Satellite Internet recommendations

[rw120555]

I've got a friend who is going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cable or DSL options. Anybody have any recommendations for Satellite Internet Services he should check into? Just googling around, I see various companies offering Satellite Internet, but I have no idea how good they are. And, it looks a little expensive, so you'd want to be confident you were getting something good.

 

[amdskip]

I think Direcway is probably the most common provider.

Starband also looks popular.

 

[rw120555]

Thanks amdskip. Anybody have any experience with either of these? Is one just as good as another?

 

[n0cmonkey]

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend DirecWay to anyone. Their F.A.P. is horrible.

Also, you realize gaming is essentially an impossibility on satellite right?

 

[rw120555]

What is F.A.P.? I don't know if my friend is a gamer, but his only alternative right now is dial-up so I assume satellite would have to be better than that.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: rw120555
What is F.A.P.? I don't know if my friend is a gamer, but his only alternative right now is dial-up so I assume satellite would have to be better than that.

The Fair Access Policy ensures that if you download more than a certain amount in a short period of time your speeds will be dramatically cut.

I'd get ISDN or team a pair of modems before looking at satellite.

 

[randym431]

I had directpc a couple years ago and it was awful. The more you use it, in a session, the slower things got. I could download an mp3 fast, then the second mp3 was soso. Then, the speed turned into slower than 56k dialup. They had a class action suit, that they lost, and had to offer to buy back equipment. I dont know if they have changed any, but it would be easier to move to a city with cable than find good satellite internet in the heavens.