try to check if your SmartBro is set to receive 2G signal. If it is, try to set it to 3G. If it can’t get any signal at all while in 3G, the problem lies in the cell site; it’s not transmitting a 3G signal at all and you can’t do a thing about that.
Apparently, it’s not that you are using a prepaid. Even if you pay for the postpaid, you will still receive the same service. What’s the use?
Now, if there is an ISP offering a WIRED connection, then go for it. Remember, you can always have a STABLE and GOOD connection if it is wired. If you are paying much for both Internet and Phone, then try to ask the ISP if they accept Internet subscription alone. If not, then at least you will have a good internet connection.
Trust me, I would prefer wired over wireless connection.
Generally, SmartBro and Globe Tattoo are best used in places where wired connection is not an option. Do you get what I mean?
Should you have further questions, fire them away. I’ll try to find answers.
I hope this helps.
Thanks again,
Admin
Good Eve Mr. Admin…. Thanks for the review about the smartbro plug-it.. I would like to ask if the firmware affects the speed of my connection, because i owned a white usb smartbro plug-it…. the usb before the black and orange model…. I’m using the plug-it here in iloilo city, I have an HSDPA signal since the cell site is not quite far from my house. however, my DL speed is bouncing from 26kbps- 201+kbps in the smartbro window, though i only see 4kbps whenever i download…. and it takes 5-10 minutes just to open a yahoo.com website….. hope you can help me if there’s something i can do to improve data speed..
thanks
Good evening, Yamu.
Thanks for dropping by.
Anyways, about your concern, I don’t think firmware affects the connection speed. If you got the white plug-it, I think that’s one of the limited edition UAAP models. It has the same hardware and software as with the black and orange model released in the same year.
Alright, if you are getting a burstable speed of up to 201+ kbps, then you are getting a good connection. However, when it comes to DL speed, what I’ve observed is that Smart is very slow. What I mean is that, when you look at the SmartBro interface, it says you are having a good connection but when you try to download something, it says you are getting a very slow DL speed. In my case before, I was getting above 500 kbps with my Smartbro plug-it under HSDPA network, but I was only getting 35 kbps when I download something.
What I did was to use an Internet Download Manager to hasten my download time.
Now, you’re saying that it takes 5-10 minutes to open a web page; you must be having a slow connection issue. It could be because the BTS or the cell site is congested. Meaning, there are many internet users connecting to that cell site.
Please try also to check your system or your browser because it also affects the loading speed of the web pages.
But one thing you should know about Smart is that most of their cell sites are congested, although, when you call their hotline the representatives are fast enough to say their system is ok. But there are also times when you can experience high DL speed especially at dawn when no one is using the internet. But of course, it’s a hassle on your part.
I advice, if you are and extensive downloader, use internet download manager. You can it for free at pspiso(dot)com.
I hope this helps.
thanks,
Admin
hello Bro,
Its true that smart wireless broadband plug-in is very slow, i experience it since i purchase the share-it model last may..for the first 1 week it looks okay but as time past its getting slower and slower, even browsing to mozilla it will take you almost 10 tries before you can open it. they advertise that share-it model can accomodate up to 5 units of PC but sad to say that even using 1 PC the speed is to slow,..what i amazed is that my house is just beside a smart tower, just a stone throw away. is that how critical the smart signal right now?how about the following year that thier are additional subscribers, what will happen? a worsed that we cannot open our internet anymore and paying it monthly? is there anything we can do that the smart will upgrade thier system?
Hey Bro,
Too bad for you, bro! Ever since share-it has been introduced, it brought a lot of problems, criticisms and supervisory calls to SmartBro hotline.
The concept of a Share-It is really good since you can share connections with other PCs/laptops within its range. The problem is that it receives poor signal from the cell site. That’s where the problem enters, bro.
Actually, Smart is good in acquiring so many subscribers and they are successful with it. But they have forgotten to upgrade their equipment especially their cell sites where SmartBro Plug-It, Share-It, etc. are getting signals from.
I can feel your sentiments bro, I have experienced that before; it is really too bad to pay monthly bills for a connection that you cannot make use of.
What you can do is to call the Hotline (*1888) everyday and tell them you are not getting a connection. Do it for a month. After a month of calling the hotline, ask them for a rebate so that you will not pay the bill the next month. And if you call the hotline, ask for a SUPERVISOR and/or a MANAGER and tell them how their services suck. That way, you will be heard and if WE are lucky enough, they will upgrade their outdated system and equipment.
Do you get my point?
Thanks for dropping by.
Admin
hi bro,
Thanks for the advise, i already have an idea of what to do. Paying monthly for our subscription is just like we are donating for their additional profit. Beginning tomorrow i will call their hotline not just everyday but 3 times a day….i’m just joking..but will just hope and cross our fingers that they will improved their services.
