Satellite Internet Info

[Dirtybird12]

Moving into a new pad on Sunday that offers free satellite internet.

Does anyone know anything about this? How is the the quality compared to DSL/Cable??

Or what we may need to buy - modem? router?

Any info is grateful

thanks

[Chip196]

Moving into a new pad on Sunday that offers free satellite internet.

Does anyone know anything about this? How is the the quality compared to DSL/Cable??

Or what we may need to buy - modem? router?

Any info is grateful

thanks

My Folks had this for a while since Cable and DSL wasn't available where they moved to (up in the woods). They liked the speed, but it had the same cons that the TV portion of Satellite has ... anytime there was bad weather (especially snow), it went out. They only had one PC so they used the included Modem.

[PapaBear]

My boss got it because he lives way out in the sticks. He said it was slower than dial up.

[cupcakelove]

I don't know if this is still the case, but since you can only receive data from a satellite, you used to have to dial in to some service, so all your requests for data went out through the modem, but when you finally download your info, it comes from the satellite. The data will come fast, but there is a delay between when you request the data, and it finally starts to get to you. This could have completely changed by now.

[BeerBandit]

Who is the provider? I'll be buying a house next month and am currently exploring my media options as well.

[Dan 'Hampton]

All the talk about snow messing up the signal is crap. My parents live in Vermont where there is tons of snow. Now if there is an ice storm or really heavy wet snow covers the reciever on the dish then it'll start crapping out on you. When I lived in NY we had Dishnetwork and it seemed that rain or snow messed it up alot more. But I think that had to do more with too many houses telephone poles etc in the way messing it up. I bring NOTHING.

[Chip196]

All the talk about snow messing up the signal is crap. My parents live in Vermont where there is tons of snow. Now if there is an ice storm or really heavy wet snow covers the reciever on the dish then it'll start crapping out on you. When I lived in NY we had Dishnetwork and it seemed that rain or snow messed it up alot more. But I think that had to do more with too many houses telephone poles etc in the way messing it up. I bring NOTHING.

Maybe the technology changed, but my parents only had a problem with weather (specifically snow). Not being an expert, I shouldn't garuntee it was only the snow, but it sure seemed like it. It could be the area they were in though.

[ralphbxny]

My brother had it. It has ok speed. Not DSL or Cable but better than Dial up!

[empulse]

Speed on a 2-way system is ho-hum at best. Downstream you get maybe 200 KB/s and upstream is maybe 15KB/s (2-3x dialup). Weather is a big factor. I live in Florida and installed for the construction company i work for because they live way out in BFE. If you have a choice between Cable / DSL / Satellite --- your best choice would be to take a dump in the dish and get cable or DSL. Anyone who says Cable or DSL is faster than the other is full of poo in the year 2007. Most DSL providers are dropping fiber optic at the pole now, so speed is not an issue anymore, they are basically the same. No one can afford to send your files at 6MBps anyway. (DSL will be faster in 2-3 years).

Verizon is currently issuing contracts for a 3-5 year rollout on running fiber right to your attic.

Satellite also has high latency. cable and DSL can have a 1ms (millisecond) round trip time. Satellite cannot have anything faster than 300ms because signal goes from server > dish > to satellite (in space) > to you > from you > space > to main reception on earth > then back onto internet. a lifetime in computer terms. so no realtime games/video.

[joeyballsack]

I have it at my house since cable or dsl is not available there.

I will post my speed test results when I get home later so you can check it out. I play WoW on a pretty regular basis without any problems and the speed is decent when I download movies.

[cougarjake13]

i wasnt even aware of satelitte internet service

[SeligErasmus]

I have satellite Internet access (Direcway) at my current apartment, and the latency renders it unusable. Requests frequently timeout, and sites like YouTube or XM online are out of the question. I'd love to blame the poor performance on Direcway, but I think it has more to do with the technology than the ISP. I recall a classmate of mine back in college who setup a website devoted to the poor performance and support he received from StarBand's satellite Internet service - his biggest complaint also being latency.

I'm quite happily jumping to DSL next week in my new apartment <G>