 |
|
10/23/05, 11:19 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Middle of nowhere along the Rim, Arizona
Posts: 3,100
|
|
|
Satellite internet?
Anyone have any suggestions for satellite internet?
My dialup just isn't doing the job anymore. There is NO other option in this area but dialup. (I used to do web design, so I'm pretty familiar with the various options. My only other option is satellite. I've just been out of the loop a few years and I'm not familiar with who has the best rates and service anymore.)
Looking for the cheapest 2-way (up and down) satellite provider -- both subscription rates and HARDWARE costs.
Help!
Leva
|
10/24/05, 02:55 AM
|
 |
Banned
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: SouthEastern Illinois
Posts: 700
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Thrifty Sarrah
|
awesome! 
|
10/24/05, 06:47 AM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Michigan
Posts: 1,983
|
|
|
Wow........this looks like what we have been looking for. Has anyone here used them????
|
10/24/05, 07:26 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Mid-Michigan
Posts: 1,526
|
|
|
Direcway is the cheapest choice, equipment and service. Just don't plan any big downloads.
|
10/24/05, 07:30 AM
|
 |
homesteader
|
|
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SE Missouri
Posts: 28,248
|
|
|
I'm also looking for satellite internet to open an ebay store. Why no big downloads? Could you define 'big' as it pertains to downloads please?
__________________
I believe in God's willingness to heal.
Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)
|
10/24/05, 07:51 AM
|
 |
Not a Cannibal
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 358
|
|
|
We too were fed up with dialup so we bit the bullet and forked out the 600 bucks to install direcway. It works great when it works but I still keep a dialup account so I can access the web when its down.
One thing to watch out for is if you have mutipul users on a network - wired or wireless it works very poorly. They forgot to mention that when we signed up. They also really screwed up our order and it took three weeks for them to get us installed, seemed their subcontractor lost the work order.
I do not have problems downloading large files - 200+ megs but it seems that you have a cap on your account to allow for fair access to their other subscribers, which means if you connect and download too much they throttle your download back to a painfully slow rate for up to 24 hours, so stay away from downloading movies.
Oh and I podcast alot of radio shows so I can listen to them when I am running around on the tracktor - something about direcway and Ipodder - they work great sometimes then other times my dl rate is about 1k or less.
One thing to look into in your area - even if you have no cabled solution Verizon offers a new broadband service on a cellular card called evdo - 50 bucks a month (cheaper than satelite) and supposed to have acceptable 300k speeds.
If there is one thing I miss from living in the city it is my 3mps cable modem and now I am really drooling when I watch commercials for 9mps cable.
|
10/24/05, 07:54 AM
|
 |
Truth Seeker
|
|
Join Date: May 2004
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 232
|
|
|
Before you commit to Directway take a look at Wild blue.
__________________
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
-Theodore Roosevelt
|
10/24/05, 04:47 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: TN
Posts: 1,104
|
|
|
Direcway is horrible. Terribly expensive to install, expensive monthly, terrible service, terrible customer service in India. Slow, slow, slow. Dialup is faster. We had direcway for a few months while we lived out on our big farm. We were warned about the poor service but bonehead me wanted to try it anyway. I can't say enough bad about this company and their service. THEN, after months of awful service we had to pay around $400 to cancel! I was so disgusted by that time I was just thrilled to get RID of them!
Anybody want to buy a BIG ugly direcway sattelite dish and 20 lb modem?
BTY, Verizon offers something called Express Network (i think thats the name) in their national access areas that's great. I get on it at around 100-140k. I would choose that in a heartbeat over ripoff Direcway. They're working on wireless broadband but it's not in my area yet.
I'm off to look at the wildblue link...
|
10/24/05, 04:53 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: The Ozarks
Posts: 5,201
|
|
|
We've had Direcway for 4 years, and I really like it. We had it installed back on the farm, and now we're using our dish on a tripod in the RV.
I've found it to be pretty fast, about 20-30 times faster than dialup. And pretty much trouble free. But not for the computer novice. We run ours through a wireless router, and each of our laptops connect via wireless cards.
|
10/24/05, 04:58 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: TN
Posts: 1,104
|
|
|
We are not computer novices. You're the only person I can recall having anything positive to say about the company.
|
10/24/05, 05:02 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 121
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by BamaSuzy
I have two computers connected via a router and am now on cable modem. Would having the two computers hooked up like this (I have to have them like this on the Internet because of the newspaper I edit) cause any problems on sattelite internet????
|
No, we use directway with a wireless access point in the cabin. Sometimes have three computers all connected. Use the Direcway system with the professional package. I work from home quite a bit on it. Some clients that have VPN are problematic on a satellite system but that is not unique to Direcway. Yeah their customer service is in India, but thats the breaks. I had one call with them and it was ok although it did remind me of my days in engineering school with the accent and all.
