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| SatSig Topics Index › Satellite Internet - Americas › USING STARBAND EQUIP. w/ other providers? |
SatSig topic: USING STARBAND EQUIP. w/ other providers?(Read 9382 times) |
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May 16th, 2009 at 6:09pm
I live in Baja california sur, mexico what is the best and simplest and cheapest way to go about this>? any suggestions or directions would be greatly appreciated, thank you, gmanflash@yahoo.com, |
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May 16th, 2009 at 8:35pm
If so, abandon it. Far as I know, only Hughes offers coverage over both north and central America. And then - only on selected satellites. The usual MO is to pick one that has coverage over the desired part of Mexico, then get it set up for the same satellite/transponder here in the US. Once it's comissioned and working, then pack it up and re-erect the thing at location #2. That said, there are installers in the border states that can be contracted for this kind of work. Just depends upon where you live and who you know. //greg// |
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May 16th, 2009 at 9:30pm
You mention Used in CONUS? I don't uderstand the term. I looked into Hughes but it does not seem to have all I need for the price. I am seeking the cheapest and easiest way to stay in touch with the world from Baja California Sur, 1000 miles from the US. and the Starband rep/tech here (is blind now) and has advised me that starband is switching to a cheaper satellite and the new one will not cover my area in the next couple of months, so hence the conundrum...gordon. |
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May 17th, 2009 at 1:34am
CONUS by the way, is just an acronym for CONtinental US. //greg// |
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May 17th, 2009 at 5:12am
I looked up CONUS yes, continental US...the way things are lining up, it seems Mexico will be the fifty something state. Anyways, starband is not exactly cheap, considering I am only allowed to WATCH 3, maybe 4 You Tube videos a WEEK!!! and the emails I respond to must not have the copy of the received letter in my response because it adds up the MB in my allowance and they cut my speeds down to absolutely ridiculous speeds, they may as well just shut me down completely...because if my computer needs an update while i am working I am left in the cyber doghouse... I use skype (*i did read that skype is not allowed on starband ...but then starband is not allowed in Mexico either, but I refuse to pay 8 dollars a kb here to telmex) very occasionally when there is no cel signal here or to tell someone to call me back because cel phone airtime prices in Mexico are the most expensive on earth, even more expensive than Irak, I have heard... I check weather channels for hurricane updates in the summer and I usually have yahoo messenger on as long as my solar power permits... I do not upload movies or spam, do not download music,nor movies, only stream music at 16kps max about 8 hrs a day if i can...and STILL the restriction on my bandwidth. That is what I meant about Hughes also has restrictions as such...? and similar pricing to starband.(except for the equipment maybe, starbands is quite expensive, here) Ideally, I would like to use as much equipment as I can and that I have from Starband (maybe the tripod, dish, cables, ?) and try to see what HUGHES has to offer speed wise and the pricing... a friend from Montana told me he has free internet access with a modem he bought for 200 bucks and a self standing dish he bought for 50 bucks...and got a direction and angle for a satellite for a free connection he has used it here in Mexico on his travels as well, but I cannot even get thru to my email, until next week when my bandwidth restriction is lifted, to ask him about it... I did commission my starband in CONUS and would have to do the same for hughes, 1000 miles away, somehow...! |
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May 17th, 2009 at 12:40pm
SkyPE - or VoIP in general - is not prohibited. It's simply not supported. As such, it works poorly - if at all - on entry level service plans. That's by design, not by law. Hughes however has business plans, for which (among other things) - you can specify VoIP support. 15k can't provide for a very enjoyable music experience, although in your case I'm guessing it's self-inflicted. But streaming 8 hrs/day? No wonder you get throttled. 15kb may not sound like much when it rolls off the tongue. But consider that's 15 kilobits per second. At that rate, you consume 54MB of your allowance every 8 hours - JUST FOR BACKGROUND MUSIC. Is there some reason a shortwave radio isn't a reasonable alternative? Don't know which plan you have, but here are the current Starband usage limits (otherwise known as FAP): Nova Pro 1000 [1024/128] Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 1600 Mbytes Download Recovery Rate - 150 Kbps Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 1024 Mbytes Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 400 Mbytes Upload Recovery Rate - 56 Kbps Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 275 Mbytes Nova Pro 1500 [1.5/256] Download Threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 4000 Mbytes Download Recovery Rate - 400 Kbps Download Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 2750 Mbytes Upload Threshold (rolling 7 day period) -1000 Mbytes Upload Recovery Rate - 96 Kbps Upload Exit threshold (rolling 7 day period) - 700 Mbytes And perhaps you don't know, but these limits only apply to the hours of 0600 and midnight. Usage between midnight and 0600 is unlimited. By comparison, I have a mid-level Hughes consumer plan (1500/256). It includes a rolling 19 hour FAP limit of 425MB, no limit between 0200-0700. . As far as how many "kb per dollar" you get, there's no meaningful difference between/among CONUS satellite internet providers. From my perspective you either have to either modify your browsing habits to stay within usage limits (like setting Windows Update to download only during the FAP-free period for starters), or increase your budget for a more accommodating rate plan. There's really not much middle ground here. //greg// |
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May 19th, 2009 at 1:25am
Like you said, things roll off the tongue like it is peanuts and just the 2 words "get online" can entail 2 volumes on facts and one on peripheral hoops, loops of fire, hurdles to jump through and figurative cartwheels one has to do in this here 3rd world (where is the second world?!) and in reading your responses, I am getting a better education on all this, reality. There aren't many techs here nor savvy people in regards to broadband comms, and it is hard to come by anyone who can come up with facts and answers and results most of all...so far 3 years on starband has proven quite satisfactory, though I know the drawbacks... I will definitely be changing my browsing habits and have looked into local cel tower broadband (today)and the prices are comparable to starband and hughes (with current exchange rate of 14 pesos per dollar) though they only offer 3GB a month (telcel), and I know that there will be IP addresses that are censored/blocked, for instance, I like my mail and news in English and not the propaganda that locals are fed here,(yahoo.com.mx does not allow messenger with phone and cam period. they want people to use the telmex lines and charge like there is a war here, is there<>?!), I appreciate the extensive information you have sent me and I will copy and paste it to save as a file for further reference. Best regards, Gordon. |
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May 19th, 2009 at 1:33am
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Jun 9th, 2009 at 10:02pm
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Jun 17th, 2009 at 10:51pm
As a Starband dealer I can tell you that Starband is working out a plan for customers outside the new satellite's footprint to continue providing service on the same satellite. You will not loose your connection when other users migrate to the new satellite. Your speeds will increase as there will be fewer users on your existing satellite. |
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Jul 17th, 2009 at 8:56pm
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Jul 20th, 2009 at 7:13pm
You're thinking of the starband installer Gordon Parnell (Tijuana/Ensenada). I know Gordon P. and I'm pretty sure this Gordon is someone else. |
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Jul 23rd, 2009 at 4:31pm
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Email me:eric@satsig.net |