Wild Blue - available in all 48 states contiguous states

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DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Darn it! Much better FAP (it seems)

Should I wait for a bit? Go with direcway? (Hughesnet)
Or live with dial-up? I'm surviving the dial-up... The internet is less of a source of entertainment though (no youtubing, etc.) But, my wife is going crazy.

Anyone have a clue about wild blue?
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
I had direcway for 2 years. IT FCKING SUCKED. teh FAP was crap. they lock you down for useing it more then 1gb a month (or something silly like that) at slower then dial up rates.
also if the wind/clouds/dust/sun/moon is up then it stops working. Also you have to pay $400 for equipment and the service is expensive. Not to mention the speeds are nowhere near what they claim.

i have heard some good stuff about wild blue. better FAP and higher speeds.
 
GeekDrew

GeekDrew

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2000
9,099
19
81
A few of my neighbors recently ordered Wild Blue (and it was subsequently installed), but I haven't asked them how well they like it. Several others have Hughesnet (aka DirecWay, aka AgriStar, aka (tons of stuff)), and they say that the service has improved quite a bit since Wild Blue has become popular... because Hughesnet subscribers are moving to Wild Blue.

I've lately been considering getting one or the other, but I haven't decided yet, because of the current debate between which is better (which is important, given that you have to sign a contract). If you eventually order one, let me know how you like it. ;)

Oh yeah - Wild Blue is not currently accepting new subscribers in my area either. I suspect that their satellites are packed at the moment.
 
S

SandInMyShoes

Senior member
Apr 19, 2002
887
2
81
I've been hearing less good things about WildBlue than I used to. Hughesnet seems to have a good thing going with the new DW7000 modem, if you can live with the FAP. $70 per month gets you 1mbps down and 256kbps up, with a 350mb download bucket (refills at a rate of 56kbps I believe).

Make sure you exhaust your other options first. No local WISPs around? Can't run your own point-to-point wireless link to where high-speed service is available?
 
C

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
27,112
930
126
Kill and eat the damn turkey, burn the barn, sell the house, and get out of the sticks! ;)
 
V

Vich

Platinum Member
Apr 11, 2000
2,849
1
0
Highest speed i saw on the wild blue website was 1.5down. am i missing something?
 
S

Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
FAP= Fair Access Policy... get you mind out of the gutter :p

DrPizza, i'm in the same boat as you... no access to broadband around here.
I was thinking of getting satallite till i heard our power co-op was looking into BPL from this company
The plan includes offering IBEC's standard fare, three tiers each for residential and commercial. The most popular is the basic residential tier: 256k service for $29.95/month. All tiers have symmetrical upload and download bandwidth.
Click to expand...

More info

I guess we're waiting to here if IBEC gets a grant from some federal agency to help impliment this to ours & other co-ops.

Maybe see if something like this is available in your area.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Do I dare ask what fap means in this context?
Click to expand...

It means they'll spank you if you use their service as broadband.
Click to expand...

yeap. they will lock you down to speeds LESS then dialup.
 
S

SandInMyShoes

Senior member
Apr 19, 2002
887
2
81
Originally posted by: Spacehead
FAP= Fair Access Policy... get you mind out of the gutter :p

DrPizza, i'm in the same boat as you... no access to broadband around here.
I was thinking of getting satallite till i heard our power co-op was looking into BPL from this company
The plan includes offering IBEC's standard fare, three tiers each for residential and commercial. The most popular is the basic residential tier: 256k service for $29.95/month. All tiers have symmetrical upload and download bandwidth.
Click to expand...

More info

I guess we're waiting to here if IBEC gets a grant from some federal agency to help impliment this to ours & other co-ops.

Maybe see if something like this is available in your area.
Click to expand...

Don't count on BPL unless you're in the city. To my knowledge, it has yet to be deployed in a rural area, and likely never will be due to infrastructure costs.
 
GeekDrew

GeekDrew

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2000
9,099
19
81
Originally posted by: ta8689
Originally posted by: Sphexi
http://www.wildblue.com/legal/fair.jsp

They have usage limits, but not as low as a GB. You have to go with their top teir program to get anything decent though, 17GB down and 5GB up, for about $80/mnth isn't horrible compared to dial-up.
Click to expand...

ive downloaded 17 GB in the last 2 days....
Click to expand...

