Satellite Internet

[gsganzer]

I'm sure some of my fellow country brethren have the same problem I have. I'm stuck with dial-up. We don't have cable in our area and I'm too far away from the local switch for DSL. This leaves me with two options, two-way satellite or radio. I checked with the radio supplier (speednet) and guess what?? I don't have line-of-sight to the right tower.

So, this leaves me with only one option, 2-way satellite like Direcway. Before I shell out $500 for the equipment and $59/month does anyone else have it? Is it worth my while? I don't really have a choice, I'm just looking for some feedback first.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I've been using Skycasters satellite for about 3 or 4 years now and am happy with everything about it except the cost (initial cost was about $2000, but I'd guess the price probably dropped substantially the day after they cashed my payment check). Directway is less expensive but at the time was not set up to deal with Apple computers, and I had just switched back to Apple from Windows at the time. Satellite is not as fast as the other choices, but just like you, I had NO other choices other than dial up.

I think it boils down to the fact that satellite is the worst upgrade option of all the current technologies but it is often the ONLY option in rural areas. All that said, I would NEVER give up my satellite connection now that I have it . . . at least not if my only option was to go back to dial up. The moment I can get another solution I will change. But I've been waiting for that moment and it doesn't seem that I can even see it on the horizon.

 

[beenthere]

I was going that way once, and didn't realize it was that expensive for the equipment, or the monthly rate. Fortunately, DSL showed up at my door step, which saved me a lot.
Any prediction as to when the phone lines will be upgraded to DSL?
I heard that soon the TV will come on those lines. Not sure if I heard that right, but it had something to do with all TV being digital by the beginning of 2006. Makes all analog TV's obsolete, if I hear that right.

 

[MadReferee]

Here is a good thread started by PineRidge in the Related Topics forum. It may help you.

DirecWay

 

[gsganzer]

Like you, I've kept waiting for SOMETHING to come along like cable, DSL etc. to my area. It might someday, but not soon enough for my needs. My wife has the opportunity to tele-commute a few days a week if we can get a decent internet speed.

I do a lot of things with the power industry. Has anyone been following the development of BPL (Broadband over Power Lines)? Sounds pretty promising someday.

 

[Tevi]

I have Starband and love it.You also have the choice of highspeed thru cell if you have a strong service.

 

[getut]

Satellite is better than dialup, but that is about the only thing. There are two types of "speed" when it comes to internet connections. Dialup has neither, and satellite only has one type. They are throughput speed and latency. Satellite has a high throughput but also a high latency. Meaning that from the time you issue a command there is a lag before the command actually takes place.

IF you are able to talk you 802.11b internet supplier into testing you again, see if they will let you pay for your own Rohn tower to get a line of site to the tower you need to get to. Here is my setup that I had to put in to get 802.11b based internet. 802.11b is a much better choice because it has both a low latency and a high throughput. Wired is always the best choice, bar none, but 802.11b/g would be the next best solution.. do what it takes to get it.

*Edit: Oh I was able to get what I needed with a 50ft Rohn tower. At that height I did not have to guy wire it, but it does have a boss that is buried almost 8'ft in the ground in a 4' x 4' concrete pad that goes all the way to 10' deep. I think the whole setup cost me $1200 to have installed for labor and the tower itself. My wireless company even did 3 radios for me. One to take the signal from one of the main towers to my tower, and another set to relay to my house so I didn't have to trench ethernet under my concrete driveway all the way out to my tower. From tower to the house in the picture is about 315', right on the borderline of ethernet capability.

 

[PineRidge]

As an update we were satisfied with our DirecWay 4000 system BUT DSL came to town.

So I made the switch to SBC Yahoo DSL and haven't looked back since. It's cheaper to purchase and cheaper to use and it's always on including during major storms which is a big plus.

If you don't have DSL I would stick with DirecWay.........

 

[v8dave]

There are wired options to DSL and dial up (and satellite DSL). They fall into the commercial services range and are, of course, priced accordingly.

In my area the $19.95 to $29.95 dsl are apparently based on piggybacking conditioned phone lines. Even though I am within the rated distance for DSL (11,000' vs 16,000'), I can't get cheap DSL.

I have settled for ISDN based dsl, ISDL. It ain't cheap nor fast--only ~144k bps rate. Still faster than dial-up and it's always there. It appears that ISDL may be limited to around 5 miles though.

For about $10 more per month I can switch to a business Synchronous DSL, SDSL, line at ~192k bps and with a business account I get assigned IP addresse(s) and can access my home system while on the road.

See what your options are by checking DSL Reports. I don't know how they do it but they can give you a fairly accurate distance to your "local" telephone central office. They also list the service providers in that CO.

 

[DennisArrow]

Like you and a lot of us I live at the end of the road off of a country road with a few houses per mile. Cable will never come out here cause the payoff isnt there for them. The same applies toward DSL...........My wife and I put off the investment of satelite internet for a couple of years.........We do videography out of our studio here on the farm........as such we needed to upload various projects for clients........so as a business investment it made sense to bite the bullet.........
LOOKING back, we should have done this years ago. We have direcway services. Downloads at the 100KPS range are the norm and uploads seem to be even faster. If your home is set up as a wireless network it is pretty flawless.
The satelite feeds into a modem which goes directly into wireless transmitter and then up to me here 100 feet away.........Tried doing some work out in the Airstream on a laptop the other day, as this is our studio for on location.........It is in the barn about 200' from the house and did just fine............anyway...........satelite is a valid and real way to get the job done. No it will never be as fast as hard wire but it doesnt compare to dial up problems........Dennis