__________________
Welcome to North Idaho - now either slow down or go home!
|
10/24/05, 05:07 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: The Ozarks
Posts: 5,201
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Paula
We are not computer novices. You're the only person I can recall having anything positive to say about the company.
|
I wasn't implying that you were Paula, sorry. I simply meant to say it's definately NOT the way to go for a computer novice. Their tech support is non existent. You need enough knowledge to troubleshoot and fix it on your own.
|
10/24/05, 06:14 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Western NY
Posts: 703
|
|
|
I was in the same boat, can't even get Verizon DSL where I am, just dial up. So I went with Direcway, must say we've had 3 computers running at once via a router and everything was fine. Sometimes it seems like I have to unplug the Direcway box and re boot the thing but it's a 30 second job. I do think it's expensive though. We bought out equipment but 59 a month is a ton of money, but so far I like it. I'm wondering how it will be in snowey NY.
Carol K
|
10/24/05, 06:40 PM
|
|
In Remembrance
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: River Valley, Arkansas
Posts: 847
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by CJ
We've had Direcway for 4 years, and I really like it. We had it installed back on the farm, and now we're using our dish on a tripod in the RV.
I've found it to be pretty fast, about 20-30 times faster than dialup. And pretty much trouble free. But not for the computer novice. We run ours through a wireless router, and each of our laptops connect via wireless cards.
|
We used it and had two computers online at the same time, we just networked our computers. Some times it was very slow but they only allow you so much time as a secondary user. The nilitary get first crack at the usage and then commercial and then residential. Thw weather (snow) would shut it down until we brushed off the dish. But It was faster than dialup.
I would try to buy the system, (two way) over the internet (Ebay) to save about 200 on equipment costs.
We now have dsl and dsl is much faster.
|
10/24/05, 10:10 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Carthage, Texas
Posts: 12,261
|
|
|
Suzy
Direcway has a new modem setup that'll allow you to run servers systems for multiple computers.
I have direcway 1 way service. The 2 way service is nice, but the upload speeds aren't that great. There is a Fair Access Policy, the dreaded FAP. It kicks in if you dl more than 169 mb at a time, or 180 after 1a.m. I can get up to 600mb/day, with a little FAP mgmt.
I'm so far out in the sticks, it took me 2200$ just to get a phone, and many years of wrangling...so dsl,cable, whatever is just a joke. Bit the bullet. I'm afraid to complain too much, as they're giving me 20$ worth of free service each month...complained about my not being billed...they said I was, so, whatever...my bill is 39 a month... well worth it...
Just don't fiddle with anything and screw it up, cause they're tech support is in Bangalore, god bless their souls...
__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming
|
10/24/05, 11:43 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ash Fork, AZ
Posts: 198
|
|
|
I'm happy to have Direcway. When I purchased it almost 2 years ago it was the only game in town. We don't have phone lines or cable. Sometime it's slow but if I unplug and reboot the modem it usually restores the speed. I run an internet and ebay business. I have a website etc. I can't get them to bill me either but I just call every month and pay the bill. It is expensive but for me to work I have to have it.
I'm a happy customer.
Suzi
|
10/25/05, 07:21 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Western NY
Posts: 703
|
|
|
Suzy, I have to unplug mine at times and re boot, I have no idea why though but it works, I'm not technical but I know how to do that part! LOL.
carol K
|
10/25/05, 12:58 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 3,567
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Paula
We are not computer novices. You're the only person I can recall having anything positive to say about the company.
|
My brother-in-law uses Direcway, and he recommends it.
I personally would avoid dealing with any company who wanted such an unreasonable fee to cancel the service.
Rick
|
10/25/05, 04:17 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 319
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Carol K
I was in the same boat, can't even get Verizon DSL where I am, just dial up. So I went with Direcway, must say we've had 3 computers running at once via a router and everything was fine. Sometimes it seems like I have to unplug the Direcway box and re boot the thing but it's a 30 second job. I do think it's expensive though. We bought out equipment but 59 a month is a ton of money, but so far I like it. I'm wondering how it will be in snowey NY.
Carol K
|
I worry about that too!! If we get a rain storm, it goes out, so I can't imagine what our winters are going to do!!
I also have to unplug it wait, then plug it back in to get the speed back.
We cant get cable unless we pay 2000 dollars for them to install the lines. Of course my nieghbor 2 houses down has it!!
I live in Kendall. Direcway is all we can get for now.....
~Marisa 
__________________
I pledge allegiance to the earth, one planet, many gods, and to the universe in which she spins.
~If Only Closed Minds Came with Closed Mouths~
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:42 PM.
|
|