By the way bro, do you have an idea of what is the best ISP to use when we have 3 to 5 PC’s. Is wired DSL the the best one than wireless? I’m planning to have a mini internet cafe for online gaming. As what i know there is no PLDT landline in our area, only globelines, is globelines reliable when it comes to a wired or landline connection? How much is their monthly subscription?
Any idea?
Thanks!
Hey bro,
Actually, I was calling the hotline 5 times a day before, but then I got tired of it so I never renewed my contract with Smartbro despite their retention offers. I suggest you do that too.
You know bro, when it comes to stability, wired connection is the most recommended because there is a fixed connection. Wireless is not really that stable; kunting hangin lang, babagal na ang connection mo.
Actually, I really don’t know the infrastructure of Globe but recently, they have upgraded most of their equipment to be able to compete with Smart. Trust me, when it comes to services, I can recommend Globe, personally.
I guess Globelines can handle online gaming. If you have 1mbps to be shared by 5 PCs, I think your business will do just fine. But of course, it depends on what kind of online games you want to put into your system. As long as there is a consistent ping to the server, gamers will not be able to experience lag times–it requires consistent connection, of course.
I think this link can answer some of your questions, bro: http://tattoo.globe.com.ph/product/
Good luck with your business, bro.
Thanks for dropping by,
Admin
Hi Bro,
Thank you so much bro for the information it helps a lot.
I should be in a wired internet connection, early this year globe always called me to avail thier DSL but its just happen that it seems smart bro’s advertisement is very tempting not knowing their true aspect of services.
At least in a short period of time i used it, i discover of what wireless is all about.
My question is; my smart bro share it is locked out for 24 months or 2 years then i used for around 6 months already..if i don’t pay for the monthly subscription for the rest of the lock out period, can smart force me to pay the bills within this period? will they confiscate the smart bro share it unit? do you have any idea or experiece?
My worries now is that maybe they let me pay or get my unit since it is in the contract. is it possible?
I’ll try to contact globe of what possible services they can offer; i have an existing globe landline hope it will help.
Thanks a lot!
Arnel
Hey Bro,
It’s too bad because Smart’s plans nowadays have 24-month lock-in period. The worst thing is, you’ve signed the contract and you are obliged to pay until your contract is done.
If you happen to decide not to continue paying, they will endorse your account to the Collection Agency that will not stop bugging you everyday, thus, it is a hassle on your part.
If you want to permanently disconnect, you still have to pay the 18 months remaining as it is stated in your contract. See, Smart is really smart in acquiring customers and let them pay for very poor service.
Now, what you can do is to continue with your plan until it is over. BUT, you must report everyday that you are not getting any connection and at the end of the month, ask for rebates. At least, that’s the best way to cut off the bills, right?
If the agents cannot help you every time you call the hotline, ALWAYS ask for a supervisor OR a manager. Express yourself! Tell them how you really feel about their service, that way, they will know what aspects to improve. Get my point?
You cannot just run from them and not pay the bills especially that you are going to put up a business. If you know someone who wants to have internet connection and want to continue paying the bills you’ve started, that would be better.
Good luck with the business, bro!
Admin
On my experience, i am using a smart bro prepaid plug in kit for about 7 months i guess, its fast but you don’t get exactly the 1MBPS or 2MBPS connection, cause its wireless, right? on day time, my connection is 300kbps up to 500kbps and when it comes to night time, 700kbps up to 1.2MBPS (far from a smart tower), i just hope that end of this year, they will upgrade systems for better surfing performance and take the word back that smart bro plug in kit is running always on 1MBPS speed, it doesn’t but its still really nice, GLOBE and SUN, they suck, they work better only on major cities
Good for you! At least, you are getting what you are paying.
Smart is a good company after all. I am currently using Globe Tattoo and I am experiencing sporadic connection. Just this morning I have to call their hotline but never got any help at all. I was even thinking of reswitching to smart. The point is, it just proves internet in the philippines is not really that good.
Thanks for dropping by.
As a Former Globe Tattoo user, I experienced good connection, but not as good as what they say on the adds. I can download before using tattoo up to 100-200kbps. a 700MB would take less than 3hrs. Unfortunately, because Globe knows Smart won’t stand a chance, they made something that would really disappoint HEAVY internet users, particularly downloaders, uploaders, and video streamers. ( I’ll let Admin do the talking )
As or Smart plug it ( I’m using now ) is not that good, especially when you have a better Smart competitor subscriber as a neighbor. They were using Smart bro with that canopy thing. Anyway, I don’t know if it will affect my connection. Smart have a slow download speed ranging from 100kbs-100bs. Believe me. I had 100kbs once on Smart or was it 150kbs. Anyway, do hope smart will Upgrade soon because I’m IN with the service. And when they say Unlimited, they mean it. To bad or the speed though.
Hey,
Thanks for dropping by.
