daveshoot
Silver Member
I'm sure most people think southern California has wall to wall high speed internet. I guess I assumed it did, too, until I moved to rural NE San Diego county. My little spot was cursed... too far out for DSL, no cable (how did a certain company get the franchise?), no nada. I didn't like anything I had heard about the sat services.
There are 2 competing private wireless systems here, but neither would reach my home down in the little valley, even though it is one of the main thoroughfares to town. My neighbor to the north lives on a large steep hill that blocks line of sight to the mountain where the transmitters are. The only solution to that would have been more dynamite than I could likely purchase, and considerable legal fees.
For 3.5 years my connection has been the 4G cell tower nearby. This was better than nothing, but speed issues aside, you have the dreaded data cap. In this day and age, 5 Gb per month does not go very far, and the overage charges are outrageous. So for 3.5 years I have gotten out of the habit of clicking on video links, downloading music or much of anything else, and avoiding large email attachments. Had to save anything interesting to view at work.
Finally I had the wireless guys out for a site survey while I was home, and behold, there was a line of sight to the mountain from my little pasture, down by the well pump. They had not realized that was part of my property in the past, and the spot is about 200' from the house.
Time for action. Used my little DitchWitch to trench as part of the larger irrigation project. Rented an UnderWunder to bore 23' under a very thick concrete driveway. Ran most of 300' gel-filled CAT5e in 3/4" conduit (adding junctions and pull rope for future), routed through outdoor roofed area, bored through wall, and down the attic. Chipped, bored, and shoveled a 40" hole wider at the bottom, installed 2" OD galvanized pole (not standard fence post), and filled with 'crete.
And finally I was ready....
The guys were out yesterday. I took a vacation day to meet them. The dish is a 25" 5.8 GHz with receiver for the Motorola Canopy system they use to deliver the service. I picked up a new Netgear N750 wireless router and installed it in the centrally-located laundry room. I still didn't really believe it was gonna work, until they came out and said, "you've got net".
OMG... 8+ mbps download, 2.74 mbps upload, for the cost of my ATT data card! Movies, cartoons, music, came pouring into the house! All at once! No data cap! I played an old TV youtube of Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer, just for the heck of it! Also my phone and mommy's iPad thingie are now like instantaneous; she did a "face time" session with her mom and it was like ESPN coverage.
Folks, if there is such an option in your worlds, all I can say is that it's been life-changing. At least for the last 12 hours.
There are 2 competing private wireless systems here, but neither would reach my home down in the little valley, even though it is one of the main thoroughfares to town. My neighbor to the north lives on a large steep hill that blocks line of sight to the mountain where the transmitters are. The only solution to that would have been more dynamite than I could likely purchase, and considerable legal fees.
For 3.5 years my connection has been the 4G cell tower nearby. This was better than nothing, but speed issues aside, you have the dreaded data cap. In this day and age, 5 Gb per month does not go very far, and the overage charges are outrageous. So for 3.5 years I have gotten out of the habit of clicking on video links, downloading music or much of anything else, and avoiding large email attachments. Had to save anything interesting to view at work.
Finally I had the wireless guys out for a site survey while I was home, and behold, there was a line of sight to the mountain from my little pasture, down by the well pump. They had not realized that was part of my property in the past, and the spot is about 200' from the house.
Time for action. Used my little DitchWitch to trench as part of the larger irrigation project. Rented an UnderWunder to bore 23' under a very thick concrete driveway. Ran most of 300' gel-filled CAT5e in 3/4" conduit (adding junctions and pull rope for future), routed through outdoor roofed area, bored through wall, and down the attic. Chipped, bored, and shoveled a 40" hole wider at the bottom, installed 2" OD galvanized pole (not standard fence post), and filled with 'crete.
And finally I was ready....
The guys were out yesterday. I took a vacation day to meet them. The dish is a 25" 5.8 GHz with receiver for the Motorola Canopy system they use to deliver the service. I picked up a new Netgear N750 wireless router and installed it in the centrally-located laundry room. I still didn't really believe it was gonna work, until they came out and said, "you've got net".
OMG... 8+ mbps download, 2.74 mbps upload, for the cost of my ATT data card! Movies, cartoons, music, came pouring into the house! All at once! No data cap! I played an old TV youtube of Rednecks, White Socks, and Blue Ribbon Beer, just for the heck of it! Also my phone and mommy's iPad thingie are now like instantaneous; she did a "face time" session with her mom and it was like ESPN coverage.
Folks, if there is such an option in your worlds, all I can say is that it's been life-changing. At least for the last 12 hours.
:thumbsup:
