Out a Ways

[Bird]

Not insane; just expensive and time consuming, but quite possibly well worth it. Many of my neighbors, who are not full time farmers or retired, drive 50 to 80 miles one way to work every day. Thank goodness I don't have to do that anymore!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Richard]

Hi Paul

What you refer to is the "Direct-Duo" dish. Although I have one, I don't completely use it. I am 25 miles from work, on the lake in a log home. No cable, even with cat-5 wiring, my modem line is MAX 14.4 so I spurged and got an ISDN line. Gives me 128K upload and download, cost 30/35 month PLUS it gives me two additional phone lines into the house over my regular line! Has proven to be sufficient enough for my needs that I have yet to turn on the dish, though I do use it (dish) for my TV reception.

Regards,
Richard

 

[Wingnut]

OK, Richard, out with it ... how did you manage to get an ISDN line when you're that far out in the boonies ... or did I interpret "25 miles from work" incorrectly? I've kill (well, ok seriously damage) for an ISDN or partial ... but have always been told you have to be within 5 miles of a switch (and preferably much closer) ... so I've always had to settle for fast modems.
Direct-PC ... the comm part of the DirectDuo ... is way too expensive for what you get. You restricted in how much downloading ... they control what servers you have access to ... and you still need the phone modem for the send end of it .... so I'd caution anyone about getting one ($49/month !!)

peter

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[Wingnut]

Wil,
I stuck to the BUD, but I am thinking of upgrading to digital via 4DTV soon (the little dish was not an option since they don't allow me to determine my "package ... and I refuse to pay for sports channels).
if the D-PC people still haven't gotten back to you (I had the same non-answer experience with them) ... the answer is "nope" ... they woulod have to be your ISP ... because they have to get the stuff you're asking for and send it to the uplink computer. Neat technology ... but way too restrictive (and I've always made it a point to let my ISP or anyone else know as little as possible about my routine or posts-of-call!)

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[Richard]

Ok Wingnut (Peter), I'll confess...

I live 25 miles from work, but only live about 4.3 miles from the sliq (or maybe slik?) The sliq is a "MAJOR" phone junction box that, you are correct, you have to live within something like 3 miles distance to get phone service. Well, I live 4.3 miles which is the reason my regular modem gets MAX 14.4. Here in Tennessee, the phone companies got into some kind of hot/warm water once, instead of paying fines or something, the agreed that they would build up this kind of infrastructure (or something like that). Upshot is, they (phone companies)are *R.E.Q.U.I.R.E.D* to deliver ISDN to anyone that requests it, no matter their pain/expense. To make matters worse /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif they only charge me $35 per month. It took them roughly 2 1/2 months to get all the kinks out of the line over that 4.3 mile distance. Since I live literally at the end of the road (the road disappears into the lake by our dock) and there are only maybe 10 houses within 2 miles of us, the phone company isn't going to put another Sliq at a 3 mile junction and put one closer to me. I could tell when I was talking with the local phone guy that they were losing money on me /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif. I really hated that for him/them /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.

Richard

 

[Wil]

Yeah Wingnut, I guess I'm stuck with this slow connection until this area develops more and they run cable out here. I am not to anxious for that many neighbors, but it keeps developing out here so it probably won't be to much longer.

Wil