I’ve experienced both connections already and there are a lot of things different.
You’re right, Globe offers better internet connection than Smart. However, what they did is to limit the data that subscribers would be able to download, let’s call it “capping.” Their common alibi is that they have his FAIR USE POLICY that they are implementing, but for me Globe’s FAIR isn’t fair at all.
Now, one day I called Globe’s hotline complaining about their service. The response I got was, “Sir, if you are not satisfied with our service, then try to use other service, not ours!” Believe me, I called five times that day looking for Supervisors and Managers.
My point is, we customers have the right to complain about the service WE ARE PAYING. It’s so sad to know that we will get that kind of service from Globe’s TECHNICAL SUPPORT GROUP (as they call themselves).
I, too, am very disappointed with what I am using right now. But what can I do? I’m using their service now and I need a connection to do my business online.
Although, I cannot say that Smart is offering better services. When it comes to connection, Globe dominates. But one thing you should know, you can download anything, anytime you like without counting the bytes. I remember, I tried to download a 10GB application before and it took me 5 days to complete using Smart. I could’ve downloaded it for 2-3 days if I’m using Globe. But the catch is, Globe allows you to download 800MB in 24 hours, do you get what I mean?
I agree with you. If Smart listens to its subscribers and upgrade their equipment, I would prefer using it over its TRYING hard competitor.
DISCLAIMER:
All I’ve said in the comment section are based on my personal experiences. They may not be the same as with the other people. Philippine Almanac cannot be held liable if there are words used which seems destructive.
These are all my experiences.
Regards,
Admin
Smart plug it as of DEC 26 2010 am 2:00
Location: Montalban
Speed: 10bs-20kbs
Awful really, but that’s the way it is. I prefer Smart over Globe actually, after what Globe did to loyal subscriber like me.
Smart is just an Upgrade away and hope they do it.
lol… that sucks!
I’ve had my share already. Good luck with your connection!
I also hope Smart spends several millions making their services better.
Admin
globe’s fair use policy is an alibi clearly, as what we experienced it. an 800MB data for 50PHP is not worth it. actually both downloads and uploads are sharing the same. so downloads can’t reach 800 that much, might even be lower than 600.
what’s funny is that globe is pushing it even worse. I mean, they got the best connection. why do they need to cap it. 4GB cap for 50PHP is fair for me, but 800? come on…
I’m currently using my free 125 hours of internet promo issued by globe upon purchasing globe tattoo usb modem kit. Reached the highest speed of 3.6mbps during 12am – 6am. Pissed off with the fair usage policy which is 800mb bandwidth limit per day. Unlocked my usb kit tried SBW sim got no luck I can’t stream at all and it’s only fast when I’m browsing Facebook. I’m trying to think about using smart and hope I can reach the 2mbps speed for if not I will find it very hard for streaming movies if I can only get 1mbps of speed. BTW looking at the speed scale on my usb it caps at about 5.1mbps some said it could reach up to 7mbps. Sigh if only not for the fair usage policy this tattoo would definitely be a win for me.
Hi,
We have the same problem. 800mb is just fair. In other words, Globe’s fair use policy isn’t fair at all. The worst thing is if you reach 800mb today, you have to wait for 24 hours to continue using supersurf, and it is irreversible.
I’ve been using Smartbro before, it’s too far from the connection that Globe offers. But if you want to try it out, it would be better to get the prepaid first so that you won’t have a contract to force you to pay should connection sucks.
Well, goodluck to us. It seems we don’t have much of a choice, do we.
I just hope hope Globe would increase the capping to 7Gb; I would be very thankful if they do.
Thanks for the visit to our site.
Chief Ed.
The first i used was Globe Tattoo. I was disappointed when their customer support didn’t even explained the exact details of the kit. And then there goes the capping >.<
Well, at the end smart is still the best option. Globe? i don't know what to do with their service. I can't really understand how they could cay you are unlimited if they cut-off your connection if you reached the maximum limit of your Globe Tattoo "capping". At least Smart give's their word on being unlimited… : )
hi,
smart bro really sucks!!! f****** s***!!! globe tattoo is good than smart..
