I looked at that a few months ago, and just refreshed my memory. Straight out, it's too expensive. I get at most 10 faxes a month, mostly from folks I can't convince to use email, or folks that don't have a scanner to send any attachment via email. I don't want to spend almost as much per month as a landline phone just to get those faxes. I send even fewer, and I can always go to the bank to send them.
I am the only one left ...
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DIYGuy
Gold Member
DISH network recently dropped their Internet coverage. That was reported locally on the news, and Comcast cable has had an ad campaign based on it for a few weeks now.
DIYGuy
DIYGuy
MadReferee
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Don,
Direcway satellite internet service does NOT require a phone line because it is a 2-way satellite. It's download speed is around 500k (or so they say) which is slightly less than 512k DSL. According to their web site Direcway web site the monthly price is only $59.99 with a $600 installation fee which includes the dish and modem.
Since I have 768k DSL I have no need for this service but it does seem to be price competitive with DSL.
Direcway satellite internet service does NOT require a phone line because it is a 2-way satellite. It's download speed is around 500k (or so they say) which is slightly less than 512k DSL. According to their web site Direcway web site the monthly price is only $59.99 with a $600 installation fee which includes the dish and modem.
Since I have 768k DSL I have no need for this service but it does seem to be price competitive with DSL.
JTC
Bronze Member
<font color="blue"> There are only 3 ways I am aware of to connect someone to the Internet;
1. Phone line (dial up, xDSL, leased line)
2. Cable
3. Satellite </font>
<font color="black"> 4. WiFi Hot Spot access.
My in-laws have this. They have an external antenna pointed toward a tower about 2 miles away. Seem to work good. Here's a link to one wireless ISP:
Boingo Wireless
Jim </font>
1. Phone line (dial up, xDSL, leased line)
2. Cable
3. Satellite </font>
<font color="black"> 4. WiFi Hot Spot access.
My in-laws have this. They have an external antenna pointed toward a tower about 2 miles away. Seem to work good. Here's a link to one wireless ISP:
Boingo Wireless
Jim </font>
Bob_Skurka
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To address the original point, I have only the regular broadcast TV but I do have satellite for my computer! Got to have the priorites straight. My daughter was so excited when she saw the satellite dish on the house, we are the only family she knows of that does not have either cable or satellite TV and all the kids at her grade school talk about shows she never gets to watch. . . which is fine with me.
As for the computer. There is seems to be some confusion about Wi-Fi Hot Spots on this forum. Wi-Fi is typically a very short range wireless connection. Typically 150 feet. Extender antennas can boost the signals up to roughly 500 feet. In either case, the farther you get away from the antenna, the worse the connection. Wi-Fi most typically works on the 2.4 Ghz bandwitdh, which is shared by many cordless phones. So if you have a Wi-Fi network in your house, and you pick up one of your cordless phones, then your computer will slow down or even lose its connection, or your phone may have a lot of static, or both. In any case, Wi-Fi is NOT a real connection to the outside world. EVERY form of Wi-Fi must connect up to the internet via a dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite, etc connection. So Wi-Fi is simply a way of getting your computer (typically a Wi-Fi enabled <802.11xx> laptop) to talk to a base station that is plugged into something that talks to the internet in a very localized area that is typically measured in square feet.
There is another way, and that is sometimes confused with Wi-Fi. It uses radio signals with a receiver and transmitter and is available over much longer distances than typical Wi-Fi. Much longer being several miles. It is often confused with Wi-Fi but is actually a much more powerful system and the services do provide all the ISP services. I think for the sake of ease of discussion, many people refer to these long distance services as Wi-Fi.
As for the computer. There is seems to be some confusion about Wi-Fi Hot Spots on this forum. Wi-Fi is typically a very short range wireless connection. Typically 150 feet. Extender antennas can boost the signals up to roughly 500 feet. In either case, the farther you get away from the antenna, the worse the connection. Wi-Fi most typically works on the 2.4 Ghz bandwitdh, which is shared by many cordless phones. So if you have a Wi-Fi network in your house, and you pick up one of your cordless phones, then your computer will slow down or even lose its connection, or your phone may have a lot of static, or both. In any case, Wi-Fi is NOT a real connection to the outside world. EVERY form of Wi-Fi must connect up to the internet via a dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite, etc connection. So Wi-Fi is simply a way of getting your computer (typically a Wi-Fi enabled <802.11xx> laptop) to talk to a base station that is plugged into something that talks to the internet in a very localized area that is typically measured in square feet.
