Inquiry - Internet by Satellite

phoenix116

I am moving out to the boonies in another month and my only high-speed option is internet by satellite. I have done some research but there appear to be just a few options for providers and a choice of lesser evils situation. Does anyone else out there get your internet via satellite, and if so do you have any recommendations? The one I am thinking about going with is the most main-stream one called "HughesNet" which formerly was Direcway. Thanks.

Rym

Satellite Internet is actually both satellite and dial-up rolled into one. All of your outgoing traffic will be sent via a phone line, and the return traffic will come via the satellite. This allows for significant downstream bandwidth, but cripples your upload capabilities and introduces substantial latency.

You cannot expect to play most real-time games via such a connection, nor can you seed or share files with others. Downloading will not be an issue, though there will be a noticeable lag between selecting a link and getting a response.

Apreche

Does sattelite Internet really still work in combo with dial-up? I haven't researched it since the late 90's. If that's still the case, I personally would be willing to shell out big bucks for something better. You should at least be able to get ISDN or a partial T1 from the phone company. It might cost a lot, but it might be worth it. If all else fails, I guess you'll have to suffer with satellite. I personally suggest not moving to the boonies. If you do move, just ask your neighbors what they do for Internet.

Kilarney

Satellite Internet is actually both satellite and dial-up rolled into one. All of your outgoing traffic will be sent via a phone line, and the return traffic will come via the satellite.

Dude, that is so 1999. Jump on the technology train, because it's moving faster than you.

Rym

Many satellite services don't use that technology. It requires extra licensing, and furthermore requires very careful installation of the equipment, which itself is much more expensive.

Regardless, the latency issue is still present. Your ping times would be over 500ms in even the best of scenarios.

Rym

Wow... So, in further reading, I've determined that satellite Internet is a painful access method at best. Hughesnet has fairly little to offer:

It does all sorts of chicanery to achieve the bandwidth it claims, leading to interesting situations where "data speeds may be reduced by as much as 50-75%."

"[Y]ou may enjoy download speeds up to 700Kbps, with typical speeds of about 500Kbps to 600Kbps during peak times. Upload speeds, which are capable of reaching 128Kbps, are typically 70Kbps to 80Kbps during peak hours."

"All Internet technologies (satellite or land-based) share available network bandwidth in one way or another; therefore, actual speeds may vary. Stated speeds are not guaranteed. Actual upload speed will likely be lower than speed indicated..."

If you download more than 175MB in 1-4 hours, your account will be restricted temporarily to reduce your bandwidth use. This basically precludes downloading anything large with your "fast" connection or using services like YouTube...

Apreche

More than 175MB in 1-4 hours! I download 600+MB Linux ISOs in a matter of minutes. That's an effectively useless net connection. Looks like I'm never going to the boonies.

Kilarney

Many satellite services don't use that technology.

Care to point one out?
Hughes = no phone line.
Wild Blue = no phone line.
Starband = no phone line.

It won't kill you to admit you were wrong!

Rym

It won't kill you to admit you were wrong!

Yes, it will. ^_~

Kilarney

Yeah, me too.

You are right, though. Without paying big corporate bucks, it's a lousy service. The good news is that there is a real push to get high speed internet in rural areas. Vermont is being set up with a lot of wireless access. I'm lucky enough to live in an area with DSL. It's one little pocket in three entire counties.

phoenix116

Yep, the satellites are almost all bi-directional now. However, I did read about the latency issue you mentioned and it sounds like that is still a real problem. I also read their "Fair Use Policy" which restricts your account if you download too much according to their standards. Add on to all of that, its about a $400 - $600 startup fee and about $70/month at a minimum. I can hardly wait. I am not too far from the city, so I am hoping DSL comes out to us within the next couple of years. I may go with this local "radio internet" option instead.