Two-way Satelite Internet?

[Unclemo]

I have discussed this earlier a bit here...

Has anyone seen any place that has two-way internet via sattelite other than Radio Shack? No place seems to be offering it yet besides Radio Shack... and I don't want to have to buy some crappy COmpaq PC.

Anyone gotten theirs yet? And anyone have it in the Chicago land area?

 

[Vegito]

try starband.com .. think it's by dish which is the radio shack ones.. think u can get direct off the web..

 

[celeritas]

That Radio Shack PC stipulation is a joke. According to my local RS, you can't buy the satellite/internet package without shelling out at least $1200 for one of their computers... Someone please explain to me what value RS is adding to the equation?

Besides providing the store front to sell the stuff, what would justify an interested buyer (someone who already has a PC I wager) to shell out 1200 additional, unnecessary dollars? Sorry, but that's just plain dumb. It seems like RS counting on the gullibility and/or the desperation of the consumer...

The satellite itself is manufactured by Gilat (I think it's ~$300+ through RS) and the internet service is from Micro$oft (~$60/mo or so). It seems to me that RS is getting a lot more money out of the deal than both of the other two companies combined -- for much less of a contribution to the equation (come on, that compuke/celeron PC isn't worth even close to $1200). If Gilat/M$ is smart, they'll offer their product/service directly.

I'd check out the bidirectional packages soon to be (if not right now) offered by Dish Network and DirecPC; you can get your cable TV through them, too. And, they don't require the purchase of a PC. No, I don't work for them...


Edit: BTW, Starband = Gilat. Also, don't expect online gaming (HL, CS, etc.) to work like cable/DSL. If you do the math, the distance the signal has to travel from you up to the sat, down to the ISP, etc., then back up/down again would make your latency most likely in the neighborhood of 500-800ms.

 

[Unclemo]

yhea... I am very pissed with RS. I have sent them tons of emails telling them their marketing scheme is going to backfire... and that PC is a joke for 1200. The whole thing makes me just hate radio shack and compaq even more.

 

[Vegito]

someone here found a away around it.. i'll find the post and hopefully post it up for u guys..

 

[Unclemo]

A while ago I posted something asking if anyone knew a way to get around it... I am so desperate for a fast internet connection that I would or would have bought the Radio Shack compaq garbage and just strip the hardware and software to my own server. There is no way I want to use their compaq as my internet server. Originally, they said that a stand alone version would be available in January. I wonder now if that will be delayed just cause the market is so weak... and capital for investments will be scarce... If they have to raise capital for rolling it out it will be tough and they will rather delay the start until they get more capital.

 

[Unclemo]

What do people think of using satelite internet along with an ISDN modem for uploads. Would that allow for games to be played online? Of course the expense starts edging close to 100 a month...
$59 for satelite and upload ISP
$30-40 for ISDN to be added to your phone...

 

[IsOs]

AT this time, lasd based DSL or cable modem outspeed satelite system. They are also prone to interference.

 

[celeritas]

I found another local RS store that had the sat system hooked up... Being the untrusting type, I didn't rely on the Micro$oft speedtest they had running. It said 600Kbits/sec DL; three tests at 2wire said it was more like 440-480Kbits/sec. I also went to NetScape and downloaded Communicator, much to the chagrin of the RS guys. The DL was 40-45 KBytes/sec, which was the most accurate measurement of speed, IMO.

Unfortunately, I couldn't test the UL speed because the demo box was locked down pretty tight. Plus, the RS guys were watching me like hawks.

Unclemo: Last night, RS told me that they'll offer sat/internet only combo in Feb/March of 2001. I wouldn't hold my breath for RS...

 

[Unclemo]

Update:

I just got it ordered and I may even have it by the end of next week. There is no $1200 junk Compaq PC (I would not even pay $400 for it) and it is been shipped out this month. Of course since no one has really used it yet there is not much to go on in terms of quality... I will plan on keeping a dialup for a bit longer with it. The site below is offering it. They get shipments in batches and there batch for next week is spoken for. You get your name moved up on the list if you get the additional sat. tv.. and get bumped up alist higher if you get two receivers... So, the more ya spend with em the quicker they will get it to ya! Oh well.. for less than 700 bucks I get the dish, a top of the line digital ready reciever and a second standard receiver. A lot more I believe than the PC for 1200. *(#&$*(@#(*@# I hate Compaq and Radio Shack beyond more than any other company (except Quadrant components).

If anyone has this already post your thoughts. thanks


http://www.4dws.com/html/broadband/frame_broad.html

 

[celeritas]

I spoke with a cable installer the other day, and she said that cable modems should be available in my area by Q1 2001. DSL will probably never be here. There's nearly a quarter million people in my "town" and vicinity, yet few areas have broadband access. It's interesting that many tiny coastal towns nearby have had it for years; their lines are much newer than my city's, and I guess the powers-that-be have been too cheap to upgrade ours...

If CM's aren't around by March, I guess my only options are to look into bidirectional satellite -- or move. I've never liked all the rain I get here, anyway.

 

[jacobnero6918]

My brother-in-law just purchased the Starband from them directly:

$400 for the reciever and dish
$40 for shipping
$200 for installation (and they MUST do it)

$70 a month for service and they only promise 150K down and 50K up !

 

[Unclemo]

I like what I got for $700 a bit more (plus I shold be receiving a $199 rebate afterwards).
I got:
Dish
Top of line receiver
Standard receiver
Extra remote
Modulation Kit (or whatever) to bleed off to my cable homerun feed to watch satelite TV from any of my other TVs set to user defined channel.
And the junk for the internet.. modem....

Hmm... now I am starting to think I got a good deal for $500 after rebate.

 

[xile]

Hi,
I read somewhere that satellite has a latency of around 300 ms (close to the average latency of a dial-up modem - 250 ms). Is this true, has anyone tried it? Also, does anyone know when Teledesic are going to launch their service? It sounds very good and to me it looks as good as cable...

(Earlier 'celeritas' posted a message saying that satellite has a latency of 500-800 ms, and that gaming would be difficult on it)

 

[Unclemo]

Yes, it is true... can't play games. I am quit sad about it. I just don't play that much Quake as I used to and I need the practice. The other day I fired it up against some friends over and I am just not as good as I used to be

I am going to check out that link you just gave sometime... but anything from the sky will have some sort of theoretical lag greater than hard wired... I believed.

 

[celeritas]

I don't know for a fact that satellite latency is 500-800ms, since the only thing the RS guys would let me do was a download test, but if you do the math, things don't look good... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the typical "real-time" scenario (gaming, chat, etc.) goes something like this:

you (origination) --> sat = 25,000mi (rounding up)
sat --> internet (destination) = 25,000mi
internet --> sat = 25,000mi
sat --> you = 25,000mi
25,000 * 4 = 100,000; 100,000mi/186,282.3976mps ~ .537sec ~ 537ms.

By comparison, it takes ~ 1.3 seconds to send a message to the moon, and another 1.3 to get an immediate reply. I'm glad I don't know anyone there who wants to play CounterStrike.