Which Satellite Internet Company?

[Oleozz]

Using a cell phone where I live is a waste of time, just doesn't work. Two miles down the road either direction and we get good reception.

 

[texbaylea]

myyaz33

I have to use a cell range extender to get decent usage but my son has used his cell phone to connect his laptop to the internet. I don't remember what connection speeds he was able to get - have to check with him.

Vernon

 

[riptides]

myyaz33

I have to use a cell range extender to get decent usage but my son has used his cell phone to connect his laptop to the internet. I don't remember what connection speeds he was able to get - have to check with him.

Vernon

If your picking up the digital signals from Verizon and Sprint, faster than dial-up and satellite. And now in some areas with NEW cards just coming out, just a tab bit slower than DSL.

And if you need VPN, it actually works.

-Mike Z.

 

[txdon]

myyaz33

I have to use a cell range extender to get decent usage but my son has used his cell phone to connect his laptop to the internet. I don't remember what connection speeds he was able to get - have to check with him.

Vernon

Vernon, we just did a side by side test with my satellite connection and a Cingular card connection. Both computers were laptops. the TBN site was clicked and the sites came up at about the same speed. We ran several speed test and the download was faster on the satellite but the pages loaded were less than 1/2 second difference. The cingular card and the laptop are completely portable. The cost of the cingular card service is $59+ a month, (two year contract) unlimited usage. It uses no cell phone. You can get the internet signal anywhere you get the cingular phone signal. I was impressed. They say it's about 4 times faster than dialup in rural areas and broadband speed in metro areas.

 

[texbaylea]

TxDon

Thanks for the note. I just checked Cingular's access determination site and it shows medicore coverage for my location. The was an inconsistency in the map however; we are on a hilltop and the area across the road which is a hollow came out a level higher. I will have to see if I can borrow a card and see what I really get.

Vernon

 

[HomeBrew2]

WildBlue still working flawlwssly here ...

 

[txdon]

Homebrew, since I connected Wildblue to my laptop it is working at the correct speed. Something is wrong with my desktop computer. If I was starting over right now at this location (5 bars on a Cingular phone) I would go with the Cingular Sky Card. The reasons are: I would not have a dish to pay for and hang off the side of the house, the real life page loading is about the same, you are portable with a notebook, and the price is about the same.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Thanks for the info Don. I expect to have a prob w/ WB and am ready for the fight. I just picked something and ran with it. I like the thing you have going on there and will look into it. I have a life full of stuff that doesn't work right all the time, I know what you mean about your desktop

 

[sirwoogie]

Using a cell phone where I live is a waste of time, just doesn't work. Two miles down the road either direction and we get good reception.

This can be worked around. I was in a similar situation where all I could get was ISDN or satellite. Then, Sprint and Verizon started offering EVDO in our area. For those of you not familiar, EVDO is the latest generation of 3G data services from the CDMA cell phone providers. I have EVDO at my home, and I get about 1200kbps down/300 kbps up at $60/mo. If possible, go with Sprint as their data network is better, and doesn't have a cap as far as the community can tell. Whereas Verizon has all sorts of restrictions. Going satellite is just not fun (i.e. expensive, FAP speed caps, etc.). Your profile says PA, and Verizon has a pretty big stranglehold on it, but Sprint has a pretty big area there too.

The best place to see if you can get that service is here:

SPRINT PCS - Coverage

Next, travel on over to EVDOforums.com and read up on the services and the options. That site also provides antennas (indoors and outdoors) and amplifiers that can improve range. My thinking is that you might be on the fringe, and getting an outdoor antenna coupled with an amplifier might work.

 

[Oleozz]

Thank you sirwoogie, that is good info. I will check it out.