Telcel Day

Yesterday we headed into Guaymas to renew our Banda Ancha Internet account and to buy some time for our pay as you go phone. The phone part went well. We had to buy a new SIM card as it had been more than three months since we had used the phone and the account had expired. It was $140 pesos for the SIM and $100 for more time. We now have a new number and are ready to go.

My old Banda Ancha stick was incompatible with my Cradlepoint WIFI device and the larger laptop has Virgin Broadband installed on it which means the Banda Ancha stick conflicts with the Virgin program and prevents me from using Banda Ancha on that computer. I am sure I could solve the problem by uninstalling the Virgin program while we are in Mexico and then reinstalling it when we go back to the USA. The Banda Ancha works fine on the ASUS Netbook and that is what I have been using it on.

Telcel now has a new Banda Ancha device and I thought (hoped) that new device would work in the Cradlepoint. It happens there is a sale on right now that offers the new device and 1GB of data for $199 pesos ($249 after taxes). This is not much more than a new SIM for the old device so I thought, "what the heck", I would try it.

I bought the device, added another 3GB of data to the account and took it home. Well, it did not work in the Cradlepoint! I am no further ahead but the experiment cost me less than ten dollars so it was not that bad. I now have a backup Internet stick stick.

Today we are heading out for Los Moches and the gated Pemex parking lot for the night. Google Maps says it is a 4 1/2 hour drive.