No business firm makes business with out any profit, in the Philippines there is no Bill or Republic Act that prosecute lousy Internet Connection to the end/customer. So if you don’t have any choice where in you can’t get any other option/provider than to subscribe to these Telco’s I suggest no need to surf or used the Internet. My opinion to your anger why not used FREE Internet with what you have to these so called three (3) major wireless broadband? Perhaps this link will helps you
http://krizzyla.blogspot.com/2011/02/free-internet-from-smart-bro-prepaid.html
I hate Smart Bro. It’s so slow and unreliable most of the time. If not for the I offer, I’ll consider Globe instead. On the other hand, I’m not a net addict. I only surf the net once or twice a week and spend around 500 a month on the unli internet.
thank to this review, i learn a lot. i thougth smart have the best connection, i wish globe change their fair usage from 800 mb to 3Gb at least.
this is a very interesting article regarding smartbro plug it kit.
for me i have used smartbro plug it before sometime last year it was the white one nice looking unit at that time i really had no issues when downloading a large file it seem quick i stopped using it as i moved over to Globe broadband and phone line again the DSL from globe was really good until the router/modem broke and trying to get them out to sort it is really hard..
now i have been back on smartbro plug it for the past few days and i have the black unit that was said above it is a nice looking unit and the micro sd slot is very useful but as the poster said above the unit do get really hot apart from that the service is not to bad it do seem a little unstable now but it was never unstable before.
i do have one thing i must ask i could never find the answer to this on the smart website or online and its the fair usage as i am a heavy downloader as far as i am aware when i had it before i didnt ever notice a fair usage but as we all know mobile phone companies and broadband love to change the way things work without even leting the customer know.
as for the 3G side of things i am connected to a 3G mast i have not really tried it our around other parts of Cebu yet but i did hear one of my friends has an issue where he lives but then again he so far away from a busy area.
to the points of customer service i must agree they do kinda suck but the poster of this review is right we cant put the blame on the advisers if they dont have all the tools to deal with a customer and also when i phoned them a few days ago i was on the phone for about 40 minutes before i got a customer adviser on the phone and when finaly getting an adviser the phone was cut off each time i called i guess they are so busy dealing with so many customer problems
lastly this is my own personal point i have found that smartbro plug it is much better than the globe tattoo with the globe i can’t download a large file it sticks at a speed of around 3kb/s or lower with smartbro my download speeds are around 100 to 170kp/s and i have found surfing the web is a little slow with globe tattoo so for me personaly smartbro seems to be the best but again thats only my point and i guess it depends on what a person wants from it and also location so for now i shall be sticking with smartbro for the mean time and would be more than happy to post more comments as i use the system over time..
good luck to all
have a nice day
i am adding to my last post that seems to still not be posted yet..
i have found with smartbro plug it or the canopy unit that it is very prone to viruses me personaly i have a hard core anti-virus software on my PC all paid for and i have found that the smartbro plug it in sems to kick up warnings on my AV it also has happen on our smartbro canopy as well so it seems with smart you maybe affected with viruses if you dont have a good AV if anyone wants a good AV free of coure hit me at lee.me31(at)yahoo(dot)com i am happy to share my AV for free
but as for smartbro it self its good in download speeds its got no fair usage but as i said in my last post it always depends in what location you are in and also depends on how many people are using the net.
like i said my smartbro works and it seems to be hitting full speed i already done 4gb of data on 2 days again i will say depends on location and how they have upgraded the hardware…
to all good luck if u pick smart
maybe, in the place where you are now, Globe does offer 3G signal like Smart does.
With Globe, you can only download 800mb per day, there is no capping for SmartBro.
The first thing that we can do about Smart Bro, is to complain about their service directly to the NTC using website which is at ntc.gov.ph. If you sift through the links you can find a complaint form, I found it using the site map I think.
I also made a facebook page called ‘Smart Bro are Thieves’, because this is the most common remark I seem to find on the internet. If you are like me and feel that Smart is stealing your hard earned money, please visit and like my page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Smart-Bro-are-Thieves/186484471397266
Maybe with enough likes, we can get Smart to listen, or at least let the rest of the world know that SMART BRO ARE THIEVES! Ninanakaw nila ang pera ‘natin!
the truth is i don’t think smart is totaly to blame the reason i say this is because today i have been out near my home on my motorbike i went past a relay station or also known as a cell cite and they was installing new generators i asked the guys if i could have a look at the hardware in that station to me it seems they have the hardware to handle everything but what i did see was this station has like many other base stations i have seen is that they have about 3 to 4 networks running on the same mast for example Globe, Sun and Smart now if someone who knows what they are talking about they know that 1 mast should only be for 1 network well where i come from thats the case so when you have 3 or 4 networks running on the same mast seems to me in real terms CONFLICT i also have photos of the site i was at today and i will continue to research this in detail and maybe we can stick this to the networks and get them off the coffee breaks and do something….
while i am here and as i said above i seen a tetra site today or also known as cell site the thing is they have top end servers sitting in the room under the tower they have so much top notch stuff its un real but like i said they bang in all networks on 1 tower it seems to be a problem……
if anyone wants to see some of the photos i have taken then please tell me how to upload to this site im sorry i dont have as many pictures as i wanted the guy was kinda getting pi**ed off as i was taking photos of hardware that is meant to be secret from the public well thats what he said anyway but watch this space i will do more to help us all out in this issue of slow broadband and crap phone service….
