Is Anyone Using A Satellite Internet Provider

[DesaJopsy]

Ellen and I are heading back to Idaho after spending two months snowbirding. We are going to try and get back to the ranch ASAP barring too much snow. From what I understand it is a poor, poor snow year. So we might get in there okay in a week or so. One thing we need to establish is internet. Satellite is about the best option. Slash that it is the only real option. There is DSL up there but way - way to far away from our location. It ends three miles from us.

So that said is any one Sat service better than the other? I see where Wild Blue is changing to EXEDE and a lot faster. But I hear has band width issues and is not as fast as advertised. I have not really looked at Hughes specs and plans and services yet. I hop on to a hot spot up there that is Hughes and check my emails. It is okay and hardly earth shattering yet it is an Enterprise or Business plan.

Any ideas or ........

[DonetteSta]

I am 22,000 feet from a telephone switching control. Supposeably DSL is only good for 20,000 feet. The line is all hardwired old copper . I had some problems initially and they decreased the speed some (not really noticable) to avoid errors. So far it has worked good for the last couple of years.

I hear that Dish.net now has DSL satellite so you may check them out.

[Doredina]

several years ago I had Hughes Net because we did not have DSL. The only problem I had was when my son did a couple of extended video streaming sessions with YouTube, I exceeded my "Fair Use" limit and they throttled my bandwidth to something a little faster than dial up for a day. Other than that it was great because I was used to dial up. Also if you are a night owl, there is usually free use, no counted against your usage, from midnight or so until 4 or 5 am.
That is when I would do any down/up loads. There is a little latency, but I would definitely go with commercial equipment, I had the 1 watt radio, go with the 2 watt or higher for better service in periods of bad weather.
Hopes this helps.

[DennisPoorm]

Same issues here Rick. I'm trying to avoid satellite if at all possible. we have a wireless tower about 6-7 miles away that I can get line of sight on and am trying for. If there is something like that in the area it offers one more choice. Provided it works it'll be in the $40/ mo range.

[admin]

Good to find out it was counted on a daily bases. I do see where EXEDE is unlimited late nights. I am sort a night owl some times. I blame that on the railroad and being up round the clock. I was planing on doing any 'heavy lifting' until then. http://countryplans.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink2.gif I remember one issue they said now was you sat line could only be so long. We were hoping to get it set between where the fifth wheel sits and the where the house will be. So just rewire to the house and not pay the extra hook up when the house is done. But that did not look doable. The tech said he might be able to run a slower Wildblue box that far but not the EXEDE.