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Tag Archives: Smart Bro

Beta-Testing the Smart-LTE 4G Technology

Just came back from the Smart Jump Experience Center at SM Megamall to claim my package:

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What’s inside the package? The LTE device (Huawei E392), a Quick User Guide, and a Smart Bro SIM Pack:

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I am one of the chosen few to beta test Smart Evolution …

SMART-LTE, or Long Term Evolution, represents 4G technology, the latest in broadband tech. This groundbreaking innovation can handle blistering download speeds up to 42 Mbps. Its low latency rate also makes it ideal for streaming HD video, online games, video conferencing, and other high bandwidth apps.

Thank you very much to Smart Communications for this privilege! Please do check my blog from time to time as I post the results of my LTE test around the difference places in Metro Manila.

Smart Bro Pocket WiFi Application FAIL!

Another classic example on how mobile services in this country never fails to disappoint me …

Last 08 APR 2011, 21 days ago, I applied for a Smart Bro Pocket WiFi online, and just minutes later a certain Marc Arllan A. Laban-laban (Project Staff, Sales Strategies & System, Smart Communications, Inc.) sent me an email together with the application form. Within minutes, I sent him back the duly accomplished application form, together with all the requirements via facsimile – as instructed in the email he sent.

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Upon sending the requirements and the duly accomplished application form to this Marc Arllan Laban-laban, I immediately sent an email asking for confirmation if he did received the documents – no (immediate) response was received. Three (03) days later, 11 APR 2011, I sent a follow-up email asking if this Marc Arllan Laban-laban received the application form, together with documentary requirements I sent via facsimile, and he did called me up on my mobile asking for more documentary requirements – thus, I sent him my latest Smart Gold bill.

Follow-ups from my end had been made daily, until 14 APR 2011 when this Marc Arllan Laban-laban replied to my email (a couple of them, actually) stating: “Hi sir. I apologize for late reply. I’ll follow up your application today. – Marc” – this was the last communication I received from him.

I thought that I will be able to use the Pocket WiFi during the long holiday break, but it was an exercise in futility of imagination.

Today, 29 APR 2011 – some 21 days after the application has been sent to Marc Arllan Laban-laban, I called Smart Bro Hotline to make a follow-up on whatever happened to the documents I submitted. Surprise! Surprise! Smart Bro Hotline cannot find the application form I accomplished and submitted via facsimile to Marc Arllan Laban-laban last 08 APR 2011! What a shame on me tantamount to stupidity?! I am making a follow-up and it seems that this Marc Arllan Laban-laban did not submitted the application form, together with the document requirements to the unit that will handle (will process) my application. Tried calling the number gave to me by this Marc Arllan Laban-laban, and that office (telemarketers, shame on you!) advised me that he was transferred to another department (why didn’t you just kicked him out?!) and they cannot locate my application!

Minutes after I banged the telephone to these telemarketers trying to fool around me, asking me to just drop by a Smart Wireless Center to fill-up an application form, etc. a certain Ryan Jara called my mobile telling me that his guy left an application form at home today. He asked me to accomplish the form and to submit all of the requirements to a Smart Wireless Center. WHAT?! Are you kidding?! Or are you plain STUPID?! I waited for 21 days and now you’re telling me to go back to square one?!

This is really how you treat your loyal subscribers?!

Smart Bro Gives Away 10,000 FREE Dongles!

csb-smart-broStudents of member schools of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) gathered in a festive inter-university blowout mounted this weekend by leading wireless Internet provider Smart Bro.

Dubbed as “B Free Day”, in line with Smart Bro’s partnership with the two premier collegiate sports leagues, which produced limited editions of Smart Bro Plug Its, dongles designed with the sports team monickers of UAAP and NCAA member schools. These are Adamson University, Ateneo, La Salle, FEU, National University, UE, UST and UP for UAAP. The NCAA member schools are College of St. Benilde (CSB), Jose Rizal University, Letran, Mapua, San Beda, San Sebastian, Philippine Christian University (on leave), and University of Perpetual Help.

“Supporting school sports is one of our advocacies as these provide positive entertainment and promote healthy competition among the youth. Giving away the dongles is our reward to them, in line with Smart Bro’s goal of delivering Internet for all,” explained Smart marketing group head Annie P. Naval.

Held at the Megatent in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City, “B Free Day” thrilled the student crowd with back-to-back performances by popular rock bands Sandwich, Hale and Spongecola; raffle draws; and games and treats reminiscent of school fairs such as bail out jail booth, balloon darts, ball toss, back massages, burgers, beverages and other sponsors’ freebies—all beginning with the letter ‘b’.

