wireless internet in China, USB access

[Pravit]

Funnily enough, when I was in China I was never blocked from editing my Blogspot blog, but I wasn't allowed to actually look at it. The big problem is getting my pictures onto a computer with internet access. I'll have my laptop with me, but no internet plan, so I'll have to use internet cafes. All of the internet cafes I used in Beijing had computers with cases that blocked off any access to the USB port, so I was out of luck trying to upload any photos.

So, here are my questions:

1. Was I just unlucky several times, or do most internet cafes simply not let you plug in a card reader?

2. Would it be feasible to subscribe to DSL from my dorm room in China, assuming there is a basic dial-up hookup in the room?

3. Any WiFi spots in Xi'an?

4. I remember reading long about about some free government-provided dial-up service in China that anyone could use. Of course, it would probably suck trying to upload pictures using dial-up, but it might be OK just to surf the net.

Thanks!

[ttss_9]

Hi Pravit, here's something I know that may be helpful.

1. I think most internet cafes do not allow people to use card readers for security of computers. But you may try more internet cafes. Once I came across one where several computers provide USB port.

3. I'm sure there are. In my hometown, which is a very small city, there are several WiFi spots. I think big hotels and universities usually provide such service. You may ask people in Xi'an for the exact location.

4. I don't know about free dial-up service. You may call local office of China Telecom for information of dial-up service.

Good luck!

[Josh-J]

You might find that hostels providing computers to non-guests are less restrictive about things like connecting a camera etc. After all in a hostel there are loads of tourists with cameras and things. The couple of places I stayed in Beijing had computers that you could connect a camera to (though infested with spyware and so-on). The first place at least had computers specifically for people not staying at the hostel (tho I don't know if you could connect things or not, i'd say quite likely); the second, I'm not sure anyone would notice and it wasn't free even for residents anyway.

[Pravit]

Thanks for the replies!

WiFi sounds like the most intriguing option. What's the popular Chinese term for "WiFi hotspot"? I imagine there must be some Chinese site out there that lists all the WiFi spots in each city.

Some Baiduing yielded this forum post listing a bunch of WiFi spots in Xi'an:

http://www.xbnb.com/read.php?tid=16411

The term he uses is "无线上网地点". Another guy used "WIFI热点".

Most of the spots seem to be in hotels or even office WLANs, but I suppose it'd be a bit awkward sitting around in hotel lobbies every time I wanted to use WiFi. Anyone know of some nice bubble tea cafes or something that have WiFi in Xi'an?

This press release about Xi'an becoming a WiFi city is also very encouraging, but I doubt they'll have finished installing all those WiFi spots by this summer.

According to my Lonely Planet guide:

To access the Internet using a laptop from your hotel room (if it has no broadband Internet connection), free dial-up access can be made by hooking up through the phone line and using the local dial-up number (usually 163 or 169, but ask the hotel what the local number is). Use the same number as the account name and password, and you can get online.

Has anyone ever tried this? And is this a hotel service or a service available to anyone who can get to phone hookup?

[Pravit]

And according to this and some other articles, over 200 express train lines in China should have gotten wireless internet access by the end of last year. Is this serious? This article says train 1477 from Beijing to Zhenjiang already has the service, and in this one someone used the wireless on K386.

[Senzhi]

In Shantou, wireless is not common. However, if you take your laptop to an 'internet bar' (as they so call it in 'Chinglish'), they might you let you hook up to wireless, if they have one. A bit of polite and humble guanxi might do the trick.

If you have a phone line in your dorm room, talk to your school if they can subscribe to China Telecom DSL for you. That is, at your own expenses of course, and only if the line can be upgraded to DSL.

I did the same with my school and had no problems. My fees: 1000 RMB for a one-year subscription and 300 RMB deposit. 2 MB in both directions. No download or upload limits. Something the west could learn about.

In Shanghai I had never any problems, but I was always in hotels who provided complementary DSL access in the room.

In Beijing I was never able to connect to the net with my own laptop. Bad luck, I guess.

If you're going to maintain your blog with a dial-up connection, you have my full respect for something called 'patience' ...

[Pravit]

Thanks for your reply Senzhi! BTW, Shantou is my "ancestral home", I think I should visit it sometime. What's it like there?

The idea about DSL access straight up the dorm room seems like a great idea. Nice to hear that someone was successful with getting it installed. I'll only be staying at the school for around 10 weeks, but we'll see.

[kaifaqu crue]

Three or so years ago, I accessed dialup in China on my laptop by buying a certain kind of IP card that included a dialup access number. From what I remember, you just dialed the number on the card with your computer and input some numbers as the login and password. It was pretty cheap and not too slow. I don't know about uploading lots of pictures or downloading video, but for regular surfing it worked well.

[mrtoga]

Your own dorm room hookup would seem to be the best answer. Should be less than 200RMB per month.

I have a wireless internet card that cost me 1,200 RMB (they maybe cheaper now). I can use it free for a year in Liaoning province and up to 24 hours per month outside the province. After one year you need a new SIM card which is 600 RMB.

It works, slowly, although there are certain locations where the signal can be weak.