Friday, February 20, 2009

Globe Visibility vs Smart Bro (Prepaid kit) vs Sun Wireless Broadband

Today, I have with me wireless broadband connections from 3 different networks here in the Philippines and I am making comparisons based on my observations and speed tests for each network with time stamps.

Networks to be tested:
Globe Visibility Postpaid (I've been using this for almost 2 years now)
Smart Bro Prepaid Kit (Just tried it this year -- Feb 2009)
Sun Wireless Broadband ( Subscribed to it December 2008)

Modems used:
Sun Wireless Broadband - Huawei e220
Globe Visibility - ZTE MF626
Smart Bro Prepaid Kit - ZTE MF626

My Location and testing environment:-Quezon City area
-Warehouse type building with few walls around me
-Ceiling above me is around 3 stories high
-Laptop and broadband modem location: 3feet above the ground


Speed Testing:
I tested their speeds in one single location and here are the results:

Sun Wireless Broadband - These 3 tests were done around 10:24am to 10:45am (Feb 20,2009 Friday)
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414528038.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414529604.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414536465.png


Globe Visibility Postpaid- These 3 tests were done around 12:19pm to 01:56pm (Feb 20,2009 Friday)
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414570054.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414575617.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414599443.png


Smart Bro Prepaid Kit- These 3 tests were done around 11:17am to 11:43am (Feb 20,2009 Friday)
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414548266.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414551513.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/414557625.png

Speed Test Summary: Sun Wireless Broadband (SWB):
[Highest Download Rate- 1011 kb/s ; Highest Upload Rate- 360 kb/s]
Globe Visibility:
[Highest Download Rate- 1290 kb/s ; Highest Upload Rate- 115 kb/s]
Smart Bro Prepaids:
[Highest Download Rate- 295 kb/s ; Highest Upload Rate- 54 kb/s]

Browser Loading Speed:Using Firefox, I bookmarked 15 different websites to test the 3 different wireless networks.

If you've noticed, even though SWB's download rate exceeded 1mbps, it does not necessary mean it is also 1mbps-ish fast. It performed well on speedtest.net, but when I tried loading 15 pages at the same time, it was slow. It took around 120 seconds to load everything.

Using Globe Visibility and Smart Bro Prepaid, the results I got was better. Globe Visibility loaded those 15 pages a bit faster compared to Smart Bro. Visibility loaded the same 15 webpages at around 55seconds and Smart Bro at 85seconds

I went to a Globe Business Center and asked if the Visibility Postpaid and Prepaid has the same speeds. They said Yes. But from experience, I think the answer is no. I have yet to test the Globe Visibility Prepaid vs the Globe visibility postpaid speed.

More Observations:
It's now 3pm and Globe Visibility is acting up again (this has been happening for a couple of weeks now). I can't load pages and the speed is slow (you need constant refreshing of webpages for it to load properly). The network might be congested. Typing this part of the test, I am now using Sun Wireless Broadband. I tried loading the 15 webpages again and, the loading speed was faster compared to the speed earlier this morning. Everything loaded in just 80 seconds.

..and as I am ending this post. even SWB is acting up now (3:25pm) arrrghhh!!

I've noticed another thing... all networks do act up. You cannot really expect it to be working 100% of the time.




18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Naisip ko lang kasi napadaan ako dito ( http://pimpmyvinta.ph/ ). Wala ba sa Manila yan??

Anonymous said...

It's good that you made a blog about the 3 internet kits.. i've been wondering on which of the three is better.. My mind somehow has been cleared about those kits. Thanks for blogging it! I had a smartbro kit with me and my mom plans to buy the globe's. She wants me to verify which of the two is better. I haven't heard of Sun Wireless Broadband. I'm located in Mindanao.

Anonymous said...

Maganda nga nyan eh para kahit sa malayo ka na lugar may internet parin
http://pimpmyvinta.ph/

Anonymous said...

Very informative post. Matagal ko na ring iniisip ito.

I'm glad I went to your blog at nabasa ko ito.

So I guess I'll just stick with my Globe Visibility. No significant improvements if I switch anyway.

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I know that you make no claim about your scientific methodology but ...

* Did you clear your cache everytime you re-tested your 15 selected sites?

Not doing so will cause those pages to reload much faster when you visit them back again.

CHRIS said...

I think that really depends on the location. In our area the connection to Globe prepaid is so bad, what more for Sun? Smart is the best one for me there.

If only Sun expands it signal for 3G, I'd probably get one too since based on most reviews, it is the fastest "bro."

Joanee said...

I agree with you Chris. It is really dependent on your location. I have Globe Tattoo prepaid and Sun Broadband plan 799.. Comparing between the two, Sun is much faster than globe. I am reaching 3.6 mbps for browsing speed while globe is just a whooping 56 kbps. My location is Marikina City.

roxy said...

thanks for this. i was feeling really bad about having gotten the sun broadband wireless but i guess that unless i get the non-mobile kind, i really will have to deal with the limitations of wireless broadband services.

mimi said...

@ CHRIS

yeh. we definitely have the same situation. smart's here are in good terms, good connection. Globe and sun here do have worst connections. Location is a big factor.

mokiels said...

smartbro suits my broadband world. I have tried globe tattoo, and it really pissed me off. I switched to smartbro. The connection is not that bad as globe. There are down instances like slow connection due to typhoon.but it recovers immediately. not the best but certainly an okay.

dante said...

@mokiels
mas better ba talaga smart? kasi balak ko mgpakabit. wireless. ok dn kaya signal here in valenzuela?

mokiels said...

@dante..
hi. tga-valenzuela dn ako.yep ok connection here.my mga down moments pero pag super maulan lang. smartbro here is a good choice.:)

dante said...

ok. sabagay mga kapitbahay ko nakasmart. sige sige try ko. san ka ba sa val?

erikson said...

haven't tried anything except for smartbro. ok sya. until now.

mokiels said...

baket i-sstalk mo ko?!hehe. joke.
d2 ko sa may bandang malinta. ma-ok connection. kaw?

dante said...

sa may karuhatan :).. lapet lng. so cguro nga ok.cge i'l arrange my aplications:)

David said...

@mokiels & dante
Good.Good. Im also from valenzuela. Oks na oks tlga connection dito ng Smart dito saten.

Anonymous said...

hei guys,,which is better here in paranaque?globe or sun?haha
yuhn lang pingpipilian ko eh..

thnx in advance sa magrerespond..