Smart Bro Plug it anywhere PREPAID
I’m surprised that i haven’t blogged about smart bro’s plug it anywhere.
Anyways.. the postpaid smart bro “Just plug it anywhere” portable broadband connection:
Smart BRO - Plan 799, allows you to surf the net anywhere there’s a PC! The Smart BRO USB modem is a small, palm-sized device that you can carry with you wherever you go. And anytime you need to surf, just plug it into the USB port of your PC, and you’ll get connected in a flash!
40 HOURS FREE per MONTH!
• Initial Payment - P1,999 (upon subscription)
• Monthly Fee - P799 only
*In excess of 40 hours will be charged P10 per block of 30 minutes.
Now, there’s a Prepaid version.. But the initial cash out is quite expensive.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. How much will the Smart Bro Prepaid kit cost?
Smart Bro Prepaid kit costs P4500 which already includes a USB modem and a SIM card. It already has a P30 preloaded broadband load which can be used up to 1 hour and 30 minutes of high-speed broadband internet use.
2. What are the necessary documents needed to apply for a Smart Bro Prepaid?
None as this is a prepaid offer.
3. How much will be the rate per use?
You will be charged P10 for every 30 minutes.
7. How will I inquire for the reload balance?
You may check the remaining balance of your Smart Bro prepaid using our Webconnect facility. Just log-on to http://smart.com.ph/smartbro and register your SMART Bro prepaid account.
Note: Registration only needs to be done once.
12. How can I load my Smart Bro Prepaid if I am not a Smart GSM user?
It is encouraged that you use a Smart GSM SIM. However, your other options are:
· Via Smart Load
· Smart Bro Load Card by using another Smart GSM cell phone
16. Can I use my Smart Bro Prepaid for international roaming?
No. Currently, international roaming feature for Smart Bro Prepaid is not yet available.
17. Are subscribers guaranteed the published speeds?
Smart Bro’s published speeds are the maximum possible speeds given in the broadband connection. While the speed can often burst to such levels, there are times when forms of technical interference such as noise, electrical shorts or software problems can interfere with the speed, which are beyond Smart’s control.
Also, very busy websites like Yahoo and MSN occasionally suffer from slowdowns, as well as graphic-heavy sites such as mySpace, Multiply or Friendster. The servers of most of these major sites are often located in other countries, such as the United States, which can further degrade performance due to the distance the signal must travel.
It is also highly recommended that you are situated in a 3G/HSDPA covered location to enjoy the maximum speed the service can deliver. (Link on the coverage)
18. Can the modem be infected or be a carrier of a virus being a USB device?
The USB modem cannot be infected or be a carrier of a virus since it has no storage capacity.
19. Where can I get a replacement battery for the USB modem?
The USB modem does not require a battery. It shall automatically obtain power supply once plugged into your PC or laptop.
20. Can I use my Smart Bro Prepaid SIM card for voice calls and/or outgoing SMS, with my mobile phone?
The Smart Bro Prepaid SIM card is a customized SIM that can only be used for data. Voice and outgoing SMS have been disabled. Credits cannot be used for voice calls and/or SMS even if SIM card is transferred to a mobile phone.
21. I have an existing non-Smart SIM card (Globe, Touch Mobile or Sun). Can I possibly use my non-Smart SIM into the USB modem?
No. The Smart Bro USB modem is SIM-locked to Smart, thus, you will not be able to use your non-Smart GSM SIM into the device.
Ummm. why get a separate gadget when you can use your mobile phone as a modem? And if you’re on the 3G network, you can have a fast and reliable connection.
And the procedure for reloading this gadget still needs the use of a mobile phone… tsk tsk tsk
Get a mobile phone plan from smart…. that’s better! Get an N95! or a mobile phone with Wi-Fi.
