Tag: internet

Meet myBRO: the latest in wireless home broadband

Posted on by jane

Our family cannot live without WIFI at home. My small write-from-home work as well as my social media requirements find me online from the time I wake up to the time I sleep. Add to that 4 internet-savvy kids who also MUST be online due to school work and of course, gaming. It is so important to us that the moment the internet lags or goes down, the whole house is in an uproar.

But seriously, that’s how important it is for me to be connected ALL THE TIME.

So I am quite picky and choosy when it comes to selecting an internet service provider (ISP). Well, to be realistic, there is no perfect ISP. But at the very least, the ISP must have fairly good service coverage, minimum downtime, and acceptable, consistent internet speed based on one’s subscribed plan.

I’ve learned of another option for people looking for a fixed wireless connection at home – myBRO.

The power of PLDT and Smart combined can now be seen in their HOME megabrand. The Fixed Broadband variants previously known as Bro Canopy and Wimax have now been merged and will be known as myBRO Wireless Home. It features a reliable internet connection at 512 kbps using the nationwide cellular network of Smart in order to bring wireless internet service right into your home and into your PC or laptop.

The first thing that caught my eye about myBRO was its AFFORDABILITY.

What can one buy for P26 these days? I cannot think of a decent meal or snack that goes for P26 or under. But for P26 a day, you can already get unlimited internet connection with myBRO’s Plan 799 (with speeds up to 512 kbps).  Your family can now be connected to the internet 24/7.

This is just right for families on tight budgets with children who are schooling and need internet connection. It’s great for yuppies who are just starting out their careers and need to tighten their belts. Even for those with existing internet subscriptions, myBRO’s Plan 799 can be a great secondary option as it is so reasonably priced.

Up to July 15, 2012, there is also a Back-to-School promo for myBRO’s Plan 999 (with speeds up to 1 Mbps). You get 50% off your initial cashout as well as on your first monthly fee. Huge savings for families watching expenses. Check out the mechanics for availing of this promo HERE.

myBRO utilizes Smart’s cellular network service nationwide. I can personally attest to how RELIABLE Smart’s service is. On one summer some years back, on a ship in the middle of the seas between the Visayas and Manila, I had a Smart signal!

Here’s one more thing you might like. It does not take long to install myBRO in your home. 48 hours after you pay for your subscription, your internet connection is up and running. That is FAST!

I know that many parents who do not have internet at home have to tolerate their kids’ going to internet cafes to do schoolwork. Not only is it expensive in the long run but if they have to work late, it can also be a risk to their safety. That’s why I like to spread around the word about reasonable internet plans like myBRO. It is now that much easier and affordable for all of your family members to be connected to the web from the safety of your home.

You can get more information about myBRO by dialing *1888 from your Smart phone. To apply for myBRO, just go to any Smart Store or PLDT Business Office nationwide or any accredited Smart or PLDT sales agents. You’ll need to bring along with you proof of identification as well as proof of billing address. You can also subscribe by logging on to www.mybro.com.ph/apply-now.html.

*This is a sponsored post.

How (and how not) to activate a prepaid Smart Bro micro sim on the ipad

Posted on by jane

When I got my 3G iPad last year, there were no prepaid micro sims available yet at Globe or Smart so I went to one of the stalls in Theater Mall, Greenhills where they charged me P100 to cut up a standard Smart Buddy sim to micro sim size.

I discovered that Smart had this smart feature called Web Connect.

You register the sim online, fill up some info about yourself, assign a password, a TPIN (optional) and you were good to go. Web Connect allowed you to inquire about your sim balance, avail of promo packages, and get technical help when needed.

For several months, I was happy. I’d use the Pasaload feature to load up my iPad whenever i needed to go 3G. But when carriers began offering prepaid plans with unlimited surfing for a day, a week and a month, I realized that being charged P20/hour was getting costly, especially since I needed to be online whenever I was out of the house.

Mistake # 1 – Wrong Sim

When the Smart system detects that your sim is a Smart Buddy, you only see call/text promo packages on your Web Connect account! So all that time, I thought an ipad could never avail of unlimited surfing packages and had to be content with hourly rates. Yun pala, I had the wrong sim! It had to be Smart Bro!

