Directv vs. Dishnetwork

EarPlug · Nov 27, 2001

I tried the 2 way satellite service and the experience was awfull!! The installers we incompetent (I had to show them how to get the dish level & plumb), provide them with tools, etc.

When the boss came out after 2 weeks we finally got the service running. BUT, most of the time I had better speed with the dial up modem. I did talk to a tech that told me the service works better the further south you are. The SAT is stationary over the equater so the further south the better the signal (I'm in Colorado)

The service was so inconsistant that I junked it. For $900 in equipment and $90 per month it just wasn't worth it.

I was able to get a microwave service from http://www.sprintbroadband.com and it works great. Basically the same as the cable modem I had befor moving to the country.

Jack

GlueGuy · Nov 27, 2001

Where we live, there is no:

1. cable
2. ISDN
3. DSL

We are approximately 80,000 feet from the CO. At that distance, we feel fortunate to get phone service. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif We do get a dial-up connection, but it is usually 21K or 24K on a good day.

We looked into the Sprint broadband direct, but they don't make it over Montebello Ridge, so that wouldn't work either. Also, they have stopped signing up new subscribers.

DirecTV wasn't signing anyone up for the 2-way service last time I checked.

The DishNetwork 2-way looked pretty pricey, but it seemed to do what we need. Perhaps I ought to tell them what I'll pay and see if they'll take it or not?

The GlueGuy

MossRoad · Nov 27, 2001

I heard that some of the problems with 2 way satellite are that since it emits microwave energy, you could roast your weeny if you went in front of the dish while transmitting.

Also, the bandwidth is very touchy. If you start downloading gobs of stuff, they will cut your bandwith down as a penalty.

Microwave is cool stuff. Pretty decent speed, but you have to be line-of-sight with the company. It's available from Sprint in Chicago if you can see the Sears tower.

Cable modems work great around here if you can get them. We have several big wigs at work that need to work from home. We got them cable modems and they tunnel in to our site from home. Near life like performance, as if they were at work.

One of our support contractors lives in Vermont and has the same deal. He tunnels in to our network with great results.

The big selling point of cable modems seems to be that most home computer users have the cost of a second phone line plus the cost of an Internet Service Provider. They usually total up to more than the price of the cable modem per month. You can dump your ISP and your second phone line and get WAAAAYYYYY faster performance usually for less.

I only have 28.8 at home, but it is fine with me.

 MossRoad

scruffy · Nov 27, 2001

If you are looking at the two for TV reception, the following link will give a mighty big inducement for DishNetWork! At least in my opinion it would. More money reserved for implements!
see: http://home.thirdage.com/SmallBusiness/shinydangle/

Just to be fair, here's one for DirectTV!:
http://www.mini-dish-affiliates.com/t.asp?id=5160

Edited by scruffy on 11/27/01 10:53 PM (server time).

RAllen · Nov 28, 2001

I was a beta tester for DirecPC sat service. For a time, they were signing up 2-way subscribers, there is a one-way with reg. land line option as well. As of a couple of months ago, they had stopped signing up new members. The reason I was given, and it is backed up by my experience, is the speed is nowhere near what they expected. When the system first went online and you had everything just right, downloads where very fast. But as they signed up folks, it went downhill fast. ADSL became available and I jumped. Sat service is better than modem most of the times- sometimes it seemed no faster- but they have real problems. DirecPC sevice leaves alot to be desired.

Rick

MikePA · Nov 28, 2001

Much like a cable modem, satellite bandwidth is shared amongst all the subscribers. (With a cable modem, everyone on your 'loop' shares the same bandwidth). The more people that sign up, the smaller everyone's piece. Eventually, the pieces will be come too small. This is also why DirecPC monitored your utilization and if they deemed you a bandwidth hog, you got FAPed (Fair Access Policy) where your throughput was reduced, in some cases slower than a dialup connection, for a period of time.

Bird · Nov 28, 2001

Hmmm, I wonder about a number of things in connection with DirecTV/DirecPC, etc. My brother had DirecTV when he lived 40 miles north of Dallas, but when he moved 58 miles south of Dallas and called them to re-activate it, he was told to call Pegasus Satellite Service (different phone number, but the same service). So, I, too, have Pegasus (DirecTV?). Now as I said, when I looked at their web site, DirecPC listed Pegasus as one of the companies to call to get the satellite service and it showed them to have the two-way service available. So after reading all this thread, I called them about 10 minutes ago in inquire about it. I was told that they did have some problems with upload speeds (40k to 60k), but that those problems have been corrected so that upload speeds are now 128k, and that the two-way service is available now. I was quoted $499 for the equipment (23"x39" dish), professional installation required for $199, and a monthly fee of $69.95.

