LAN port on Mobily fiber router

Recently, i disconnected from STC landline, which i have been with since 20+ years. Nowadays, it wasn't being used that often, only seldom someone calls. The only reason until recently was to have DSL which has unlimited data. But then, being in a location that doesn't support good speed, I was limited to just 4MB bandwidth. 

It was then Mobily started their fiber optic push. For STC was making me poor by 200+ each month while with Mobily I can have 10 times more speed (50 MBPS) for about 170+ (1,200/- for 7 months prepaid).  

So I went for mobily. Though I send them whatsapp messages and all, what finally helped me get it connected was after i contacted them through their twitter support (I guess). 

The technician made an appointment after a day or two since two guys came to collect the fee (1200 + 5% VAT). Technicians had a hard time pulling the cables but they finished it in two hours. It is better to choose an appointment in the day time if your appartment has difficulty pulling cables. 

After connecting, the technicians recommended a mobile app to be downloaded which consistently showed 50MBPS. I was more than happy.

Sharing few things I happen to find while using Mobily, hoping the reader may find it useful:

My laptop was placed a little away (about 10m) in a different room and the bandwidth fast.com reports was just around 5 to 10 where as I should get around 50. On my mobile I gets 50 if only I connect the one SSID that has 5G in its name (By the way, this SSID doesn't show up in my laptop). The router has 3 pre-built SSIDs. The technician told me the one with 5G in the name has lesser range but is fast and the other has more range but less speed. 

The modem we are installed with is from Huawei (so bigbigbro china tapping me round the clock?!) HG8245Q. Apart from the laptop and many mobiles, I wanted to use the LAN port in the router to connect a Pi and a backup HD. 

I was a happy camper until I found that if only I connect my laptop through cable, I would get 50+ speed. So with difficulty, did the wiring and connected through a cable. But alas, though there are 4 LAN ports available, after much misery with wrong diagnosis, I found only ports 1 and 2 works. Searching the internet for this router gave me the following knowledge:

Some of the operators disable all the ports and charges (don't know whether the operator or technician) 10$ per port for enabling them. Mobily seems better compared to them because they have enabled 2 of them. I saw some internet pages where mobily customer support replying that they have raised a ticket and thereafter nothing, which implies the customer got it fixed by mobily. 

Before going to their support, I did search further and found what I have been looking. There is an admin user id and password. Once logged in with that credentials, I could see that in one of the page (LAN something), only two of the ports got ticked. When I checked all the ports and restart, got it all working! For my relief now, my laptop too shows 50+. (Yesterday when i checked it went down to 14 but then I found a bend in the incoming cable which when straightened, the speed was back to 50+).

Anyone with any further tips ? Please comment.

Transferring files from laptop to android

Recently bought an android mobile (Samsung Galaxy GT I 9000). It came with Ver 2.1 but a search brought me 2.3 (gingerbread) image for the device. Did lots of research, spent a night, stopped breathing for a while (when the image was being flashed to the device until it booted!). The result was worth the effort. The only problem, if I call it one, is that before I was able to see Arabic as is but after 2.3, it is not. Another big disadvantage is, I believe I am now out of warranty!

Then this morning I need to transfer some MP3s to the phone but alas the cable is in the car.

It was then an idea flashed my mind. The mobile and laptop are connected to the same router. Why not try installing a light ftp server on the laptop. I already have an ftp client (AndFTP) installed on the mobile.

Did exactly the same. A Googling for "download simple ftp server" brought me this download link. Installed and configured. I had setup portion of my RAM (512 MB) as a virtual disk. Copied the mp3s to this folder and from there downloaded to the android.

The speed was not very good but was enough to complete the copying in a reasonable time.

Updating a DynDNS address through batch file

Some of the routers have this feature inbuilt. But the latest mobily wiMax router doesn't have this feature. So I have been in search to have it even if the router doesn't support.I googled today to this page and that ended up making a batch file doing the whole thing in Windows, in a different way than described there.

To try, save the following in a batch file (say setip.bat). Replace those in italics with your values

@echo off

wget http://checkip.dyndns.org -O ip.txt

awk95 "{split($0,ar,\":\"); ip = substr(ar[2], 1,index(ar[2],\"/\") - 2); printf(\"set ip=%%s\n\",ip);}" ip.txt >sip.bat

call sip

start http://login-id:password@members.dyndns.org/nic/update?hostname=yoursite.selfip.org^&myip=%ip%^&wildcard=NOCHG^&mx=NOCHG^&backmx=NOCHG

Note:

1. DynDns.com is one site among many that gives the facility to have a web address to your machine.

2. awk95.exe is the Windows equivalent of awk in Unix/Linux etc.

