Finally, Broadband!

[Troutsqueezer]

So far out in the country, I've concluded after waiting almost 10 years for it, cable broadband is never going to make it to my neck of the woods. My wife and I are so sick of dial-up we finally bit the bullet and had WildBlue Satellite Broadband installed. At $250 for the install and $49 per month it isn't cheap but I have to say now that we have it, it's worth it. Things like automatic updates for Windows, Virus scan programs and others are no longer a big hassle. The pictures in the Beesource Photo section also make it worthwhile and of course, there's Youtube, actually a very entertaining website. If you've been thinking about it, I would recommend it.

My house now looks like some sort of government installation with the TV antenna, DirectTV dish, scanner antenna and now the larger WildBlue dish.

[Dan Williamson]

I'll wait.

I've got highspeed at work. Can't see paying for it at home. I'm too busy working bees to get online anyway when I get home from work.

Gets old quick trying to connect at 34K on a good day so I don't do it often.

[beenovice]

This satellite broadaband works both ways ? For receiving and sending data on the internet or you still send via dial-up and only receive via satellite ?

[JohnK and Sheri]

We bit the bullet about a year ago and it is worth every penny and more so. We had an unreliable dial up connection out in the country too but NO MORE!! We have the slower highspeed and it is fine but I am considering the REALLY high speed highspeed.
Anyone considering this option, my advice is not to wait, dial up can be way too frustrating. No need for the extra telephone line either.
Yes, the roof looks kinda funny with the regular TV antenna, two DirecTV dishes, and the WildBlue dish. I am glad it is on the side away from the road otherwise people might think we are working on some sort of high tech military bee or something.
Sheri
Yes, it works both ways, hence the high initial cost to purchase the equipment.

[Bizzybee]

That monthly fee isn't to far fetched. The set up costs sounds painful though!! Ouch!!! Nice though huh!

I've been on high speed here at home for over 10 years now. I had it 2 years or more before most around me did. Seems that you need to be within 9000 feet of the switch (ADSL/DSL) to be able to get the service. Which I'm within 6000. Still BellSouth refused service because their system wasn't capable. I finally, after calling around, found a service provider for it. They promptly had a "BellSouth" service tech installing a new line from the street to my house and connected me right up over my "BellSouth" phone line. Go figure huh?!?

A friend up in Mich just told me a couple of days ago that her tech, from the newly reconstituted AT&T, told her that he would help her out getting connected to the service if she followed his instructions that he gave, when she called and asked for the service. Seems that the 9000 ft mark may be pushed as well?? I'm sure a lot of it depends on the condition of the circuits. But she's been waiting for years also! I mention it for some of the rest of you in the predicament. Maybe something you can use???

[beegee]

My brother just got WildBlue. I'm still not satisifed that thunderstorms will not knock it offline, just like my satellite TV. I'm thinking about tring a wireless hook-up to his. He's 250 yards away across a cotton field. No cable available. No DSL. I even called my state representative to ask about "equal access" for public utility services. he said it wasn't in his jursidiction.

[JohnK and Sheri]

Beegee,
We have a Linksys wireless network out to the shop and to a camper we have in the yard, it works great (when the bug zapper isn't on ).
Our distance is much less than yours, it relays to a booster in the camper at about 200' then on to the shop another 100'.
I think it would take more robust equipment to make a 250yard jump.
I don't think there is a legal problem with Wild Blue as long as your brother knows and doesn't charge for the service.
As for the thunderstorms, it takes a lot to kick it off, clouds don't usually faze it, but heavy rain or really heavy snow will. The internet will sometimes work when the TV dish is out. Lightening itself has no effect at all.
Wild Blue does offer a dial up connection service for $5 a month for those concerned about connectivity due to weather. The installation guy talked me out of it, said it wasn't needed. I am glad I listened to him.
I love my Wild Blue.
Sheri

[drobbins]

do a google search on "pringles wifi"
you'll find stuff like this

http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/fea...i_Antenna.html

you gotta have a clear line of sight

Dave

[riverrat]

wow welcome to the 21st century I see you hail from california I figured everyone in calf. had warp speed service that exceeds anything the rest of the nation has ever experienced. here on the great plains we are told calif is so far ahead of us we will never catch up. after all I thought silicon valley was cutting edge for technology. and now I learn in reality its actually a bunch of bunny huggin bleach blonds with inplantslounging around a valley got to go I am getting plane tickets west one way fare of course

[Troutsqueezer]

Amazingly enough, I live only 12 miles from a very large Intel campus (where I work) and still can't get broadband over wire. I was waiting for Wi-Max there for awhile when Intel said Folsom would be a test bed for it but I don't see it happening.