again i must state that anything i have said in my post is my own personal views and that i will do my own research into this issue and will say that i have found smart to be a good network but depending on the times of day and i will keep this site upto date as much as i can and also with infomation on possible reasons why things seem to be sh*t with smart.
lastly please remember what i said above partly the reason why some networks run crap its not a proven fact but its a 80% reason why networks seem to not work right cramming as many networks on 1 mast never works good and if you are interested in finding out more on my comment then please do some research it may help with why you find problems with smart
many thanks and take care all
from a tech guy
i wonder why my posts never hit the screens i have waited over a week for my post to come on screen and guess what nothing what a suprise
i just bought a smart bro plug it yesterday. And i just want to know what is your version of modem?? PC software version? software version? and what is the hardware version? i am just wondering if we have the same design of smart bro plug it, just you have taught above. Thank you.
I got the ZTE model; a black one with orange lining.
I shifted to another ISP so I guess I’ve thrown my Smartbro modem away. I didn’t check the software version.
I want to terminate my smarbro plug it plan accnt bcoz i was very disappointed with my connection and decided not to pay the bills monthly. Is this Possible?
Yeah, it is possible. The problem is, you have to pay the termination fee which is the remaining months in your contract.
If you are experiencing problems or cannot connect, call their hotline everyday, ask for rebates. If the agent cannot assist you, ask for a supervisor or a manager.
To call their hotline dial *8888 and when the recording starts, immediately dial 44 so that you’ll immediately be redirected to their customer service. Tell them how their service sucks!
Sorry bro, that’s the best you can do for now because you’ve signed up a contract with them.
uhmm is there a method that can boost the speed of smartbro?
thnx in advance ADMIN
I’m not really sure if there are such methods but I’ve heard rumors before that some of SmartBro representatives can actually make their connection stable and faster. But I’m not really sure and I didn’t see it in action.
What I saw was browsing without account balance. They use a proxy server to do that. But it also entails jailbreaking your smartbro plug-it.
If you’re using a plug-it, perhaps the only method you can do to have better connection is to go nearer Smart’s Base Transceiver Station or their Cell Site. Close proximity is very important for wireless connectivity.
Thanks for dropping by. I hope this helps.
Admin
i agree.
i am a smart bro postpaid plan subscriber and im planning to go to their office to make it disconnect 4 good. the slow connection sucks. i have to call them everyday about it.
too bad it does not work like that. You signed a contract with Smart that whenever you have to have your connection discontinued, you have to pay for the remaining months in your account. So, you’re obliged to pay them in full before your service is disconnected. Smart is smart, right?
yah right! I agree.. Plus the fact that it has also download limits.. And now, I’m having a hard time figuring out how to bypass it.. tsk3x…=/
When I was using SmartBro, I can’t remember having my data download capped. But when you’re talking about the download speed, well, slow is normal for Smart.
both Globe and Smart’s internet USB sticks are just a waste of money!
they’re full of crap lying to us and making those bull commercials.
as for those who works with SMART Bro, just stop making f*cking stupid commercials and start upgrading your net speed.
its a lot better if SMART Bro is all about QUALITY and what i mean is faster internet speed. jeez.
SMART is a big company, and they can’t even upgrade their SMART Bro’s net speed.
That’s exactly one of the problems SmartBro customers are facing. Smart seems to be deaf, blind and dumb about the things needed to be upgraded.
Smart Bro… worst ISP ever. The reason it still sells is because getting one is not a pain at all (I’m referring to pre-paid). No tie ups, no bills, no registration and etc. They don’t even have to know if you are above 18. You can take it anywhere with your laptop or take it to a friends house then surf you go as long as there are green bars on the signal interface and enough credits on its account. Filipinos like convenience – ugaling “door-to-door” sa lahat ng bagay. Yung pwedeng lakarin sasakay pa sa tricycle. And most Filipinos cannot afford another bill (wired internet connection).
We sometimes prefer convenience over function. Just like wearing super tight jeans, it looks good and sexy but is killing your crotch. But if you look at things in a perspective, the pain you are getting with SmartBro services is taking away all the convenience you got in acquiring one.
SmartBro knows all of these and its taking advantage of it.
Well, Borgie, you can never blame anybody if they chose convenience above other things because, firstly, everybody seeks for convenience and that’s the reason why people study and work so that someday they can live a very convenient life.
Secondly, it’s their right. Unless their convenience is bugging you, you have to right to complain. Otherwise, shut your mouth.
Now, if you want to complain about SmartBro’s service, then do so without dragging anybody with you. Stop with that stereotypical debate that Filipinos are like this and that because unless you’re an American, this concerns you too. If you’re a Filipino, then how foolish of you to speak ill of yourself about the things you and I both know.
Smart has the right to take advantage of everything they offer, it’s up to us to patronize their service.
