Streamyx VS Maxis Broadband

Simple opinion on Maxis Broadband and Streamyx as a Malaysian user.



Some of you might search about Streamyx VS Maxis Broadband and I just wanted to notify you earlier that Streamyx is wired and Maxis is wireless. They have their own pros and cons and should actually not be compared because they are a different technology. So, this comparison is actually based on wired VS wireless technology in Malaysia. But anyhow, we Malaysians just want value for money! So let's take a look...







As of 2010, Maxis provides wireless internet through the use of a USB Modem in competition with other phone companies like Digi and Celcom. I've been using Streamyx for a very long time, but I am currently using Maxis Broadband. They will have a little comparison for each category stated below.









Speed
Maxis has great speed for low price (3Mbps for about RM68?) while Streamyx has moderate speed for a higher price (1Mbps for RM88). When Maxis is stable and has good coverage, the speed is definitely excellent. But that is not the case with most users, even me.

Living in Putra Heights, Maxis had a moderate coverage on this area. However, it was worse for Digi, with no coverage at all. Some people experience very good speeds with Maxis, but for me, it was terrible. Speeds do not go more than 1KB per second at times, and I could not even check my mail. To get decent or nice speed was very seldom. Chances are NONE when my quota is reached.


Judging by the awful speed I get with Maxis, I do not think the rest with the same technology (Celcom and Digi) would be any faster. As so, Streamyx would be more stable and "faster" compared to these wireless broadband services.






Stability
Wireless can never beat wired technology when it comes to stability, and I'm sure you know why. Wireless is susceptible to natural phenomena such as rain and haze which can slow down transfer. The instability gets greater especially when your area is of low coverage. For stability, go with Streamyx.









Installation & Ease-of-Usage
Maxis is very simple to install indeed, simply by plugging in your USB Modem and install their program and volia, you got yourself an internet connection. For Streamyx, there's slightly more to it, but it's all done by the people who set it up for you.

Maxis is better in terms of installation and ease-of-usage as you can just plug in the modem, drivers will install and you get connection right away. No other configuration is required. It would be the same on any computer. Thus, it does not require any knowledge about any network devices.






Bandwidth
As you all may have know, Maxis has limits your bandwidth for the home user packages and for people who download a lot, it would be quite useless. Once the quota has reached, Maxis slows your speed drastically. For me, it's less than 1KBps, and that's just insane. Get Streamyx.









Price
For Maxis, it is relatively cheap compared to Streamyx and it would be a very good value over Streamyx if you really get what you were intended to get. Else, like most users, you might face stinking speeds (you call this broadband?) and instability that will make you feel frustrated.



Maxis also has a 7-day trial, and in case you are not happy with the product, you just need to return your modem and you get back all your deposit. This is true, but within that 7 days they will make sure you get good speeds, and after that is a different story. Your deposit is also a rebate (RM30) to your monthly payment, so I guess its basically free, you only need to pay for monthly fees. Contract? No contract, but you forfeit your deposit if you terminate after the 7-day trial. Digi however, has a contract and I don't recommend getting it because you will most probably experience the same problem as Maxis.

(Some damn girl at Lowyat told me that Digi has no contract and no quota, what kind of a friggin' lie is that?)



Anyhow, Maxis is certainly cheaper and if you get good speeds with it, then that's a very good thing.






Customer Service
Service? When did any of these Malaysian ISPs ever cared about service?







Overall
Overall! For stable, good speed and everlasting connection, get Streamyx. Streamyx allows you to play games, download stuff and do everything you need with a nice speed and guaranteed stability. Even if your speed is slow at the time, you won't go as low as 1KBps (maybe at least a few KBps? :D). You only get Maxis if you want to surf the net just for the sake of getting some information or send emails because it's cheap but slow. But trust me, you would LOVE Streamyx if you actually tried Maxis. Not to mention Streamyx sucks as well...but it's the best among the suckers. Malaysia's development in this field is underinvested and uncompetitive. There's nothing we can do.




Love,
Nicholas.