Out in the boonies? (country) What Internet Services are there?

[edro]

I parents are ever increasingly using the internet and they have dial-up. Well, my dad apparently tried Road RUnner over at his friend's house, and now he HAS TO HAVE broadband.

What are some solutions? They live about 1 mile out of the town (zipcode: 43060). I have tried Road Runner and a few DSL people, but none have service there.

I wouldn't really wanna use two modems (two phones lines).....

They have Dish Satellite Network now....but I think it is like $2342134 for Dish's service...

Any suggestions?

 

[MacBaine]

Well, if you are way out there, Dish may be your only option. Do you get Cable TV though? If you do, you may be able to go through that.

 

[NutBucket]

Basically satellite is your best bet.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

ISDN which is basicly double 56k. It's also the biggest rape in the entire world. Wireless is good if you can get it. Search for some wisp's in your area. If you don't have line of sight on anything (hills, trees, buildings, other obstructions) through you're pretty much screwed though. And lastly, sat. Nice if you don't mine 800-1500 ms pings.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Satellite or you could get a wireless connection if you've got line of sight to anywhere.

 

[stormbv]

Smoke signal.

 

[Turkish]

get satelite

 

[HappyPuppy]

Two tincans and a very large ball of string comes to mind.

 

[Lady In Red]

I live in the boonies and have dial-up. Can't get cable and satellite is just too darn expensive.
I have Direct-TV - to get internet with them I have two options:

1. Pay $598. down and 59.95 per mth
2. Pay $98 down and $98 per mth.

I say it directly sucks!!

 

[Lady In Red]

I live in the boonies and have dial-up. Can't get cable and satellite is just too darn expensive.
I have Direct-TV - to get internet with them I have two options:

1. Pay $598. down and 59.95 per mth
2. Pay $98 down and $98 per mth.

I say it directly sucks!!

 

[edro]

bump

 

[MrBond]

DSLReports.com is the best place to start.

Adelphia CLAIMS they offer cable modem service where my parents live, but they've been saying that for two years now, when they actualy don't. ISDN is a joke, the telco (sprint) was going to have to install a repeater just so I could get 64k service, at like $25 a month (plus the ISDN line charges).

 

[RossMAN]

edro13,

Even in the boonies you have 3 possibilities for broadband internet:
1) ISDN
2) DirecWAY Satellite
3) Wireless

Tell your father to go here, enter in your home phone and address to see what's available
IF Broadband service is available in your area, when he signs up he'll receive a $75 rebate check
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/topics/nntopic_internet.htm

 

[alkemyst]

If you have ISDN as the only option try to get it set up Data over Voice, that way you pay more or less the flat fee and no metering.

 

[FoBoT]

i don't remember signing an NDA , so i will post this

i have started testing a wireless modem from a company that starts with an "S" and ends with a "t"

it is designed to attach to your computer as an external serial modem

speed varies from about 50-80 kbps up and down, but the infrastructure isn't tuned yet, so latency is about 300-400ms with some packet loss and some pings >1000ms. i expect once the stuff between the towers and where they dump you onto the internet is tuned this will improve, i hope

i have no clue on pricing, or even if it will be offered as a residential/non-commercial service

if someone thinks this info should be removed, please PM me

 

[Allaamu]

AOL Satelittle (spelled right) was such a rip off. Good thing that they had the right mind to cancel it.

 

[Bryophyte]

I live out in the middle of farking nowhere, fifteen miles from civilization, and have dial-up that only gets 24kbs (this is after two years of living in UCD family housing with ResNet.)

We live way up high, behind hills, so far haven't found a wireless dsl provider with antennas close enough to work. Dish Network might work, but too expensive. Heard about this thing where they use electric lines for internet...anyone know what the hell that might be?

 

[nick1985]

having no broadband is like not having legs

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
edro13,

Even in the boonies you have 3 possibilities for broadband internet:
1) ISDN
2) DirecWAY Satellite
3) Wireless

Tell your father to go here, enter in your home phone and address to see what's available
IF Broadband service is available in your area, when he signs up he'll receive a $75 rebate check
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/topics/nntopic_internet.htm

According to the Dell thing.... it is available... but the provider is Time Warner Cable and I already called them and they said that we live too far off the road (I called about a year ago). They live about 100 yards off the main road. I wonder if they could install a repeater or something?

 

[GeekDrew]

Sometimes cable companies will install repeaters or amplifiers... especially if you offer to absorb at least some of the cost. If they really want broadband, it'll cost them a little to get it installed, but I think it's well worth it.

Drew

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: RossMAN
edro13,

Even in the boonies you have 3 possibilities for broadband internet:
1) ISDN
2) DirecWAY Satellite
3) Wireless

Tell your father to go here, enter in your home phone and address to see what's available
IF Broadband service is available in your area, when he signs up he'll receive a $75 rebate check
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/topics/nntopic_internet.htm

According to the Dell thing.... it is available... but the provider is Time Warner Cable and I already called them and they said that we live too far off the road (I called about a year ago). They live about 100 yards off the main road. I wonder if they could install a repeater or something?

Sounds promising.. Press them harder.
You might have to pay for the cabling or amps, but it would be worth it.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: RossMAN
edro13,

Even in the boonies you have 3 possibilities for broadband internet:
1) ISDN
2) DirecWAY Satellite
3) Wireless

Tell your father to go here, enter in your home phone and address to see what's available
IF Broadband service is available in your area, when he signs up he'll receive a $75 rebate check
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/topics/nntopic_internet.htm

According to the Dell thing.... it is available... but the provider is Time Warner Cable and I already called them and they said that we live too far off the road (I called about a year ago). They live about 100 yards off the main road. I wonder if they could install a repeater or something?

Sounds promising.. Press them harder.
You might have to pay for the cabling or amps, but it would be worth it.

Hell yeah it would be. I mean, if they don't, they could be without broadband forever.... and just think of how important the internet will be in the next 10 years or so.

 

[Yax]

Just go with a T1.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Sometimes cable companies will install repeaters or amplifiers... especially if you offer to absorb at least some of the cost. If they really want broadband, it'll cost them a little to get it installed, but I think it's well worth it.

Drew

"absorb at least some of the cost"??

My office is in the boondocks and Comcast wanted $6000 to install equipment to bring cable service to the area. Or $1000 per household. (We were interested in cable internet - ours being the only office there, the other 5 are residences - the others were interested in cable TV/internet)

They did not even offer to meet any portion of the costs - or give a break on the $99/month. I detest this cable monoply in the country.

$6000? - NFW. So we're stuck with dial up at work & all of us have cable at home. Sucks big time. :disgust:

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

i have started testing a wireless modem from a company that starts with an "S" and ends with a "t"

it is designed to attach to your computer as an external serial modem

For wireless he will need line of sight to the tower.