MikePA · Nov 28, 2001

Are you going to go for it?

Bird · Nov 28, 2001

Nope, can't afford to gamble that much right now. But I think there's a very good chance I can talk my brother into trying it, and then I'll have more information./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

EarPlug · Nov 28, 2001

All of the probelms I related in my previous post about 2 way Direct PC was from Pegasus. They uses the lowest bid contractors they can find for installation. At least in my area (Denver, CO) they were VERY unprofessional, didn't have the correct tools, and had no clue how a computer works let alone the DirectPC. I would be very careful about going with Pegasus and make sure you keep track of your 30 day money back guarantee.

Jack

RAllen · Nov 28, 2001

Bird
If you do not have another choice, Sat system is an OK atternative. Be prepared for outages- They have a bad habit of doing maintenance during business hours. Another small problem, at least for those of us living in the north, is the sat dish is white. It attracts ice and snow does not melt easily.

The two way system requires professional installation. It is VERY hard to capture a good signal on the sat.

Let us know how it works. Its better than what you know have but do not trust "sales". Look at your agreement carefully, I bet they do not guarantee any speed. On regular downloads the system will automatically slow you down after the first couple of MBs. This is done by lowering your priority on the download.

One last thing. During the beta and up until a coupe of months ago. Two-way speeds, uploads, never approached 128bps. The best I saw was in the 80-90bps and the other testers had similiar experiences.

Goodluck, remember its still better than a modem line.

Rick

TerryinMD · Nov 28, 2001

RAllen,

From what I've been able to research, your statement is very true. That goes for both two-way satellite systems.

For the average Internet user, two-way satellite systems are a good alternative if you live "in the sticks". A nice was of saying DSL providers don't want to service your area. DSL is not cheap to install for all carriers. Not to get into geeky specifics, DSL needs a couple of pieces of hardware to go between you, the phone lines, CO, and finally into the Internet. The cost of the equipment and the pipes in-between is expensive.

Also, you may have read about distances from the CO. That is one of the biggest determining factors in the bandwidth you finally receive. The farther you're away from the CO, the lower the bandwidth available.

You might be better off with a two-way dish rather than DSL due to the distance to the CO. Be careful when buying into DSL, make sure that you are getting decent bandwidth for the money. DSL providers have different tiers depending upon the bandwidth you buy. However, you may sign up fro 760kbs and get 380kbps due to the distance to the CO.

Now if you were to order a T1 line to your house, you would use the same wire as DSL. But you would be guaranteed your 1.544mbs. The difference is in the technologies. DSL is a poor mans T1.

Terry

MikePA · Nov 28, 2001

Now if you were to order a T1 line to your house, you would use the same wire as DSL. But you would be guaranteed your 1.544mbs. The difference is in the technologies. 

And the price /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif, for you non-techy lurkers out there.

Bird · Nov 28, 2001

In the sticks? You better believe it; in fact, they call this area Brushie Prairie./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I don't think I'm much more than 15 miles from the CO, but since this old system wasn't profitable for GTE, they finally sold it to Valor Telecom, which I'll bet you never heard of./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Anyway, I think I'll drag my feet a bit before I try a satellite system./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MossRoad · Nov 28, 2001

Talk your brother into it? Did you get him into alot of trouble when you were kids, too? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 MossRoad

TerryinMD · Nov 28, 2001

Mike,

I kept away from the pricing. No sense in causing anyone to have heart failure. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Terry

MikePA · Nov 28, 2001

Terry,

Good idea, avoiding the price. But the thought of a T1 into my house instead of 'just' DSL makes my mouth water almost as much as one of those deep fried turkeys Bird was talking about the other day!

Bird · Nov 28, 2001

Did you get him into alot of trouble when you were kids, too?

Nope, he didn't need any help./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif But he thinks even less of our phone company and ISP than I do, and besides, he's a sucker for new gadgets./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

TerryinMD · Nov 28, 2001

Mike,

Let me tell you a little story.....

A few years back (less than two!!), people (not me) who had to provide tecnical network support got T1 lines, routers, hubs, and servers installed into their homes. Just in case you had to correct a network outage during off hours. They had free range to use it as they please otherwise.... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif That has gone by the wayside with current economic times.

A few years of T1 access cut back to dial-up modem, oh, unless you wish to pay for the service. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

Terry

MikePA · Nov 28, 2001

Terry,

We've always paid for a second phone line for support people but that's it. If they go to DSL, etc. we still only pay for the cost of a second phone line.

Mike