44 Comments »
Leave a comment
Featured
My stuff about the Nokia 6233, 6234, N77, N95, N800, and n82 - also for other S40 phones
= = = = CONNECTIONS= = = =
-
Buddy Blogs Ranks
-
Online Buddies
-
Buddy Blog Feeds
So expensive. I’m a SMART prepaid subscriber and I’ve been using my N6233 to surf the net thru my laptop when I’m at the comfort of my room. Still it charges the same rate (Php10/30 mins)
Prepaid options are supposed to be for the masses right? Then why charge the Smart Bro prepaid kit for Php4,500? Make it lower and they’ll attract their target market.
yeah agree, its so expensive kaya di masyadong mabango sa masa
I hope they can have a lower initial cash-out.
hows the speed naman?
gaano kabilis?
ang mahal pa rin ng kit… sana babaan ng smart
uu nga sobra mahal… sana babaan na lang kc sure naman na malaki ang kikitain nila… mas mura mas madami ang kukuha… mas madami gagamit kaya mas malaki kita nila… kesa ang mahal mahal…. lalangawin lang tapos gawa na naman sila bago promotion.. db???? mas magastusa sila… anyway.. kaya naman nila e….hehehe
so slow…. mas mbilis p ang dial-up
I’m really planning to get this one… But before buying one, i need to read more comments both constructive and destructive.
I worried becuz since its thru a mobile phone there would still be a great difference between using a real PC and a mobile phone. Issues like web caching, signal traffic, QoS(strong & reliable connection, no DCs), security, uncontrolled interferences, like bad weather, signal coverage, etc. etc.
The most important thing is, can it handle video/audio streaming or large file torrent downloads? I mean “384 kbps” is more than enough for it… but is it reliable?
Thnx in advance.
i check the site http://smart.com.ph/smartbro, there seems to be no login facility. can you be more specific on where to click? thanks.
I’m planning to buy this kit. Pero, I wonder if you still need to connect your pc to a phone line?
Hi to all Smart Bro subscribers,
There are many factors to consider if you want to purchase Smart Bro Pre-paid Broadband Kit.
1. The price of PHP 4,500 is very expensive. It is not affordable for majority subscribers (mostly students and low income earners). Even for middle earners, still not a priority. Unles you really want to spend this much.
2. Are you going to use for personal or official business?
For personal use the answer is not advisable as for now for the reason I have mentioned above (very expensive). Another, there are many options you can connect to an internet by either dial-up or LAN connections via Internet shops. Other internet shops allows you to connect using your laptop.
For official use, yes this is very convenient especially
for those field assigned employees, if incase you need to send report/documents to your boss at once. Anyway all expenses are paid by the company for official business.
3. For signals, not all areas have a good signals,
Philippines is not yet as developed as other countries which can provide 3G network anywhere. Not like here many areas are still dead spot and low signals.
Comment from : Dindo May 23, 2008
I’ve tried this in makati and in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
In makati, I was inside a building and I’ve got an edge/3G signal of about 7kbps.
Maybe, I’m inside a building, that is why reception is low and I have about 2-3 edge/3G signal.
In Dasmarinas, Cavite, it goes up until 57kbps in a 3G signal.
The 3G signal goes up 4-5.
Never encountered a DC. Not even once. And I’ve been using this for the 3rd weeks now.
Here’s a tip, use the thick USB connection wire that comes inside the package, instead of the small one.
I have a better signal using that instead of the small USB connector.
All-in-all, not a bad purchase.
I know that it can not go up to it’s published rate of 380+something kbps, because it all depends on the signal strength and the bandwith and the location.
