Wireless Internet for my home?

[JQP]

Hi, I'm in Charleston, SC. I live in a mobile home in a rural area.

I want to do this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8082666_internet-rural-areas-texas.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_wireless

Throw up an external antenna, install a router (and card?), sign up with an ISP, and get wireless internet.

I know I can get cell phone service here (or more accurately, in my yard), but how do I find an ISP?

Can I install all the hardware, and then surf for an ISP?

I also need to know what kind of hardware (antenna, router, card?) to shop for, and where I should shop. Basically, I know nothing about this stuff, though I am otherwise computer savvy (I build all my own, fix my friends' etc.).

Gigabyte EP45-DS3L motherboard (has a built-in 10/100 Ethernet, I think)
Windows 7

Help me Obi-Wan, I can't stand this dial-up #&!* any more.

 

[Ghiedo27]

Your first step is to contact local providers to determine if they cover your area. Once you find a provider they can fill you in on what they provide and what hardware you'll need to install yourself.

 

[JQP]

Your first step is to contact local providers to determine if they cover your area. Once you find a provider they can fill you in on what they provide and what hardware you'll need to install yourself.

I need to know what providers are in my area, and their contact info, before I can contact them. How do I find this out?

 

[kornphlake]

I need to know what providers are in my area, and their contact info, before I can contact them. How do I find this out?

Do you get local television channels, if I watch television for 1 hour I'll see commercials for all the major wireless providers in my area, t-mobile, sprint, AT&T, Verizon, etc.

As a last resort you could search your yellow pages for wireless providers and/or ISPs.

 

[ImDonly1]

Try here
http://www.broadbandreports.com/
Click find service at the top and type in your zip code.
or google "Charleston isp"

One that I can think of is hughesnet or wildblue. It is expensive, has caps, it is slow and has high latency. You should expect that of any satellite internet provider.

You can't get dsl or cable? Att, comcast?

 

[Hugh Jass]

Hey...another South Carolinian on here...cool.

That is all.

 

[zCypher]

Just do a quick Google search for Charleston, SC wireless internet:

First hit:
http://www.yellowpages.com/charleston-sc/wireless-internet-providers

 

[Lemon law]

As someone who has only one rational option for broadband internet in a rural area, namely 3G or 4G data services from one of the various cell phone telco's. In my case, I receive excellent service from Verizon, but its location location and location and let the buyer beware with any Wireless Telco be they AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or T-mobile. Maybe I forgot to list some minor regional carriers and some resellers of other carriers services.

As for the ehow link, http://www.ehow.com/how_8082666_inte...eas-texas.html, I found it totally retarded and useless.

Because face the facts folks, if you live in the middle of a cell phone desert which I did until late 2009, without a close and reliable cell phone Tower that is data capable, you will never achieve descent service.

Fortunately for the wireless data consumer wantabee, each and every cell phone telco has a mapping option, input your address, and they will at least predict if you have any hope or not for data. Point granted, they are often way too over optimistic, so avoid signing a contract like the plague. But in least in the case of T-mobile, they are honest enough to tell me I have no hope at my location. So run the mapping services if all your potential wireless providers to generate a short list.

Then for the wantabee 3G or 4G data consumer you got three more barriers? (1) In a rural area you may know where you live, but your local wireless Telco will not tell how far away their closest tower is to your house. Loose lips sink ships or some other bullshit is the rational all regional all wireless telco's use. But the real reason is the mushroom treatment, keep consumers in the dark and feed em manure. An ignorant consumer is the ideal, and gasp an informed consumer may start making wiser consumer choices. But folks, in my rural area, its not that hard to drive a few miles around the perimeter of your house to see all your local towers. You ain't talking about an 15 ft elephant that can pretend its a strawberry patch, by painting their toe nails red, we are talking 200 ft or better towers impossible to miss with with the naked eye. But the mushroom treatment has many layers, which eyesore tower belongs to which wireless telco? Inquiring minds want to know. Plan A, use various antenna locator services, but in my case it tells me zero when its leased from American towers. Plan B, totally legal, drive to the tower, don't climb the fence, but look trough the fence and see whose name is on the electric meter. That one works every time for me. (2) Barrier two. The closer you are to your local telco's cell phone tower, the less likely you will need a expensive external antenna. With line of sight to your local tower being your local tower golden ideal. But will not save anyone from the inverse squire law, even with Line of sight maximum 3G or 4G range is 10 miles. In my case my closest Verizon
tower is only 2 miles away, and never needed an external antenna to improve my uploads or downloads. (3) For the 3G or 4G data user, we are now in the midst of a 3G to 4G transition nationwide across all wireless telco's. What 4G offers over 3G is about a 10 X speed increase for no extra charge.

After that, anyone interested in wireless internet is welcome to PM me.