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Hello, everyone! I have arrived in Cairo and have just signed for an apartment in Zamalek (in the vicinity of the Hotel Longchamps). The place has no telephone service(!!), which would not be a big problem for me because I have a cell phone, but I need ADSL service, which I know can take months to get installed.
I have checked and there is no network currently available in the building, at least not from my apartment, which I will be occupying in a few days. I don't want to be more than a day or two without Internet access in my own home, so have thought about a USB modem/dongle/whatever it is you want to call it for my Mac laptop before I abandon my hotel and its WiFi for the apartment.
Does anyone have a preferred provider via a USB modem? Mobinil, Vodafone, or Etisalat? I've heard bad things about Etisalat's customer service. Because the Internet will probably be my one luxury here in Egypt, price is less important to me than good service, reliability, and speed. I am hoping to buy one... well, tomorrow (Wednesday) if I can. Whoops--I've just noticed that it is already "tomorrow"!
Also, I've heard conflicting reports, including from the man from whom I am renting the apartment, about whether or not Skype is really blocked from 3G networks. Is anyone finding that it is _not_ indeed blocked via their USB modem?
Posts: 24 | From: Cairo | Registered: Aug 2010
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I have an etisalat dongle and I regularly skype. I think vodafone blocked skype, but I don't think Mobinil did because I have heard people elsewhere say they use it. I am suspicious that when they had the big outcry in March, it was skype-enabled phones they were really talking about but it got all confuzzled together in the public mind. I skype off my netbook not from a phone.
Check for up to date packages, but last time I checked and what I am on is the Etisalat package unlimited for 149LE per month. You are only supposed to get 6GB at high speed for that, and then the speed drops but is still adequate for skype. (I did get 10GB this month and in Feb I got 25GB but these are flukes).
They do have a higher speed package, but it is still limited to 6GB. If you are going to use a lot of bandwidth - depending what you are up to, might be worth forking out for 2 dongles and getting 12GB at quite fast speed rather than 1 dongle and 6GB at higher speed. Esp. if you want to stream tv from your country via a proxy or something.
Vodafone packages only include 2GB I think - check though for latest info - they were the ones who blocked Skype earlier this year, not sure if it is still blocked by them - once you have used your 2GB you will pay through the nose. Friends who have that have HUGE bills.
Mobinil is generally rubbish reception throughout Cairo but is the only thing that works in the desert.
I haven't had much problem with Etisalat customer service - well have only had 2 complaints in 3 years!
You do need to test out reception though. A friend moved apartments and wanted to consider etisalat, but I took my dongle there and there was very poor reception so he is stuck with Vodafone. And you may find out that where you are mobinil may be fine. My experience of Mobinil is from when a couple of years ago and from friends.
I have a theory that Etisalat is rotating work on its towers because my connection from the night before last until this afternoon was very flaky but is normally ok. Others in other parts of Cairo also seem to suffer the same. On the whole, I am very pleased with my etisalat and frequently maintain 40+ hours constant connections.
Re the reception - I do have to have the dongle dangling outside the window on a USB extension because reception inside my flat is not good enough.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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PS re Skype - set it up for Auto topups BEFORE you come to Egypt - in case you need to call real phones or whatever. I have heard people have problems with recharging Skype using PayPal here. Consider one of those subscription packages they do so you don't have to worry (eg I get 10000 minutes a month calls to UK landlines for £3.99 (about $5) per month and the US package costs similar but you also get US mobiles included.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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Thank you for the advice, Shanta! I might give Etisalat a try first if other suggestions don't come in before I head out to find a mobile shop around here. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who can check to see if my apartment is in a good location for a connection. I should have asked my landlord which mobile service he was using, because he was making cell phone calls from the apartment.
My mind boggles at having to dangle the USB modem out the window... but whatever works!
I found out about the problems recharging Skype while in Egypt the hard way. It was trying to force me to use Moneybookers, which was impossible for me because of the verification process (which seemed to require access to a US cell phone line; my US cell phone doesn't work abroad). I finally had to have my mother, who is in the USA, log on to my Skype account with her computer and set it up for me.
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It appears that it will be a Vodafone or Mobinil for my first attempt with a dongle. Etisalat has no store in Zamalek, and I won't have time (or energy) to go farther afield today.
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Aside from Etisalat cutting out completely last week in Heliopolis area I have had no other problems (aside from it just being painfully slow).
But Mum had a dodgy dongle so yesterday she went to Etisalat... they told her it was broken and they said it was 'user abuse' and charged her for a new one. (It wasn't abused!)
Saying that though, Vodafone wanted me to have a pre-paid dongle which I refused and they asked for 1000le deposit for post-paid! At least Etisalat were on the planet and just gave me 2 post paid dongles! Do not take the person who told me this to be telling thr truth as the next day a mate of mine went in a got post paid no probs!
You would think Etisalat having 15 outlets in Cairo Zamalek would have one!
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
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So here I am, proud owner of a new and fully functional USB modem... from Etisalat! I tried to get one from Vodafone but they required a landline, which I don't have. So one of my colleagues generously offered to help me secure one, and we did so this evening! She took me to a Etisalat office Downtown somewhere.
And I will report that Skype works perfectly with it. (Or seems to; nobody I tried to call back in North America is answering their phones today. But I did get through to an answering machine, which is a good sign.) The sales clerk even said that Skype would. "There was trouble earlier," he said, "not now." So now I am confused (but in a good way) by all those press reports.
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CF - try dangling your dongle outside to improve the speed - I have a USB extension cable and just keep it wedged between the window and frame and get a blue or turquoise light most of the time. If I shut the window I get the green 236kB speed most of the time - not good!
Wen - I have spent about 3 hours on skype today - skype-skype and skype-landline in the UK - so yes it's working fine.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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"I see the light" LOL Well maybe my model is older than yours as I've had it nearly 3 years. It has a light on it LED - best signal is indicated by turquoise, mostly it's blue which is the one beginning with H and I can't remember the rest of it, and then the green light is the slow speed. When I first got it, I had to hang it right out over the garden on a mop handle until they put a tower up near here. You can secure it just in the window frame and see if makes a big difference to your reception.
Like this: web page this is how I keep mine most of the time when I'm using it. The window is gently closed on it holding it in position so there's a gap about 5mm wide where the window is a little bit open.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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No mine has a green light that's all. It generally just flashes!
It is new and Mum got an upgrade yesterday on hers too. Her performance is worse than mine but after reading a few techhy sites there are a number of reasons hers doesn't work as well on her machine than it does on mine.
I won't go to the extreme of dangling the dongle as I sit by an open window... but I remember having to that exact same thing in the UK when I first had a dongle wi fi thing!
I have also managed to cloak my IP address, I just cannot use the dongle to watch anything but I can sit in the club with headphones and a beer which is no hardship I suppose Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
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I'm moving into my apartment tomorrow. I would have done so today but have been a bit sick. Not too sick to go out looking for sheets and towels, but apparently too ill to find them!
Anyway, I am hoping that the modem connection up there (it's on a high floor) is as good as I have here at the hotel. I don't, really, want to go dangling something out the window. Especially not if we get a lot of wind like we did this evening!
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