But, living in a place where there is no phone lines yet, I have to make do with this.
ang problema sa smart, ayaw nilang magbigay ng warranty sa kanilang modem. And, although negosyo, sana maski yung less populated areas, gawing posible ang 3g coverage.
just purchased the smart bro prepaid. live in bacoor-las pinas-muntinlupa boundary. my experience with smart bro is mixed. sometimes super bilis, sometimes super bagal. it’s kinda irritating because of the unpredictability of the signal strenght. anyways, do you have tips on how to make this thing work consistently faster? would appreciate any info that I can use to speed things up.
palpak ang wireless mga kapatid.dont be deceive by those craftky commercials.were not that dumb.hangat nasa pinas ka puro sub standard lang ang merun,pano 3rd world kaya tipid lahat.
loko talaga yang smartbro plug it.. akalain nyo ba nman, try namin dun sa office nla, kabagal ng connection office na mismo nla d2 sa koronadal. kalokuhan yang smartbro plug-it., much beter pa phone with 3g. hindi pa sayang ang 45k nyo. nyahahahaha
Cherwin,
Nubayun! hehehehe
agree ako sa lahat ng mga comments sa itaas.napaka subrang mahal talaga ng kanilang smart bro prepaid. honestly im planning to buy a kit kaso lang di pa abot daw ang kanilang service dito sa amin sa san fernando, cebu.
hi. i’m planning to buy the kit this thursday and i will appreciate if you’ll be sending more comments as regards the smart bro connection in makati.
i just moved to my new room (though katabing unit lang naman, heheh) but the thing is, wala pang landline sa new room ko and before, my roommates and i were using dial-up since may phone pa kami and free wi-fi naman when we’re at our library and in powerplant. now, since may pldt landline plus naman na kahit laging out of stock :(, plan ko sana na magsmart bro na lang. is it advisable to buy one? since prepaid naman siya at puwede naman mag-load to any smart loading center (globe user po kasi ako)
can u make a comparison to the ff. net providers?
PLDT DSL
Bayantel
Smart Bro
Globe Lines
Well, I think it’s quite expensive but considering that a modem like that is really expensive then the 4,500 is worth it. I’ve seen one like that somewhere and cost is around 7k!
I actually have this dongle and it works perfectly fine around manila. I’ve used it in QC, Mandaluyong, Makati, Paranaque and in several areas. I’ve also tried using it in the province and it works ok. The speed goes up to around 200-400kbps which is not that bad anymore. I’ve tried it in Cebu City Proper, Davao City (Tried in Samal, can get a connection but kind of slow), Baguio, Pangasinan and Tagaytay. And as long as my phone can get a 3G signal, it works quite well. The only thing is that you can’t use this in enclosed spaces or basements where smart signal is relatively low.
I’ve tried using my mobile phone to surf to see the comparison also in speed, the thing is, with my mobile phone, the speeds goes up to 115kbps only. And what I like about this device is that it’s HSDPA. Whenever I get an HSDPA signal, connection’s quite fast. Most phones are only 3G capable and since it’s not a dedicated device, it gets disconnected when you receive texts and calls. And when I surf using my mobile, it usually eats up my battery.
By the way, it also connects to youtube. It’s not a bad purchase for me, in fact, I’m planning to get a line since I don’t really like re-loading all the time. Checking your balance is quite easy though, just register to Smart Webconnect and you’ll see your balance. I don’t get to see though the actual minutes I’ve used up and the actual available minutes.
One word for Smart Bro Prepaid, UNSTABLE. Actually let me make it three words, VERY VERY UNSTABLE.
It could’ve been a great deal since The Kit is the cheapest 3G/UMTS and 3.5G/HSDPA gadget around. Mind you, while 3G has a maximum speed of 384kbps a 3.5G can actually go around at 1mbps but i have no idea if Smart has already that kind of signal.
In Baguio City Session Road i tried surfing the net and it has actually a pretty decent speed with full bar 3G signal. Unfortunately the connection was very unstable i often dc’ed. And it hardly had the maximum speed. I was around 100-150 kbps and since i have a PLDT DSL connection which sometimes burst into 4mbps i can safely say big BRO here sucks. I also tried it in our province and it’s completely understandable why it’s so damn slow, only GPRS signal also known as 2G is available. Imagine an average speed of 12kbps, yeah i know i almost had a mental breakdown, but i had time when it jumped to 58kbps.
