APCN2 Cable Break Slows Down Internet Access in the Philippines

The latest submarine cable break of APCN2 (Asia Pacific Cable Network) disrupted Internet access of Smart Broadband (Smart Bro) and partial slowdown of Globe Broadband

We use Globe and Bayantel in the office while I use Bayan DSL at home (that's a bit slow today).

I don't know how it affected Digitel and Sun 3G Broadband while PLDT MyDSL would probably be affected too.

Cable breaks are really a pain in the...In my "past life" as an internetwork engineer at Eastern Telecoms (ETPI now Eastern Communications), cable breaks last for weeks with no definite target of repair since cable retriever ships will sail and search for the underwater cable break for repairs. It's not an easy task and updates just trickle in once the cable repair ship reaches the estimated cable segment that needs to be reconnected (re-spliced is the proper term since all of them use fiber optic technology).

I will sometimes restore internet links using satellite backup links or other cable links like C2C, TGN-IA (TyCom Global Network-Intra Asia Cable System) and SEA-ME-WE 3 then use BGP routing to balance the links and prioritize premium clients over dial-up and DSL users with their minimum guaranteed bandwitch called committed access rate (CIR/CAR).

At least my office connection (dual-homed Globe and Bayantel) are doing fine while this Bayan DSL is quite ok though I will disconnect this to switch to Sun 3G wireless broadband due to crappy service.

Has your Internet connection been unbearable lately? Now you know the reason why.

Slot-Loading DVD Drive Won't Eject Disk Problem and Solution

I have a few months old Lenovo Ideapad Y430 notebook equipped with a slot-loading CD/DVD drive, the one with no tray that comes out for you to put the disk on and instead the disk is sucked inside the drive when you insert one.

Recently, I noticed certain compact disks wont' come out or eject out of the drive and instead get stuck inside and played again by my OS, either crappy Windows Vista or Ubuntu Linux.

At one time, I only held on to the drive opening and the disk ejected as if I cleared an obstacle for the optical disk to eject.

Today, I tried to play a DVD video disk in my laptop DVD player but it later won't come out and unendingly returned inside to play and the LED drive lights just kept of flashing.

Note that Slot-loading disk drives don't have the magic small hole on the drive where you insert an pin or wire to push a mechanism for the drive to eject the disk.

After many attempts and observing how the disk got stuck inside the drive, I got a piece of paper, inserted it inside the drive, over the stuck DVD disk and pressed the eject button-- the disk ejected successfully.

To make sure it's not a fluke, I reinserted the disk, made sure it's stuck again and repeated my "magic paper" solution and it again worked.

I found out that disks, whether CD or DVD, should not be thicker than standard thickness. My DVD has a sticker on it that made it slightly thicker than other disks that's why the extra thickness bumped inside the drive that resulted to the failed ejections.

The next time you face a problem like I did, don't panic and don't call support. Get a piece and paper wand your disk will be ejected in no time!

If you like this post, you can donate to my Paypal account. Remember I saved you a few dollars and time from calling your laptop Customer Support :P

Sun Cellular Broadband 3G Internet Settings with Mobile Phone as USB Modem

I had just bought a new LG KF311 3g-capable mobile phone from LG outlet in SM City North EDSA simply because I wanted to have a backup to my crappy Bayan DSL Internet connection

After testing the basic functions of my phone, I went to the Sun Cellular business center at the 4th floor of SM The Annex but I left after observing how slow their customer service counters were moving, much slower than Cory Aquino's cortege going to Manila Memorial Park (imagine i'm #37 and they're still serving #125 with more than 15 minutes per number...i didn't waste my time just to inquire how to setup my internet using mobile phone)

How to setup Sun Cellular Internet using Mobile Phone as Modem:

1. Connect your mobile phone to PC using USB cable supplied
2. Use the CD installed with the mobile phone to install the PC Suite and USB driver software.
3. to setup your Internet connection, use "minternet" as APN setting and *99# for Call number (this i copied from Smart's number since I can't find the info on the Internet and I can't get through to Sun Cellular Hotline 200)
4. I was able to finally connect and use my new Internet connection.

Initial Sun Broadband Internet Review is that it's fairly decent but lacking my speed expectations but I'm sure, in my area, it's faster than Globe Tatoo due to absence of 3G signal at home.

House of Representatives to Honor Cory Aquino and yet still want to go on with Cha-cha!

How could you, my "beloved" congressmen, honor Cory Aquino if you still want to push through with charter change. Didn't you know that it's Cory's gift to the Filipino people that you're trying to amend to suit your own ends?

Cory, unlike the present sitting president whose boots you lick, could've had prolonged herself in power having come from a revolutionary government yet instead used her powers to draft a new constitution.

The 1986 Constitution is not perfect but the amendments proposed are not really necessary.

Stop dreaming and leave Cory's gift alone. That's the best honor you'll give her in these days.