So last week, off I went to Smart Wireless Center and purchased another sim, costing only P40. This time, I made sure it was a Smart Bro prepaid micro sim.

Mistake # 2 – Registering on Web Connect via Web

As I’m always wifi-connected at home, it was just natural for me to register on Web Connect while on my home network. Apparently, Smart’s system requires that you register by being on 3G AND using the iPad’s micro sim. Otherwise, your Smart Bro packages and other promos don’t show up on your account’s screen.

I learned this the hard way and had to communicate with @SmartCares (Smart’s Twitter account). They had to refresh my micro sim so I could register again.

I think I successfully activated my micro sim because last I checked, I could already see the Smart Bro packages for unlimited surfing options.

Just one last hirit (my suggestion) for Smart people.

The iPad has no texting function unlike a smartphone where you text a given format to subscribe to unlimited surfing. The way the Smart system is now, it appears that you need to first connect to Smart using your 3G connection (which means you get charged P10 just to connect). Then you choose an unlimited surfing option, say the P50 unlimited surfing for one day. So in effect, I get charged P60 instead of what should just have been P50 had I subscribed on a smartphone.

Can Smart please find a workaround so I can register for surfing options via wifi on Web Connect instead of spending P10 just to connect via 3G? Anyway, the account requires a password so no one else can enter the account and register for a surfing option and other packages.

Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout is here!

Posted on by jane

Shortly after the recent Japan quake struck, our internet connection began to suffer. When I say suffer, I mean really painful, tortuous suffering. You see, we have a 3Mbps plan with this broadband company and even if I had my entire brood online, we never had serious problems with speed. As an active blogger, I could still happily surf the net for my writing tasks while keeping up with my social network contacts. My kids could still do research for their academic requirements while watching YouTube videos.

But up to this time, we are lucky to get even a 1Mbps speed constantly during the day. At night, when everyone is online, our internet speed would drop to dial-up speeds (as slow as 0.12 Mbps). I’ve not had speeds like that since maybe the early 2000’s! And to top it all, there was one day this week when our internet connection totally conked out! What was I to do?

Guess what saved the day, at least for me — my SmartBro dongle!!!

I topped up my prepaid SmartBro number with enough load and subscribed to UNLISURF50. That gave me unlimited internet connection for one whole day!

This really got me thinking that subscribing to just one broadband carrier may no longer be sufficient. There is a need for a backup carrier. The kids and I cannot afford to have the internet down because my work is primarily online and they have a lot of schoolwork online too. And truthfully, I think we will all have withdrawal symptoms if we go without the internet even for just one day. Hahaha…

Now is the time to seriously look at what could be Smart Bro’s grandest, biggest bang-for-the-bucks broadband blowout. 

Smart Bro’s Unlimited Home Broadband Plan is available for either Php 999 or Php 1995. And that’s not all. You get the following ABSOLUTELY FREE just for subscribing to either of these two plans:

1. FREE All-in-One HP Printer 
2. FREE Call & Texts with SMART Gold Lite Plan 300 for 6 months subscription
3. FREE 1-month broadband subscription

You get consistent and stable surfing speed, unlimited internet connection and all these freebies to boot!

This summer, I’m seriously going to look at these unlimited broadband plans. My kids and I have come to depend so much on internet connection that we really cannot afford to do without it on a daily basis. The kind of unexpected disaster wrought by the Japan quake tells me that it is always good to have alternatives. Smart Bro gave me the internet connection I needed when my other broadband carrier failed to deliver. I think it will continue to come to our rescue down the road.

That is a big thumbs-up for me!

If you are like me, an avid internet user, and most of all, if you’ve got internet-savvy kids who will climb the wall if the internet is disrupted even for a few hours, you need to look at Smart Bro’s summer promo and avail of the cool freebies. I bet you need that HP printer like I do to replace my 3-year old HP inkjet printer.

Check out Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout. This promo runs from March 4 to June 4, 2011. You can find additional details on this promo at the Smart website. Just click HERE.

Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 1871, Series of 2011.


(Note this serves as my entry to Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout blogger contest.)