Now for the pricing, P10/30min is stupid considering you can get unlimited internet from PLDT on a much lower price. Here’s another stupid fact, their target market are those people who’s always on the go but once you start surfing you should accumulate the entire 30min block, if i think about it busy people only need to go online when needed like emails and messengers but i guess that’s another topic.
So to sum it up in case you didn’t notice i am very disappointed in their service. During this early stage of its development i highly suggest you stay away from this gadget and hope for the better.
And by the way, The Kit isn’t mine, borrowed from a friend and thought why not give it a try. I won’t get one for myself that’s for sure.
@cindy go pldt or bayantel
One word, UNSTABLE. Actually let me make it three words, VERY VERY UNSTABLE.
It could’ve been a great deal since The Kit is the cheapest 3G/UMTS and
3.5G/HSDPA gadget around. Mind you, while 3G has a maximum speed of 384kbps a
3.5G can actually go around at 1mbps but i have no idea if Smart has already that
kind of signal.
In Baguio City Session Road i tried surfing the net and it has actually a pretty
decent speed with full bar 3G signal. Unfortunately the connection was very
unstable i often dc’ed. And it hardly had the maximum speed. I was around 100-150
kbps and since i have a PLDT DSL connection which sometimes burst into 4mbps i
can safely say big BRO here sucks. I also tried it in our province and it’s
completely understandable why it’s so damn slow, only GPRS signal also known as
2G is available. Imagine an average speed of 12kbps, yeah i know i almost had a
mental breakdown, but i had time when it jumped to 58kbps. And just so you know, i’m 300meters away from their tower, yeah that close.
Now for the pricing, P10/30min is expensive considering you can get unlimited
internet connection from PLDT on a much lower price. However SmartBro Prepaid’s
target market are those people who’s always on the go so it’s never really ideal
for hardcore online gamers and downloaders. But judging from a busy person’s
point of view, their service is not a good deal since most of the places here are
dead spots or means no 3G signal. If you need to use email service on a GPRS
specially hotmail, you’ll have to wait at least 3mins and sometimes it doesn’t
open at all ’cause like i said, it’s unstable.
So to sum it up in case you didn’t notice i am very disappointed in their
service. During this early stage of its development do yourself a favor and stay
away from this gadget. Let’s just hope they strive to be better.
And by the way, The Kit isn’t mine, borrowed from a friend and thought why not
give it a try. I won’t get one for myself that’s for sure.
@cindy go pldt or bayantel
Mga friends,
Eh pano naman ung ginagamit ung gantong SmartBro connection sa VoIP, hindi ma-connect ung calls mo using your softphone. dahil Port Resticted NAT Firewall. Anyone tried it on VoIP, papano lulusot ung tawag nyo using SIP softphones?
Darn!! nkabili nga ako bro sobrang bagal ng connection! it sucks–kung sanang covered ng smart ang buong pilipinas LOL..i suggest not to buy this madness(though i admit i bought 1 hehhe ^_^) anyways. i love to keep in touch with the net thats why i bought this ^^
–patience is a Virtue
–but not for this damn stuff.
ngek……….sobra bagel naman……sana po mag unlimitid din tong smartbro!tnx
dAMM BUTI NALANG dipa ako nakakabili kasi may nagbebenta sakin 2nd hand nga lang for only 2.5k 3 wiks palng sa kanya sawa na daw kasi sya… buti nlang nabasa ko mga comments nio thanks…
pde ko b gmitin ung modem ng smartbro sa ibang wireless router even without the credit with it?
hey hey guys Im planning to buy this stuff,,just need some advice…
Guys, if you have a 3g phone, there’s no need for you to buy smartbro prepaid. it’s the same thing, mas mabilis pa. and mas okay. i’ve tried to use my n70 phone as my modem and super bilis nya (it depends sa area mo) but honestly, mabilis sya.