Satellite internet is not designed to be a replacement for "traditional" broadband. It's meant to replace dialup, so that general browsing is more along the speeds of broadband; not massive file downloads & etc.

Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Do I dare ask what fap means in this context?
Click to expand...

It means they'll spank you if you use their service as broadband.
Click to expand...

yeap. they will lock you down to speeds LESS then dialup.
Click to expand...

It's less than dialup? I thought that the lower end was 56K...

 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Originally posted by: ta8689
Originally posted by: Sphexi
http://www.wildblue.com/legal/fair.jsp

They have usage limits, but not as low as a GB. You have to go with their top teir program to get anything decent though, 17GB down and 5GB up, for about $80/mnth isn't horrible compared to dial-up.
Click to expand...

ive downloaded 17 GB in the last 2 days....
Click to expand...

Satellite internet is not designed to be a replacement for "traditional" broadband. It's meant to replace dialup, so that general browsing is more along the speeds of broadband; not massive file downloads & etc.

Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Do I dare ask what fap means in this context?
Click to expand...

It means they'll spank you if you use their service as broadband.
Click to expand...

yeap. they will lock you down to speeds LESS then dialup.
Click to expand...

It's less than dialup? I thought that the lower end was 56K...
Click to expand...

often i was stuck with less. trying to get a update for software i would be getting far less then a 14.4.

but for browsing it was fine most of the time. trouble is that it would have a lot of dropped info. you would have to click a link 2-3 times (sometimes) to get it to go.but when it connects it is fast.

I am just happy that i was able to get wireless (the antena is 200 yards from my house. with a clear line of sight hehehe) for cheaper. its still 1.5mbps down but its a constant 1.5 for far cheaper then Directway was.

heck i can upgrade speed for $7 to 3mbps if i want to
 
P

Pollock

Golden Member
Jan 24, 2004
1,989
0
0
If WildBlue is at all like Direcway, it will still suck. Unfortunately for me, I have several sources of broadband all around me except for my half mile stretch of road, so I've been stuck with Direcway for a few years now. It's better than dialup, but do yourself a favor and exhaust every other possible option first.
 
GeekDrew

GeekDrew

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2000
9,099
19
81
Originally posted by: Pollock
If WildBlue is at all like Direcway, it will still suck. Unfortunately for me, I have several sources of broadband all around me except for my half mile stretch of road, so I've been stuck with Direcway for a few years now. It's better than dialup, but do yourself a favor and exhaust every other possible option first.
Click to expand...

If you have broadband within 1/2 mile of you, why haven't you paid off a neighbor to let you have another drop installed on their property, and use a wireless connection to get it the rest of the way?
 
B

Benthere

Member
May 4, 2003
124
0
0
I've had wildblue for about a year now and am happy with it, The dialup I had before seldom worked was difficult to make and keep a connection. Windows updates were impossible to download. I haven't had any problems with weather issues with wildblue only a bad trea that failed the first week I had it.
 
P

Pollock

Golden Member
Jan 24, 2004
1,989
0
0
Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Originally posted by: Pollock
If WildBlue is at all like Direcway, it will still suck. Unfortunately for me, I have several sources of broadband all around me except for my half mile stretch of road, so I've been stuck with Direcway for a few years now. It's better than dialup, but do yourself a favor and exhaust every other possible option first.
Click to expand...

If you have broadband within 1/2 mile of you, why haven't you paid off a neighbor to let you have another drop installed on their property, and use a wireless connection to get it the rest of the way?
Click to expand...

I was not aware there was cheap wireless equipment with range of about half a mile, nor one not requiring good line of sight. :eek: And the cable is actually more like 1.5 miles to the south, where a second CO stops providing DSL. My loop length is about 3000FT too far from the maximum 18,000FT from my CO for DSL, and I doubt Verizon will be deploying FIOS here anytime soon. One WISP claimed they would look into expanding service to my area (they are at varying distances to the northwest), but I haven't heard anything further for about 9 months. Really, there just seems to be no simple solution. :(
 
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