I'm using Lynksys wireless as well throughout the house. Goes out to the shed nicely too. Couldn't get it to fileshare for about a week until I figured out that XP needs NetBios installed as one of the Internet protocols. It's not mentioned anywhere on any help sites or forums that I could find. Finally figured it out by reading a hacker's website! Grrr.

[Ann]

I'm using Lynksys wireless as well throughout the house. Goes out to the shed nicely too. Couldn't get it to fileshare for about a week until I figured out that XP needs NetBios installed as one of the Internet protocols. It's not mentioned anywhere on any help sites or forums that I could find. Finally figured it out by reading a hacker's website! Grrr.

Could you explain this a bit further for the NetBios impaired? I'd like to get file sharing (and print sharing) going for my notebook and desktop and haven't got a clue how to make it all work. We do have a Linksys wireless router up and running just fine....

[Troutsqueezer]

This would be for XP Windows version.

First, create a restore point so if anything goes amiss you can get back to your present configuration.

Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore>Create Restore point.

Then:

Double click "My Network Connections", should be an icon on your desktop.
Click on "View Network Connections" in the left hand box.
Right click on "Wireless Network Connection"
Click "Properties"
Click "Install"
Double click "Protocol"
Select "NWLink IPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol" or NWLink NetBios, depending on how it is listed. The utility should already be in Windows so you don't need a disk.
I don't think you have to mess with any default settings if I remember correctly.
That should do it.

[Troutsqueezer]

Oh, don't forget to right click on any directories you want to share on each computer and enable that directory for sharing. Also, for printer sharing I think you have to go to Control Panel> Printers and Faxes and enable printer sharing.

You can find the shared directories under My Network Places and map them or drag them to the desktop or any directory you choose.

[nursebee]

Congrats on the high speed. I'll never go back. I use Hughes sat. Just tested my speed and it is 217 Kbps, the lowest I have seen. I think 400 is normal. If a storm changes the service I have rarely seen it happen. I tried to use Linksys but it slowed things down, grateful my wife puts up with the wire down through the attic.

Around here I recently tried the Embarq DSL through phone line, nothing close to what the ads said and took it back.

I think we need to really push for super high speed stuff in the states.

How fast are you? Check here: http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html

I'd love seeing your response

[MapMan]

We also got in on WildBlue way out here in the sticks. We waited until there was a "no installation fee" special, and I don't regret it (yet). It was tough when we moved out to the country to give up cable, as it was more reliable and over twice the speed at 3000+, but since DSL, etc. isn't out here, for our businesses, we had to have broadband. WildBlue wasn't available when we moved here, so we went with StarBand - it was so slow, that when our year was up, we bought the equipment and went with WildBlue.

Oh, if anyone with WildBlue has the old metal-type antenna "tree" (is metallic and has a couple dozen screws holding it together, not a molded unit), you might check to see if you can get a replacement, as we had the old style unit, and we started getting slow signals with increasing frequency. The technician came out and replaced it under the one-year warranty, and said that they were having problems with that type unit.

Hey, Sheri - I would like to get a signal out to my shop - what are you folks using to boost the signal to your shop? I have wireless to other PC's in the main house. Thanks for any info--

MM

[MapMan]

Nursebee - I like this test site:

http://www.speedtest.net/

MM

[nursebee]

MM, much better results. I was 490 at my site, yours said 798 down, 524 up. And to think I was on iuno at 13. I want 100,000 though.

[JohnK and Sheri]

Hi MM
I have 2 of the wireless boosters (they call them range extenders or something) that go with the Linksys system. They autoconfigure to your Linksys router, just plug them in and they look for the signal.
I have one in the camper and another in the window of the shop which is supposed to catch the signal relayed from the camper. I am still trying to fine tune it, works great to the camper but is sporadic to the shop. I think interference with the window screen, bug zapper, not sure what all.
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=8585886018B01

Sheri

[Troutsqueezer]

OK, I tested my WildBlue connection on both websites. The CNET website came back with 444.9kbps and the Speednet website (I pinged a San Francisco based server) came back with 525kbps.

Certainly better than the 44.1kbps I had for dial up.