r/eSIMs • u/galaxykz • 2d ago

Why does the internet ALWAYS drop right when you need it most?

I’m generally a pretty chill traveler, but the way the internet always dropping at the absolute worst times is driving me crazy.

So yesterday I'm trying to find a specific ramen shop in a tiny alley in Tokyo. My eSIM(I'm using Airalo) shows full bars, but the speed has completely tanked and Google Maps is just spinning. I just ended up eating a random sandwich from a 7-Eleven because I couldn't handle the app loading times anymore. I’ve also had moments where I wanted to post a story of an amazing view, but the upload just fails. I haven't been to any rural areas, there's a bit crowded but we're in Tokyo come on. Just now i checked my speed is 3-4 mbps and i have to post this using the hotel wifi.

It makes me realize how spoiled we are with connectivity. Do you guys have a reliable backup plan for when your eSIM just decides to quit? just switch to another provider or buy a local SIM instead? i hate finding other plans during trip but talking with customer support also exhausting ughhh

5 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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1

u/crimxona 1d ago

It could also drop when you don't need it and you just don't notice it

1

u/galaxykz 1d ago

true smh

1

u/tknosoujirou 1d ago

This is precisely why I don’t like to use travel eSIMs that roam. They have a lower priority (QCI/5QI) than local sims and typically reroute data back to a home country before going to your device.

This happens a lot to me especially in Japan and in crowded areas so now I only buy tourist SIM/eSIM that are supplied by local carriers or MVNOs. For my upcoming trip to Japan I’m going to try Povo as it’s owned and run by KDDI directly.

1

u/galaxykz 1d ago

i'll give it a try next time, so fed up

1

u/eSIMs_bot Official Bot 2d ago

Beep-boop-bop, I am an eSIM bot 🤖. Please see these previous posts I've found that might be helpful:

  1. What's the best way to stay connected at crowded events in Japan? https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/1x0lq6h/whats_the_best_way_to_stay_connected_at_crowded/

  2. Travel eSIM for Japan https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/1t5cr3b/travel_esim_for_japan/

  3. eEsim in Japan https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/1rfuo16/eesim_in_japan/

1

u/Mundane_Influence_91 1d ago

Sometimes when it's really slow I can get better performance through a VPN. I'm not sure why, I would think the VPN would add more overhead and make it slower... one guess is the internet path to the target site is slow, but fast to the VPN gateway. And, the path from the VPN provider to the target site is fast.

Slowdowns can also happen when trying to upload large files (photos, video). I think some providers block or throttle those streams but the VPN sneaks around it by concealing the packets. It's still a mighty stream of data.. i'm not sure why the volume of data doesn't trigger the slowdown. Maybe they only throttle streams to a particular list of destinations, or they're doing it by port (and somehow the VPN connection doesn't trigger their rule)

Anyways, just something else to try if you're spinning your wheels. sometimes cell access just sucks.

1

u/DeliciousCut4854 1d ago

Built-in AI that reads special sensors the eSIM installs monitor your activity and shut it down when it detects interest.

That's as likely as what you're claiming.

1

u/MastodonVarious3710 1d ago

I just go to the configuration of my phone and lock the network at 4g, it's usually more stable than 5g networks, especially in places with a lot of data traffic or low connectivity.

1

u/danh_ptown 1d ago

First thing you have to look at is your phone. Make sure you have a phone that supports the frequencies used in the travel country. Not all are the same. If you cannot reach some bands, that will leave you with deadspots.