I’m using smartbro plug-it for 2 years,& my connection is fast , I can open company’s site,to work online and the remote applications fast, so last july 15 this year, I upgraded it to sim-only postpaid plan 999. I was so happy @ 1st for the speed I was getting, but my head hurts starts last aug4 til now, I don’t know why it’s difficult to access that I mentioned above. Stop working or time out error. I’ve tried to my another laptops,the problems still persist. I’ve called smart many times already, but they always say the same line (scripted lines), monitor it for 24 hrs, so how many hours already. Oh my God,it’s already aug22, I’m still facing this problem. It’s really important to me,it’s for my work. They think that I’m so dumb, there is some big things happening, but they don’t admit it. Smart really disappoint me. I’ve been loyal for smartbro for 2yrs, put my full trust to them, but now, I think I’m starting to trust globe tattoo plug-it, even it’s not really good,but @ least I can access that I mentioned above less error. Smartbro really sucks right now.
So, you’re saying that whenever you use Smartbro, you can’t open your company’s site? But when you use Globe tattoo, you can open the site but with less error?
Seems like the server where your company’s site is hosted is having the problem. To test these things out, you should try to open other websites, i.e. Google, Yahoo, Facebook, to see if you’ll be getting the same error. If so, you can start blaming Smart or Globe for it.
Hi Admin,
I just want to ask if you know which zte model came first, MF100 or MF627? I applied for plug-it plan 999 and they gave me MF100. but since its not getting any 3g signal (just gprs which really pissed me off), I put my prepaid plug-it sim in my prepaid plug-it (MF627) and used it instead. Does the model affect the speed? I actually applied for power plug-it 999 and they gave me MF100 instead of the newest model. :/
Thanks a lot! ^^
Hi Micchi,
MF100 came out first… MF627 seemed like an update of the first model, software-wise. If you notice, the physical aspect is the same, only the software version is different.
If you’re not getting 3g signal, you better go to the Smart wireless center and complain about it. If it’s postpaid they will change it.
Sometimes, they have to release all their stocks (even if they’re old stocks) before they will release new ones.
I hope I could help you more on this…thanks for visiting my site.
Regards,
Admin
I live about an hour from Davao and five kilometers from the nearest city. When I first got Smart Bro plug-it the signal was very good but it varied. I got some very large files downloaded in a reasonable amount of time. Then shortly after I went through the ridiculous approval process of the so-called postpaid plan (which is really prepaid by the month), my signal stopped almost completely and I could only stay online for a minute or two a day. Many phone calls and wasted time, they never called me back, even though in the first few weeks they had treated me like a king, when I was a new customer. After 2 weeks of almost no signal, it stabilized with a constant 5 bar GPRS signal which is always there but very very slow. Large downloads have to be restarted dozens of times and it takes hours to download 10 or 20 Mb files. I believe I might have been defined by their robots as a bandwidth hog and targeted for punishment but I don’t know how this works.
I wonder if it would be possible for a mass effort of some kind on the part of Smart customers, or a legal action, to get them to disclose their real working policies and the unwritten rules so that we know why our signal starts out good and then goes bad. I think after I signed my 6 month contract and got locked into paying, they had some way of shutting down my signal. Can they put a program on my plug-it that will make it break off the signal so I won’t be getting a lot of use out of it?
Needless to say I hate their guts and wish the people who take advantage of us in this way and then keep us helpless without a solution would jump off the end of the world and be eaten by big snakes.
Hi Luther,
Thanks for visiting.
First of all, I sympathize with you as I know exactly how it feels…that’s even the reason I switched.
Anyway, based on what you said here, you had good signal when you were using the prepaid Smartbro, right? I assume, you were getting an HSDPA signal by then… now you are getting GPRS, which sucks.
Couldn’t it be a little misconfiguration in your SmartBro? Don’t get me wrong, I’m just guessing here as I haven’t seen the configuration. If you can please check if you have selected “HSPA/HSDPA network.”
This manual maybe able to help you: http://smart.com.ph/NR/rdonlyres/ADB85B81-7CEA-4BAD-A8D0-F2EC5E19DF2F/14756/SMART_BRO_PLUGIT_TROUBLESHOOTING_GUIDE.pdf
Regarding the mass effort to let Smart divulge their operating policies, I’m not really sure if we can do that without suing them in court. Well, of course, if they are capping their bandwidth because you are downloading large files then they could be sued because as what I remember, they are offering unlimited bandwidth to their postpaid customers.
And about their customer service, well, don’t expect so much. The moment a representative sees that you have called too many times for the same problem, he/she knows exactly what alibis to use. Well, I’m being stereotypical here…but there’s truth to what I’m saying.
You know, oftentimes, I look for a supervisor or a manager when I call Smart’s hotline because at least those higher ops have a say about your problem. Representatives couldn’t help you that much aside from doing the same troubleshooting steps over and over again. Next time you call, and the moment an agent picks it up, look for a supervisor or manager.
