NF Satellite Internet?

[Rattletrap2]

Well folks, after many years of being spoiled by having high speed connection available at home...it looks like we might be headed for the boonies in the very near future! Has anyone been using satellite connection? What are your thoughts?

I'm currently on Sympatico ADSL and have no complaints. I do know it will be more costly on satellite. "Line of site" is not even available, so it looks like satellite is the only hope.

 

Thanks

[Garyv]

My buddy installs about 5 to 10 a week, in fact he's doing 3 in the same block tomorrow. There not as fast as high speed but depending on what you want to spend can make you internet life a lot easier.

[Gerritt]

Last time I looked into SatInet it was HS down and the DL cap was horrible, and Dialup (ie. sending page requests and emails) for the upload...... Not sure if that still is the case but I looked into it for a family members cottage a couple years ago... and I dont recall hearing of Sat 2-way (meaning up and down) as of yet... but I could be wrong....( /me searches Slashdot )

 

If you like I can do a bit of looking and let you know in further detail what your looking at..

 

PS.. your right it aint cheap!

 

Gerritt.

[carll2]

so you guys are saying if im 8 hours away from civilization and i have bell express vue a generator and a computer i can get highspeed internet?

[taper]

As Gerrit said last time I checked with expressvu it was download only and upload via dial up, but that could have changed by now. Xplornet has satellite service that is both upload and download via the satellite connection, not as fast as high speed but a lot better than dial up. A little side note, if you run satellite connection and download music from Limewire it will take forever to download one song, it has something to do with a prioritising of users on the connection.

[CoolB]

Before you choose any satelight ISP make sure that a point to point wisp (wireless internet service provider) has not opened in the area. I moved to a rural area just outside of Port Colborne with no dsl or cable but there are a few companies in the area that offer wireless. Some use motorola's canopy technology and some use microwave transmissions. Basically a network of towers are set up in the area with a transmitter on each. The main tower has a hook up to a high speed connection land connection. You recieve the connection by having a small reciever/radio installed to your house and the signals bounce from transmitter/s to your reciever.

 

To give you a better idea of what I am talking about follow the links below. These companies are popping up all over the place in rural areas now and I wouldn't be surprised if one might be near where you are moving.

 

lastmile <--------- the one I use

 

or

 

neighbourhoodwireless

 

 

I cant speak for neighbourhood wireless but last mile net is great. I get downloads that go as high as 500/600 kb/s and uploads at 200 or more, no caps, ect. The only downfall I experience sometimes (not too often) is latency or high ping times.....but I think that has to do more with my provider then the technology.

 

Where are you moving too? I have a lot of experience helping to find these companies for other friends of mine that have moved rural. I'd be happy to take a look for you and see if I can find anything.

 

Just be patient, I don't get on the board as much as I used too so it may be a day or 2 before I get back to check this thread out.

 

Cheers,

 

Aaron

[TJQ]

Carl, yes you can get hi speed..

 

and I used the satleite system for my businees for 5 years.. we just got hi speed wireless here...

 

Saytelit is not as good as regular hi speed BUT it is ten times better than dialup. The instals run between 700-100 bucks i think. If your on the internet alot, your carzy not to have it if you can.

[fatdaddy]

I have recently moved to an outlying area as well. We looked into wireless ISPs, but none were available in my area. Wireless needs line of sight to a cell tower, I live in the escarpment and there is no line of sight to a tower So I had to go with a satellite based system, Xplorenet is what I chose after doing some research. This system uses a dedicated dish to both receive and send via satellite, much faster than the old expressvu systems that had to send via dialup..... but still considerably slower than DSL or cable.

 

These systems are not cheap! The equipment and installation was around $800 and the service costs $80 per month, but as a Realtor, dialup was not an option. Most websites I need for work would time out on a dial up connection.

Edited February 1, 2007 by fatdaddy