Starlink

[Tinhack]

I was all set to pull the trigger on Starlink. According to their low-res map, I qualified for the free equipment. But when I put my address in, the equipment charge was over $300. I said not today.

Edit: Fiber isn't even an option out here. Even though AT&T has a fiber cable just outside my eastern fence line. I watched them put it in about 6-7 years ago. I keep checking but they say it's not available. So, I just run my network off of their 5G with a phone hot spot when I get close to the 150Gb limit.

 

[LouNY]

My Starlink current speed is 260 down, 18 up. Still better than any of my other options.

I just ran the speed test on mine after the relocation;
333 Mbps down, 28 Mbps up with a latency of 26 ms.

 

[walnutman]

I was all set to pull the trigger on Starlink. According to their low-res map, I qualified for the free equipment. But when I put my address in, the equipment charge was over $300. I said not today.

Edit: Fiber isn't even an option out here. Even though AT&T has a fiber cable just outside my eastern fence line. I watched them put it in about 6-7 years ago. I keep checking but they say it's not available. So, I just run my network off of their 5G with a phone hot spot when I get close to the 150Gb limit.

I paid $500 for my antenna three years ago. I own it. No rent.

 

[ponytug]

Is your Spectrum fiber right to your house? When we had them, it was fiber on the road, but "last mile" distribution was coax cable. Never got a straight answer from them as to why.
Here's what I got just now:
View attachment 3715713

Very few need 1G down either.
An internet connection is only as fast as the slowest link.

Often a reluctance to run fiber to the house is caused by a lack of skilled labor to do the fiber splicing, though sometimes as a cost saving as coax is more forgiving in the installation (bend radius, depth of burial, etc.).

Symmetric vs asymmetric speeds is at the choice of the ISP. Non-commercial users rarely need much for upload speeds, as they are consumers, not generators of data. For most residential users, a low latency (ping) time is often what drives a perception of speed as the usage is often websites that may ask for tens to hundreds of requests of the end device configuration and user information, resulting in slow page loading. It is all about selling user information to advertisers.

All the best,

Peter

 

[walnutman]

Often a reluctance to run fiber to the house is caused by a lack of skilled labor to do the fiber splicing, though sometimes as a cost saving as coax is more forgiving in the installation (bend radius, depth of burial, etc.).

Symmetric vs asymmetric speeds is at the choice of the ISP. Non-commercial users rarely need much for upload speeds, as they are consumers, not generators of data. For most residential users, a low latency (ping) time is often what drives a perception of speed as the usage is often websites that may ask for tens to hundreds of requests of the end device configuration and user information, resulting in slow page loading. It is all about selling user information to advertisers.

All the best,

Peter

They used a machine to run the final fiber line to the corner of our house. Basicall a mini version of the big one they use to pull the orange plastic conduit for the main lines.

I cuts about 6" deep and buries the line at the same time. The lines rae re-enforced with wire inside to be able to handle the abuse.

Video I took of them pulling the big stuff.

 

[Blue Mule]

Unrelated side note: On July 23rd, T-Mobile is going live with a Starlink connection to phones on their network. Their "Experience Beyond" plan includes access to Starlink, some other plans will offer it for $10/month. The Experience Beyond plan also has unlimited hotspot. So.... in theory there will be no dead spots for phones on their network anymore AND a guy could use it as an internet modem while camping/hunting in remote areas. This has the potential to be a complete game-changer in the cell phone industry.

 

[deserteagle71]

Unrelated side note: On July 23rd, T-Mobile is going live with a Starlink connection to phones on their network. Their "Experience Beyond" plan includes access to Starlink, some other plans will offer it for $10/month. The Experience Beyond plan also has unlimited hotspot. So.... in theory there will be no dead spots for phones on their network anymore AND a guy could use it as an internet modem while camping/hunting in remote areas. This has the potential to be a complete game-changer in the cell phone industry.

I'd sure like to know how this works. As someone who has used a satellite phone and an InReach satellite communicator for years I know that to get a satellite signal the device has to have a satellite-capable antenna AND have a clear view of the sky. They don't work from inside a vehicle or camper with a metal roof!

 

[walnutman]

I have it. When it connects to a satellite I get a message. Only works with texting currently. Beta is shutting down soon. I get it free. But not after Beta shuts down.

 

[Oaktree]

Often a reluctance to run fiber to the house is caused by a lack of skilled labor to do the fiber splicing, though sometimes as a cost saving as coax is more forgiving in the installation (bend radius, depth of burial, etc.).

No burial here, both my (former) cable and current fiber are run from the pole to the house. Well, the junction/tap point for the fiber was a few hundred yards down the road in front of a neighbor's house, the tech just apparently ziptied the individual strand along the trunk line from the tap point to where it goes across my lawn to the house. The house is 60 or so feet from the road. The fiber cable droops down a bit, but not much more than the electric cables.

 

[grsthegreat]

There finally getting close to my place with the fiber. Supposed to have it i stalled all the way to the house by September…. Well see. Im going to keep my starlink setup for awhile until i see how their guaranteed 400 up 400 down works out.