If you call SmartBro’s hotline again, please ask if you are in a place covered by HSDPA signal, if not, then GPRS is the best you can get. But then again, as what you’ve said here, you were getting good signal before, so I think you should be getting better service than what you have now.
Goodluck, Luther!
Feel free to visit again to tell us what happened with your connection.
Regards,
Harold
It would be great if I could take apologies to the bank or use them as an internet connection, because some Smart Bro tech reps are so busy apologizing they don’t have time for doing business. Sometimes I just tell them to be quiet and listen and no more apologizing. This page is right on, they just tell me to monitor my signal for 24 hours, which is a ploy to wear me down.
I had a very interesting experience because your response inspired me to call tech support for the first time in 3 weeks. I was sick of GPRS which is slower than dial-up and less reliable. After I badgered the poor man for quite some time (even though it’s not his fault, it’s still his job to listen to my complaining, poor thing), he suggested that I disable all my startup programs. I want to mention that there is a right and wrong way to do this and I am not going to recommend which way is right but I tried the way he said and guess what?
I was instantly able to connect to the 5 bar 3G signal that is usually present at my location but which I can’t ever connect to (but used to all the time, before I signed a 6 month contract). Not only was I able to connect but the connection held firm while I downloaded over 100 mb of files in 5 minutes with a receive rate of up to 3000 Mbps. That is what the plug-it was able to do when I first brought it home, and since then its performance has gotten worse and worse.
Then as soon as I got off the phone and thanked the tech man for his inside knowledge (which he said he had to use on his own computer at home), I turned off the connection for some reason and I don’t know why but the 3G went back to unavailable. 5bar signal as usual but could not connect to it again.
So I took my laptop and plug-it to town (I live in a rural location which is actually closer to Davao that the town where I am using Smart’s 3G signal right now) and there was a 2 to 3 bar signal and I was able to connect to it instantly and download plenty of programs, files and webpages. I anticipate when I get home that there will be the usual 5 bar signal and I won’t be able to connect to it, but I’ll let you know if that turns out to be not the case.
My suspicion is that there is something going on at the bay station that was started when I started having this inability to connect to 3G. I believe that a little invisible program has been sent to my computer by Smart Bro which is only detected at the bay station that serves my home area, which tells my computer not to connect to the 3G. I don’t even know if this is possible. But the same happened when I went to Davao to the wireless center, easy to connect with the same laptop and plug-it that will not connect at home. It has to be a bug that only stops me from connecting to the signal coming specifically from the bay station that serves my home area. Possible or not I wish I knew.
The reason I say this is that the tech guy knew what I needed to do but told me as a last resort, and it worked. There is an invisible or mis-labeled startup program that prevents me from using the 3G. This started happening right after I downloaded a 180 mb file in 2 minutes with a special website, and then a 700 mb torrent. I know nothing of these things and didn’t expect to be punished for it. Normally I am not a bandwidth hog, and is there a way I am being targeted, or my whole area?
One last paranoia point is that during this same time I received three spam messages in my Smart Bro software SMS mailbox. This mailbox is for me and Smart Bro to communicate with each other, so why would anyone else have access to it? Is it possible that some wise programmer at Smart Bro is running a black ops program to keep people from using that 3G signal before it gets to the larger population area?
One more last last comment. Back when I took this problem personally to the wireless service center in Davao, the tech there kind of casually (while we were waiting for something else to happen) showed me how to go to the startup program list and turn off things that weren’t needed. Was he trying to tell me something? Is there a known virus or issue that Smart Bro is either purveying secretly to control bandwidth use, or that is just an inside job by an unknown bad employee and Smart is trying to keep it a secret?
Scarier and scarier.
I know most of my suspicions are probably unfounded, but I don’t know which are realistic and which aren’t, because I am new to wireless signals. All I know is that I have had no time to enjoy being online since I started with Smart Bro because they (or something) is making me fight like a madman to get online and stay there.
Luther
Hi Luther,
I’m not really sure if SmartBro reps have this capability to manipulate the little SmartBro program on your laptop so you can’t connect to their network. Instead, I think they can’t do a thing about your connection when you call because they will always tell you that they have “submitted a report to their technical department and that you will be receiving a feedback within 24 hours” or “just monitor your connection within 24 hours as the report has already been sent to the right department.”
The fact that you said you have been able to connect to a 3G network while talking to a rep is evident the Base Transceiver Station (Cell Site) in your area is capable of giving you an HSDPA signal. But I also think the site may have lots of problems disallowing you connect to the network.
I really don’t know what advise I could give to you because you may have tried everything on your part…
But anyway, thanks for visiting again, I really hope your lock-in period comes fast so that you’ll have the option to switch to another ISP.