Ok guys, let us separate facts from fiction. First of all, you cannot compare the plug-it device with your 3G phone because smartbro’s prepaid supports High Speed Data Pocket Access better known as HSDPA. I have this device and all i can say is that it really works. You get to enjoy bandwidth up to 900kbps to 1.5mbps if you’re in HSDPA mode (automatically switches to different mode depending on signal’s availability). That alone cannot be achieved if you use your 3G phone! Now you know….
x.a.,
my 3G phone has HSDPA.
But it still depends on how much bandwith your network can give.
Nice one! How about the post paod one?
can anyone share the settings for smart bro prepaid configuration like apn profile name and number? smart wont share it to anyone unless you buy the whole usb kit. i already have the usb unit given to me by a friend. all i need is the correct settings to connect.
thanks very much!!!!
ProfileName: anything (ie: smartbromyself, etc.)
APN: internet
DUN: *99#
The rest of the settings you leave on automatic.
HTH
Sana babaan pa nila kahit 3 nalang 5 kami ang kukuha kung 3 thousand naland
pag email viewing lang, research ang kailangan mo pwede ang smartbro prepaid, pero pag nangangarap ka na magdownload ng files lalo na malalaking files, wag ka na mangarap… hahaha. Unstable talaga siya, example na lang, nasa gitna ka ng ginagawa mo tapos click mo ok, tapos nawala signal, siyempre maiinis ka dun, lalo na pag nagdodownload ka.
Minsan nga kahit malakas signal e bigla na lang disconnected kana, dito pa sa Makati yon, tapos 10 minutes ka pa lang naka-online, sayang ang 30 pesos mo… hehehe.
Kaya nga nagsisisi na ko bakit pa ko bumili… :-< (imagine mo na lang, dun sa commercial, habang kumakanta sandwich ng “Smart bro mga kapatid…” sumusugod sa smart ang mga nakabili ng smart bro prepaid ng may dala-dalang itak, hahaha, sinugod bah, joke lang:)
wag na kayong bumili ng smart bro prepaid…2,500 na lang binabaan na nila pano mas mabilis pa ang dial up na 56kbps kesa 1mbps nila..ewan nanloloko lang yata sila!nakakainis!
makarma sana sila sa ginagawa nila nakakaawa naman mga customers nila…expecting to use the maximum speed pro what they get is a connection that is so poor than the dial up!drawing lang pala ang 384kbps…kahit 1 or 4mbps pa makikita mo…sayang pera ko..bili na lang sana ng lobo…hehehe
pucha 7x faster than dial up pala damn di naman makacoonnect sa yahoo call bumilibili ako fake naman pala then no return no exchange pa manloloko talaga ang smart
dont buy smart bro prepaid kit nanloloko cla ng tao napaka bagal umaraw man o umulan d nag babago ung speed bumabagal pa d pa makaconnect sa web.
pwede i refund… wlang kwenta ang smart bro prepaid…. binili ko na lang sana ng load… ilang months pa yun… mag internet cafe na lang kayo…wla kwenta talaga produkto nila.. ang bagal….mag plan na lang kayo… wag yang prepaid….. Yung usb modem nila… ZTE gumawa… kaduda2x… may kickback siguro to….!
To late…Got the SmartBro USB kit already. Yes….It Sucks…..Sucks….Sucks…Whoever heads smart company, Fuck You..
Only comment about Smart Bro Prepaid is that it is VERY unstable at 3G/HSDPA speeds. However, I found out it becomes very STABLE once you changed the Network settings to use GPRS/EDGE. A little bit slower, but still comparably better than dialup.
bought it 2.5 k
ONe week na di ko pa nagagamit. Always 0bps transfer!! What could be wrong? my area is bacoor and i have signal and load?? Very bad buy..
Tip: Don’t buy smart bro prepaid