DirecWay installed yesterday

RanchMan · Dec 16, 2003

Here's a pretty good speed test for you to run.

Basically, just go to the bottom of the page & click on which server you'd like to hit, then on the next page (at the bottom) hit the "start" button and wait for the results.

I'd be curious to hear what your results were...

http://www.dslreports.com/stest

Heath · Dec 16, 2003

I use the firewall built in to my router, so I'm not sure if the DW6000 has this capability or not. I know that a true router isn't even needed with the DW6000. I believe a regular switch will suffice. Because of this, the DW6000 may have some built in security features, but I'm not sure.

Heath · Dec 16, 2003

Thanks for the link RanchMan. I'm at work right now, but I'll try to remember to run this speed test when I get home. I'll let you know what the results are.
I read at DSLReports.com that many DW6000 users have up to 4" of snow ontheir dishes with minimal signal strength loss. I don't know if this is coincidence, or if the DW6000 pulls in the signals better than other modems. The only snow related problem I've heard of occurs when half the dish is covered in snow and half the dish is clear. When this happens, the signal may get lost and the dish may have to be cleaned off.
I haven't experienced this myself yet. We got about 2 inches of snow last night and my internet worked fine this morning, but I don't know if there is any standing snow on the dish.

rockyridgefarm · Dec 16, 2003

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Maybe this summer I'll hook up some heat tape to the dish for auto-defrost. )</font>

Clean your dish and then spray it with Pam cooking oil. I use Direcway at home and have it at work with an 8 foot dish. Their tech folks recommended the cooking oil, and it works fine....

CTyler · Dec 16, 2003

How well do they work in the rain? When I had Direct TV it didn't have to rain very hard to cause A/V artifacts. If it rained very hard at all the pic was gone.

Heath · Dec 16, 2003

I've only experienced rain fade twice in the 20 months I've had Directv. Both times it was raining REALLY hard. I've had the larger oval dish for Directv for the last 5 months or so, so this may play into that success rate.
I haven't had a problem with the direcway yet, but I've only had it 24 hours! I've read that the size of the Direcway dish and the "power" of the signal make the Direcway even less likely to experience rain fade, but I can't testify to that directly.

Maurice · Dec 16, 2003

I just spent a few hours on the phone with the 2nd level support guys /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif, so I had plenty of time to ask questions. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

The DW6000 does have a firewall, but to what extent I have yet to find out. I kinda wonder, since on the upgrade pages, it mentions personal firewall and virus software.

DougM · Dec 16, 2003

Are you a online game player ??

I am thinking about going with direct way but would like
to hear from some one CAn I play home world on it?/

DougM /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

MikePA · Dec 16, 2003

The latency of a satellite system makes it very frustrating/impossible to play online games.

Heath · Dec 16, 2003

I agree. Online gaming is NOT recommended by Direcway. I've not tried any online gaming, but if Direcway recommends against it, it must be pretty bad.
That being said, all online gaming is not equal. First person shooter or action games would definitely suffer due to the latency, but I bet any strategy or board type games MAY be ok. I'm just guessing though.