Regards,
Harold
Starting the first month that I subscribed with Smart Bro plug it, all I can do is “REGRET”, it’s almost entirely “USELESS” even if i’m using it within the city. It only gets fast during late night and early morning.. They don’t care about “CUSTOMER SATISFACTION” with regards to this product. I don’t know with their other wireless products but I surely don’t have any plan of trying those. I’ve WASTED my MONEY with this and I can’t wait till my lock-in period ends.
I’m speechless… lol
hi, i have no idea of this things.,
but thanks to this review..
a warning for using smart bro..
and the catch for using tattoo broadband..
it is really helping in making a decision.,
but why is there any comment with sun broadband connection..
does it mean the two are worse but sun broadband is uncomparable?..
tnx..
It seems to me that Sun Cellular won’t be going too far from its current state considering Smart Communications, Inc bought majority of the company’s stocks.
Hi, Vivo here, 21yo..
Can I ask if Smart Bro allows online games?
I tried Sun, Globe Lamborghini, Globe Tattoo and all were disappointments. Playing online games as past time and I only opt to buy one-time internet provider. Then I found out Smart offers 3 plug-its (Rocket, Starter and Power plug it) and I wanted to know if any of these plug its can accommodate online games.
Thanks in advance po.
What games do you want to play using SmartBro?
If you’re playing games which require high fps, then you’ll just be disappointed. There’s so much latency on SmartBro..
Hi,
I have a smart bro plug it which is postpaid, is there any possibilities that i can change it to smart canopy?
Nope, it’s not possible. If you really want to have canopy, it’s either you apply for it or pay the full termination for your plug-it. I just want to let you know that the termination fee would include the remaining months of your subscription.
My prepaid smartbro was not used for almost six months,,,and when I tried to use it there is no signal and the sim is not detected…is my sim blocked already?
Most probably. But to confirm it, you might as well call the the hotline (*888) and have the rep verify it for you.
i am using smart bro, sometimes the connection is slow.
That’s what I call “normal” for SmartBro, if you get what I mean.
I won’t recommend using the Smart Bro plug-it to anyone. Honestly, I thought that my previous wired internet connection was slow, but when I tried using Smart Bro’s plug-it, well, let’s just say that my perception of “slow” was completely changed. Download speeds were usually just around 10KBPS and even when I’m almost literally next to their cell site, I’m getting a mere 5KBPS increase. I think that this service of Smart is only a huge fraud and I was foolish enough to believe it. From now on, I will never buy anything that Smart sells. As they say, first impressions LAST.
I feel your sentiments, bro. The feeling like you’re being cheated sucks! I mean, for sure you were expecting something better especially when you watch the ads on TV. Well, I could say Smart is very aggressive in acquiring new companies and business opportunities, they just missed one thing–upgrading their existing equipment and infrastructure.
Perhaps, if there are millions of Smart subscribers that feel the same way, the company may hear you. That’s why it’s a good thing you guys are sharing your experiences here so that someday, somehow, when Smart goes bankrupt and its CEO or President happen to read these comments here, they will know they missed something out.
Thanks for visiting!
wow, this thread started about 2 yrs ago hihi, anyway to keep the story short & to stop mumbling on smart’s services i suggest to get even as what i’m doing for the past 8mos.
this is for educational purpose only (try if you like)
these are the steps on how to get 1mbps connection on your smartbro plugit.
1. you have to chech RSSI level of your network. its under tools>>diagnostics>>network status tab, the lower the value the better(i suggest to use a 5m usb cable and place your plugit beside your window, or any place that air is present.
2.download a program called ultrasurf, extract it to a folder located on your desktop. open the folder & click on he program named u1017,u1103,u1010 or any version(mine is u1017) open it click option>>uncheck everything except for the 1st and the last box>>click proxy server>>click manual proxy settings port = 10.102.61.46 port = 8080>>click ok & ok.
3. now lets proceed to the dashboard create a new profile name(any name will do, APN, click static and type http://www.iamgprs1.ma, then go to advance and check PAP.,.,.click ok,save, and make it as your default connection.
4. replace your smartbro sim with smartbuddy ot TNT sim with remaining balance below 5 pesos.
5. now lets set up your browser.,.
FIREFOX = tools>>options>>click advance>>click network tab>>settings>>click manual proxy configuration adn type 127.0.0.1 for the http proxy and 9666 for the port>>check use this proxy for all….>>ok & ok.
6. lets get started.,.
*open smartbro and connect to the profile name you’ve just created.
*open up u1017,u1103,u1010 or any version(mine is u1017) and wait for the status that says successfully connect to… minimize the window.
*open firefox & woalah 1mbps connection for just 1-9 pesos only.,., enjoy & happy surfing
on the 3rd tut the apn should be www(dot)iamgprs1(dot)ma , you what i mean
just a heads up dont blame smart services all the time, coz theres a lot of instances that the problem is in your computer itself.