There is another way, and that is sometimes confused with Wi-Fi. It uses radio signals with a receiver and transmitter and is available over much longer distances than typical Wi-Fi. Much longer being several miles. It is often confused with Wi-Fi but is actually a much more powerful system and the services do provide all the ISP services. I think for the sake of ease of discussion, many people refer to these long distance services as Wi-Fi.
JTC
Bronze Member
<font color="blue"> In any case, Wi-Fi is NOT a real connection to the outside world. EVERY form of Wi-Fi must connect up to the internet via a dial-up, DSL, cable, satellite, etc connection. So Wi-Fi is simply a way of getting your computer (typically a Wi-Fi enabled <802.11xx> laptop) to talk to a base station that is plugged into something that talks to the internet in a very localized area that is typically measured in square feet.
</font>
<font color="black"> Bob,
This is not correct. WiFi is a somewhat generic term simply meaning "Wireless Fidelity", for which a WLAN is one application. A WiFi Hot Spot could be a Starbuck's, a neighborhood or a small town. All that is essentially required is a line of sight between the antennas. I know of people establishing 802.11b links over 10 miles.
As far as interoperability between cordless phones and WiFi nets, there is quite a bit of bandwidth at 2.4Ghz for many, many compliant devices. I've been to conferences where the number of WiFi and BlueTooth devices have numbered in the thousands with acceptable performance.
Jim</font>
</font>
<font color="black"> Bob,
This is not correct. WiFi is a somewhat generic term simply meaning "Wireless Fidelity", for which a WLAN is one application. A WiFi Hot Spot could be a Starbuck's, a neighborhood or a small town. All that is essentially required is a line of sight between the antennas. I know of people establishing 802.11b links over 10 miles.
As far as interoperability between cordless phones and WiFi nets, there is quite a bit of bandwidth at 2.4Ghz for many, many compliant devices. I've been to conferences where the number of WiFi and BlueTooth devices have numbered in the thousands with acceptable performance.
Jim</font>
mwechtal
Silver Member
Don,
A friend told me about this many years ago. In most places where touch tone is available you do not have to pay for it even if the phone company says you do. Just try plugging in a touch tone phone and it will almost certainly work. Then you can navigate through those annoying voice menus!
Mike
A friend told me about this many years ago. In most places where touch tone is available you do not have to pay for it even if the phone company says you do. Just try plugging in a touch tone phone and it will almost certainly work. Then you can navigate through those annoying voice menus!
Mike
<font color="blue"> Direcway satellite internet service does NOT require a phone line... </font>
I probably didn't make myself clear. I know that 2-way satellite internet does not require a phone line. What I was referring to was satellite TV, in which a phone line is required if you want to order any premium services, such as a PPV movie. It would be easy if someone made a data cable for a cell phone that had a standard phone jack at the end so things like the satellite decoder could plug in. I don't know enough about how cell phones dial out, or whether an external device can control the dialing, to know if it would work.
I probably didn't make myself clear. I know that 2-way satellite internet does not require a phone line. What I was referring to was satellite TV, in which a phone line is required if you want to order any premium services, such as a PPV movie. It would be easy if someone made a data cable for a cell phone that had a standard phone jack at the end so things like the satellite decoder could plug in. I don't know enough about how cell phones dial out, or whether an external device can control the dialing, to know if it would work.
MadReferee
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Some cell phones can be used as a wireless modem when used with an optional data cable. My Audiovox CDM-9000 is one of them. Unfortunately you are right that all DirecTv and Dish receivers that I have seen have built-in modems that must be connected to a telco network. There may be adaptor boxes out there but I have yet to encounter one.
