SatSig topic:

Considering Satellite Internet

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Sep 5^th, 2007 at 12:27am

I live in an area of North Lake Tahoe where DSL or Cable Internet isn't available and I am considering Satelite Internet. Currently, I use a celluar modem and am able to only obtain aprox. 120 Kbps download speed. My primary use would be VPN and web browsing. I have concerns with performance and the functionality of Satellite with regards to the natural elements namely snow and large trees. Please provide any comments to the feasiblity of Internet Satellite usage in my area.

Thank you.

Sep 7^th, 2007 at 12:52am

Snow = polemount. You want your dish installed where you can reach it to clean off wet snow and ice.

Trees = take off angle. The closest satellites to your location will require an dish elevation angle around 44-45 degrees. The more distant the satellite - east OR west - the lower the take off angle. That means the dish has to be yet farther away from the trees. You have to have a location on your property that permits the dish to be set back far enough to clear trees when pointed to your assigned satellite.

Entry level satellite systems (residential service) are not VPN-friendly, it's a protocol thing. Not that satellite won't work. But to get satisfactory VPN performance you may end up having to subscribe to a business class.

//greg//

Sep 26^th, 2007 at 6:33pm

I have been using this satellite internet high speed connection, and I live around lots of big trees. The connection would not be disrupted unless of course you put the dish straight under the tree, which would not be the case. They send out trained installers that understand the best locations for the reception from the satellite. They have plenty of service prices, one in which has a download bandwidth of 1.5mbs.

Countysky

Sep 27^th, 2007 at 8:46am

Regarding being directly under trees and having the connection disrupted.

The connection will be permanently disrupted if the beam to and from the satellite is blocked in some way. The possibility of obstruction involves consideration of the beam elevation angle.

Being directly under a tree is a problem if you are near the equator and trying to access a satellite directly overhead. In other cases you need to sight along the beam elevation angle and make sure the beam is clear above distant trees, walls, buildings etc. If you operate the dish under a roof, such as in the case of an open sided barn or under a tree, then the beam need a clear route out and upwards via the open side. I have seen successful operation via a lightweight dry cloth or polythene sheet wall.

Beware of tree growth. It may be clear now, but next year ...

Best regards, Eric.

Feb 12^th, 2008 at 1:32pm

I live rurally and have used HughesNet for a couple of years.
I find that their coverage works better for me than Wild Blue and I get better reception.

Mar 1^st, 2008 at 6:09pm

I understand your concern. I use Skyway USA at my summer home, it works great. Thier system is self-installable unlike Hughesnet or Wild Blue. I tried thier service and wasnt pleased with it at all. The installer was late by an hour and he tracked mud all through the house, and I had to pay him hundreds of dollars to do it. Totally unacceptable. I went with Skyway Service and hey I installed my system myself. And on top of that when my neighbors Hughesnet system goes out in the rain Im still surfing my high speed connection. It really was a piece of cake to install and it works great. They have packages as low as $29.95 and thier customer service is very helpfull and friendly. I would definately recommend them to anyone. Here is thier website, I would check them out.

Mar 1^st, 2008 at 10:33pm

Any advice on the best provider available today?

I'm looking for recommendations on the best technology, price and service solutions for a new installation.

I need to install high speed business class internet access service with VoIP capability, 1.5Mbps minimum download, with a decent send speed as well. The location is in the USA along the border of New York and Ontario, CA at approximately 44.33 N 76.01 W. There is no copper phone line to the location, but there is ability to get clear visibility to the sky in all directions.

p.s. I read last week that Japan sent up a new I-Net satellite, any idea when US will get 1.2Gbps satellites?

p.p.s. I will only be using the service in the warmer months of the year, so would like the ability to stop paying during the winter.

Mar 1^st, 2008 at 10:55pm

The PR firm that wrote up that Japanese satellite played seriously with the numbers. Don't expect mom and pop tanaka to get 1.2 Gbps on their home PC.

Hughes launched the Spaceway 3 satellite last fall, they should start selling enterprise service on it this month.

//greg//

Mar 2^nd, 2008 at 5:07am

2011

From skyreport.com

There's another key participant in the ViaSat/Loral partnership that's developing an advanced satellite broadband platform set for launch in 2011.AtContact Communications, founded by satellite industry veteran David Drucker, is working along with the satellite broadband collaboration, which is developing a Ka-Band platform that promises to deliver fast speeds at a reasonable cost. The Colorado-based company said it expects to work with ViaSat and Loral on developing technology, methods and processes that will enhance the consumer satellite broadband experience.In the past, Drucker has worked with EchoStar and WildBlue. His company won licenses from the FCC in 2006 to provide non-geostationary satellite service in Ka-Band.The Loral/ViaSat partnership is aiming to place a satellite, called ViaSat 1, into the 115-degree orbital location to deliver satellite broadband services to consumers in the United States and Canada. The platform aims to offer up to 100 Gbps broadband connectivity