Another popular section of “B Free” featured a remount of the successful Smart Bro Broadbandemonium – The Great SMART Bro Sale. The sale brought together major PC brands Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Neo and Toshiba, which have bundled Smart Bro in some of their latest models, to give buyers the right equipment to enjoy the Internet with Smart Bro’s fast connectivity.

Smart Communications, Inc. recently launched its expanded HSPA network nationwide, from Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte to Digos, Davao del Sur—with many more cellsites expected to go live before 2009 ends. Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and other key cities are already covered with seamless, high-speed mobile broadband which provides a subscriber high speeds of up to 5.8Mbps, enabling Smart Bro subscribers to enjoy the fastest wireless broadband service when surfing the internet.

Thanks to the wonderful people of Havoc Digital (and Rogue) for the Press Pass!

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Teaching SmartBro Techs How to Troubleshoot

Last week, we began experiencing an odd on and off connection of our Smart Broadband (SmartBro). Thursday, they advised us that their technical crew will visit us on Friday morning. Came Friday morning, the technical crew arrived, but there was a power interruption in our area, so I asked them to comeback the next day at around 1500H (since I have a class in the morning).

Saturday came, and at around 1300H, my wife sent me an SMS advising that the SmartBro technical crew are already there — too early for the 1500H schedule. So I sent instructions to my wife, based on what the CSR and I had agreed upon — to replace the LAN cable and AC adaptor of the Motorola Canopy antenna. To my surprised, my wife sent me an SMS again saying that the SmartBro technical team advised her that the LAN cards (01 onboard the mother board, 01 PCI, and 01 USB) are all NOT WORKING. What?! I immediately called home, and advised the technical crew to wait for me til 1400H (that was 1335H already).

When I arrived home, some 15 minutes later, the SmartBro technical crew were nowhere to be found. Apparently, they had lunch while waiting for me — that’s OK! So, when their team leader finally came face-to-face with me, I asked him what is their findings, and he said that my LAN cards are all defective. WTF?! Is that a coincidence or what?! I told him that it is impossible, since the PCI LAN card came from a workstation, that is in tip-top condition, plus the USB LAN card is working 100%. As I see it, it’s the Motorola Canopy antenna or the LAN cable from the Canopy to my LAN cards which is defective.

So, he brought a new (still sealed) Motorola Canopy antenna, attached a new LAN cable to it and the other end to my LAN cards (testing each of the network adapters), and still the error is “A network cable is disconnected.” He then insisted that my LAN cards are all defective. But, I told him, during the installation of the service two years ago, the technical crew had to change the Motorola Canopy antenna four (04) times, before we were able to connect to their base station. So, with a grin in his face, he went back outside and returned with another set of sealed Motorola Canopy antenna. He said, if this one will not work, it is really my LAN cards which are damned. But, before I let him attach the new antenna to my PC, I showed him that the onboard LAN card (Intel) is indeed working, as reported by the diagnostic tools software.

So, the cables were all changed, the new Motorola Canopy antenna attached, and wallah! SmartBro is back online in my PC. Now I firmly believe that their technical crew are NOT that technical at all. You see, troubleshooting needs some analytical thinking, and I do not know if they have it.

Ignoramus, SmartBro CSR-us

Two days ago, my wife noticed that the Smart Bro connection in our Windows XP machine is off and on. The network connection icon at the Windows XP task bar keeps on changing from “Connected 100Mbps” to “A cable is unplugged.” As someone who understands how computers work, I checked on the lan cable (that is connected to the Motorola Canopy antenna): it’s secured; checked on the LAN card thru the Intel diagnostics tool: it’s working properly; then I just noticed that when you move the AC adaptor cable, the connection is UP but when you drop it, the connection is DOWN. Could it be that the AC adaptor that powers the Motorola Canopy antenna is malfunctioning?

That very same night, I called Smart Bro Customer Support, and after talking to someone by the name of Jason for almost 30 minutes using a GlobePH mobile phone, the line was disconnected. It was almost 2300H already that night, so I didn’t bother to make another call to them.

Last night, the same problem is being experienced. I made call to the Smart Bro Customer Support again, and after being on hold for more than 15 minutes — using my GlobePH mobile phone (I did advised the CSR that I am using a mobile phone), the CSR instructed me to replace the UTP cable of the Smart Bro. WTF?! All I am asking was for a technician to drop by our place and check the cable connections, and now you are asking me to change the UTP cable by myself?