3. wget.exe is to open any http/ftp pages from command line.

4. those lines without space in between are supposed to be a single line. After copying this to notepad, make that change before you try.

5. awk95 and wget is available to download if you do google them.

Would love to see your feedback, should you find it useful..

(I didn't know that DOS batch file have escape character. I just learned and it is ^)

Breaking News: 2nd Landline provider !

I have been dreaming to have a 2nd landline provider available locally so that I can switch from STC. It's been rumoured since some time that they are coming.

The rumour mill is now on high pitch and I wish my wishes will be fulfilled soon!

The reason why I want to try something other than STC: I feel their land line billing is not quite transparent. When things don't work the way it should irrespective of whatever we do, we tend to do some trial and error experiment. Trying a different provider is likewise.

I heard initially the offer is for WiMax for 2024/- per year  with charges as under with an extra year as promotion! That makes the monthly WiMax bill to somewhat a reasonable SR 85/- SR 119/- (I wish it to come down to SR 30/- someday!)

 

 

		Service  Charges
Speed	CPE / Activation Charge	3 Months	6 Months	12 Months
512 Kbps	420	565	1,105	2,085
1 Mbps	420	650	1,225	2,305
2 Mbps	420	700	1,325	2,420

Now to see for yourself, please check here. Related info here and here.

DSL prices slashed

This might be no news for those watching the prices and seeing the advt. Still, I came across many among my circle who are not aware of the new reduced price from STC. This post thus is for them as well as for myself, for it is so tedious at times to browse the STC site to get the information you look for. 

The following is from this page in the STC site.

Description of service:
Prospects for a comprehensive DSL service allows the customer access to the service of the prospects for DSL, Internet service and collectively, through one bill, so as to integrate the prospects for DSL service salaries and wages Internet service invoice Phone customer, with the full support of after-sale services.

Benefits:
• We offer you the prospects for DSL service and the Internet in an integrated manner, it cost the trouble yourself thinking in the search for the participation of Internet service with you the prospects for a comprehensive DSL.
• You are dealing with only one hand and a (telephone).
One bill, there is no need now to pay bills for more than one point, it will be one bill, phone bill combining all the wages required.
• Integrated support for after-sales maintenance when there is no problem for you, you can contact the Centre for Customer Care 907 offers you all the support officer you want, and if required by the maintenance technician to visit your site.


Wages

Founded: 300 riyals (paid for once).
Monthly Subscription:

Monthly Charges	Installation Fees Once at Installation	Connection
SR 99	SR 300	Up to 128 Kbps
SR 149		Up to 256 Kbps
SR 199		Up to 512 Kbps
SR 211		Up to 1 Mbps
SR 222		Up to 2 Mbps
SR 244		Up to 4 Mbps
SR 555		DSL Max (Up to 20 Mbps)

Sending mail while connected via mobily connect

Setting up an email account in outlook (or any email client) for an STC DSL connection or Mobily Wimax is straight forward. But with mobily connect, it is not so obvious.

I googled a lot to find out the smtp settings for mobily connect, but seems the tunnel is long as I haven't seen the light yet!

But the googling took me to this page where a workaround is describe and it works like a charm. The stunnel.conf I used is different than the one described in the page. I used the following:

client=yes
[smtp]
accept = 25
connect = smtp.gmail.com:465

Please note to keep the

client=yes

line at the very beginning of the .conf file.

Internet through Satellite

Other than STC (wired, mobile and wireless?) and Mobily (mobile and wireless), a 3rd internet provider in the Kingdom is satellite ISPs. For now I know only orbit. I guess there are few others too. 

Until some time in the past, the orbit guys used to shoo away their potential customers (probably they had too much?) but recently they too are in the market looking for customers. One of their Sales person came to me. I just noted the prices, checked with an existing customer who rated it a little below DSL. Still it does have relevance where the service is poor with both STC and Mobily. One of the disadvantage (yes, for some its an advantage!) is that the default blocking of unwanted sites is not there with this connection. So you got to be having lots of self control not to wander and spoil your repute, money, time, future and life (both here and hereafter :) )! But that is what a freeworld is. isn't it? You got to have the freedom to be  and not to be! 

I am afraid there is download and upload size limit per day except for the 2k per month subscription. For locations where 20 or more people can be organized, an unlimited internet connection shared among as many people for SR 100/- a month I believe should be a good bargain.

Please see below the price list I was given. Not sure how authentic it is and whether it is valid now.