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Hello everyone,

This is my first posting on the forum. After reading some of the different forums it seems like the right place to hang around and get answers to questions relating to life in Shanghai. My apologies in advance if I ask questions that have already been answered in length already.

Which ISP is the best in Shanghai? I am interested in securing Internet service in my condo. How do I accomplish this?

A few details:

I'm new to China but have lived in other Asian countries.

I have no clue as to how to secure Internet services in China. I for all intent and purposes am the landlord of the condo.

I enjoy doing things myself.

Its a new building.

I have free reign in installing service from owner of condo. (whatever it takes)

Not sure if the building has a specific ISP deal in place. I don't think it does. Its a brand new building still under construction.

I arrive back in Shanghai in a couple of weeks and will be there for a couple of weeks. Can it be done this trip?

Cost estimates?

Time frame?

Sequence of process?


Thanks in advance for any and all help!

btw; Even though I mentioned "I have no clue" I have done some research.

In layman's terms: ADSL is available and is by far the most common. Your building just needs to be close enough to the ChinaTelecom "junction box". It uses the phone line so no need to do anything. Some buildings get prewired for FTTB. This is essentially a WAN (or LAN) only inside your building; a lot of people call this 'cable' but it's not. Outside the building it reverts to the ADSL/phone network. I've heard that real cable is becoming available but I can't confirm it and it is by no means widely available.
Having FTTB wired in multiple rooms in your home means you can plug in your laptop in these rooms without going to the expense and hassle of using a router (I've been told this but never tried it myself). Many FTTB buildings limit your max. download rate, often 1Mb.
I have been told by many building maintenance people and ISP's that ADSL over 2Mb is not worth it; it gives you no bandwith gain since the sum of the infrastructure inside and outside a residential building really can't support it.

So, you probably don't need to do much. Ask if the building will have FTTB, and ask if you can use ADSL anyway if there is FTTB. During peak useage hours FTTB can be slower. A 1Mb or 2Mb ADSL connection is all yours*

*At about 3pm there are so many people getting on the internet in China your speed will decrease. There is essentially a firewall around mainland China too. If your surfing is to non-mainland China websites, your bandwidth capabilities will vary greatly anyway. You will not have the 2~10MB bandwidth that is available in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc. Notice too I said your ADSL will be 1 or 2 Mb (not MB).

To get ADSL hooked up, it's just one phone call, and someone needs to be home with the PC when they come to install it. They can only install it in one room, so plan for a router if you need access in multiple rooms.

Thanks for the info CoffeeHawk _01.

Appreciate the added details.

If I may . . . what is the cost break down for standard service or premium service (if any?) Also, how long after scheduling the phone line installation will it take to get service?

Thanks for the help.

2MB ADSL for one year is 2000rmb, includes phone line and some free local calls. If you want a wireless router they rent one out for 20rmb per month. Dont forget to ask for IDD (international Direct Dialing), its free.

2MB ADSL for one year is 2000rmb, includes phone line and some free local calls. If you want a wireless router they rent one out for 20rmb per month. Dont forget to ask for IDD (international Direct Dialing), its free.

It's 2Mb not 2MB.
In Pudong I received the 2Mb for 1500/year paid upfront, in Puxi they are charging me 1680RMB/year paid upfront.

CoffeeHawk_0 wrote:
Some buildings get prewired for FTTB. This is essentially a WAN (or LAN) only inside your building; a lot of people call this 'cable' but it's not. Outside the building it reverts to the ADSL/phone network.

Where do you get this cockamamie idea ? Fiber is fiber. DSL is a different medium entirely.

WAN/LAN refers to wide/local area network not a type of 'wire'. In your apartment you use a CAT5 or CAT10 cable to connect to FTTB (not a fiber wire/tube BTW). You can plug your modem into any socket in any room so equipped and access the internet if you have FTTB, hence why it is like a WAN/LAN. It is also like a LAN because there is a server in your building where they can limit bandwidth, monitor what sites you visit, etc., and the 'wire' to your apartment is shared so speed varies with use. With ADSL there is only one specific telephone jack in one room that you can plug the modem into. With ADSL and 'cable' your 'wire' goes outside to a junction box where it connects to a bigger 'wire' so no sharing.

ChinaTelecom controls the whole network but it does lease out the lines in some parts of the city; Shanghai Internet Co. for example.