Comments on: Broadband Internet Woes

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 31 May 2007 21:24:07 +0000

I’m fortunate enough to get cable broadband where I live. With my upload speed requirements, it would be nice if I could get DSL, but it’s not available in my area. I have considered Satellite, but found it to be too expensive.
I’m still looking into some local companies that provide WiFi access here.

By: jt

jt — Thu, 11 May 2006 16:50:17 +0000

Here is what you need. But I think it is a few years out. But when it comes it will be great.
I pulled this from some internet site after hearing about it on the radio today.
Cheers
jt

Another such technology is Broadband over Power Line, or BPL.Already in wide use in many other countries and currently beingtested in the U.S., BPL is the delivery of broadband internetservice over traditional power lines. A computer is connected toa special modem which is simply plugged into an electricaloutlet. This kind of service could prove useful for those whocannot get traditional broadband services like cable modem orDigital Subscriber Line (DSL), as almost everyone has access toelectricity now. Once refined, BPL could eventually prove to becheaper and faster than these more established services andattract away some of their customers.

By: Jerry Kindall

Jerry Kindall — Tue, 09 May 2006 20:53:54 +0000

When I buy my house, maybe I’ll make the purchase contingent on verified broadband Internet availability.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 09 May 2006 18:55:53 +0000

If you do consider going with a cellular provider, you might want to check on Verizon Wireless’s 1xEV-DO offering. I think it’s $80/month for unlimited access of $50/month for some restricted amount, and it would be considerably faster than anything T-Mobile or Cingular could provide on their current networks (if I recall correctly, 1.5Mbps max downlink, 128kbps max upload, though your perfomance will depend heavily on local topology & cell usage). I have seen wireless router/gateways for this technology, but I’m not sure if any of them are commercially available yet.

By: nickel

nickel — Mon, 08 May 2006 19:09:06 +0000

Wow, WildBlue does look pretty good. Their entry level package ($49.95/month) is a bit slower than HughesNet/DirecWay (512 kbps vs. 700 kbps) but it’s a good bit cheaper. Thanks. I’ll definitely look into it.

By: Jim D

Jim D — Mon, 08 May 2006 18:47:35 +0000

http://www.wildblue.com has broadband satellite service available nationwide. Check it out it looks like a better deal than Directway. AT&T just agreed to sell it so it must be proven.

By: jt

jt — Mon, 08 May 2006 17:31:37 +0000

FMF asked that I respond to you on a few of your concerns about
satellite connections.
We had gone from dial up, (no dsl or cable in our area) to a two way
satellite (upsteam and downsteam). If you have no other options for fast
connection in your area and can afford it I suggest that you go with it.
We had to buy a dish and have it installed and pointed in a the southern
sky with a clear view. About $1000 several years ago with a monthy fee
of $69. (I think it is cheaper now a days.) The speed was good on the
download but not very fast on the upload. You also had a short pause
(legacy) while the information was being sent up to the satellite and
back down to the receiving station (someplace in the Carolina’s) and
back to the computer. You are also limited to a certian amount of
megabits of download each 24 hour period. I you exceed this limit then
the system slows down till the 24 hour period elapse. This sucked it you
were trying to update several computers with SP2 or something like that.
Because of the legacy a satillite connection is not good for gaming. The
weather played an important factor. If you had a storm in your area or
the Carolina’s it would knock out the signal till the storm passed.
Sometimes you would be down for three or four hours at the most. Normal
to cloudy weather and even light rain would usually keep it going. It
was the storms that took it down.

If you have cable or dsl in your area I would go with it but if there is
nothing but 28.8 or 56 dial up in your area and can afford it then give
the satellite a shot. If you have cable in your area I would go with
that over the satellite in a heart beat.

Any other questions, write me back.
Cheers
jt

By: FMF

FMF — Mon, 08 May 2006 15:58:37 +0000

Are you kidding me? I’m lucky to know that the computer’s on and I’m on the web!!!!

If you want details on the satellite, email me and I can put you in touch with a friend who can answer your questions.

By: nickel

nickel — Mon, 08 May 2006 14:31:54 +0000

Hmmm… That T-Mobile broadband plan looks interesting. And looking at their map, we’re in an area rated ‘good’ in terms of service quality (although it gets better as you get closer in to town). Any idea how I can feed it into a wireless router? I’m guessing that I’d have to get the PC card version of their ‘phone’ and run it through a laptop?

As far as Verizon goes, it looks like we’re on the fringe of their broadband-capable area, so I’m not sure I’d want to risk it.

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Mon, 08 May 2006 12:53:07 +0000

My mother just recently got satellite, but I have not yet been to visit her to test it out and see how the service is.

By: reader

reader — Mon, 08 May 2006 12:24:22 +0000

At those prices for satellite, you maybe better off with wireless based internet access like

T-Mobile Total Internet None Unlimited Unlimited $49.99

$59.99 monthly access w/ 2-yr customer agreement and qualifying voice plan

(assuming that you have cell phone coverage in your area).

By: Flexo

Flexo — Mon, 08 May 2006 04:40:36 +0000

You could be waiting a long time before broadband cable or DSL is offered. Try out dial-up with a second phone line for a month to see if you can get used to it. I suggest staying away from satellite, especially if they lock you into a contract. Everything I’ve ever heard about satellite internet is that it is very unreliable.

By: jeremy

jeremy — Mon, 08 May 2006 01:46:59 +0000

have you looked into wireless?

This directory (i have no affiliation with them) will help you find a local wireless provider…though this seems like a reach, depending on your local, you may be able to find a reasonable solution without a huge upfront/long-term contract. Let me know if you find anything and need help deciphering their “spiel”.

By: nickel

nickel — Mon, 08 May 2006 01:10:39 +0000

FMF: Did you have two-way satellite, or did you have to have a regular modem connection for the upstream stuff? Also, was it twitchier than satellite TV when it comes to reception? We’ve always had cable, but have heard good things about Dish, and not too many complaints about dropped service during inclement weather. Was satellite internet more sensitive to clouds than satellite TV?

By: FMF

FMF — Mon, 08 May 2006 00:45:43 +0000

We had satellite before DSL. Bottomline: Faster than dial-up, but slower than DSL. Oh yeah, and it went out whenever there were clouds in South Carolina (or wherever the “main station” was located).