Any satellite dish users in America for broadband on the forum ????

Collectors-info · #1 10-28-2007, 09:22 PM

Hi, just trying to find out some info for the Oregon area, or any remote area & different types of Internet connections. The reason I am asking is my brother is possibly moving to the States & running a business with an American friend. This is all to do with a ranch in a remote’ish part of Oregon. Naturally there is no broadband & dial up would be hopeless for a business. Do any members use a satellite connection or would be able to suggest any other ideas or alternatives to the satellite. If you do use satellite? Have you found it ok?

Many Thanks.

PS. They will be about 15-20 miles from the nearest town with a copper wire phone connection.

Vasili · #2 10-28-2007, 09:33 PM

I recently migrated off satellite in favor of a Verizon Broadband card, mostly for the fact of using it on a laptop and portability....(and because I finally made the shift to laptop from desktop as primary unit).

I have a lot of experience in satellite services, and would suggest that your brother focus on the reliability and speed offered by using DirecWay (a Hughes Satellite System) through Earthlink.....this way you do not have to use the murky services offered by any of the phone companies, which are inferior in performance, cost (value), and support.

Be sure to have him set up his system as an individual rather than a business.....cheaper, and you can still write if off at the end of the year!

Vasili · #3 10-28-2007, 09:55 PM

Chris....

I looked into the current pricing for Earthlink....apparently I was getting a good deal! But, there are offers that are worth looking into:

www.earthlink.com/satellite/ will take you to the main high speed satellite only page, which they offer at $99/mo ... kinda high, I thought (I was paying $70/mo), so I went looking for deals.....

If you bundle TV and internet together, Earthlink offers a 3 month rate of $60.94 for both, then it goes to $99/mo for both, which essentially is TV at average price and a 50% discount on internet.
Personally, I prefer the satellite services from Earthlink over any other, like AT&T (used to be SBC), DirecTV, etc. The speeds are higher, the cost is comparable, and the service + support is far better too.

So, if you cannot get cable TV (and cable hi-speed internet) and are forced to go satellite, then whatever your requirements or parameters, I would still recommend Earthlink.

so much for putting in my two cents, eh?

Collectors-info · #4 10-28-2007, 10:25 PM

Well done Eric & many thanks. That is the best site I have seen up to date, & seem reasonable on there prices compared with what I have seen from others. I will pop it on their forum. Think they will be very happy with this.
How did you find the weather effecting the satellite connections? Or were you in a warmer area when using the dish. Was just thinking about the Oregon area in the winter with snow. Can see them pouring warm water on the dish. lol.

Thanks again.

Vasili · #5 10-29-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Collectors-info

Well done Eric & many thanks. That is the best site I have seen up to date, & seem reasonable on there prices compared with what I have seen from others. I will pop it on their forum. Think they will be very happy with this.
How did you find the weather effecting the satellite connections? Or were you in a warmer area when using the dish. Was just thinking about the Oregon area in the winter with snow. Can see them pouring warm water on the dish. lol.

Thanks again.

It is Vasili, Chris.

The weather was never much of an issue......unless it was high winds. That seemed to somehow "scatter" (slow down) the connection from all the shaking of the dish I suppose, but never disrupted it. And I am sure that the equipment has been upgraded, and properly advanced if to combine TV reception (now it's digital) as well.

I am proud of my name, Chris....and prefer to be respectfully addressed. What started from Amanda signalling she found and abundance of personal info on the web about me confirming who I am and all I do has somehow lingered into some manner of a few to think it a clever means to create familiarity. I don't.

Collectors-info · #6 10-29-2007, 08:36 AM

That’s good to hear you didn’t have to many problems with weather. Have read of a few that had problems, but this may of also been down to bad installation or equipment. Sorry about the name part!. Not many go by there real name on forums & Vasili being an unusual name to my ears was assumed as a forum name. With seeing other posts that had mentioned the other name had also assumed that this was your real name. Thanks for the info on the sat side of things.

Bethers · #7 10-29-2007, 05:42 PM

Chris,
Many of my fellow rv travelers use sat connections for their travels - which include very remote areas. Usually they get connections, but there are exceptions. So - before he buys, make sure that they can guarantee him a connection where he'll be.

Karenmac is one who can tell you that where she lives (which shouldn't have been a problem for sat) - they came out to install and could NOT provide her with a signal. Luckily, a short time later, the phone company offered dsl.

Where in OR is your brother going to be? I've traveled almost every inch of that state.

Collectors-info · #8 10-29-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bethers

Chris,
Many of my fellow rv travelers use sat connections for their travels - which include very remote areas. Usually they get connections, but there are exceptions. So - before he buys, make sure that they can guarantee him a connection where he'll be.

Karenmac is one who can tell you that where she lives (which shouldn't have been a problem for sat) - they came out to install and could NOT provide her with a signal. Luckily, a short time later, the phone company offered dsl.

Where in OR is your brother going to be? I've traveled almost every inch of that state.

You have mail at moxie.

Cheers.

Vasili · #9 10-29-2007, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Collectors-info

Not many go by there real name on forums & Vasili being an unusual name to my ears was assumed as a forum name. With seeing other posts that had mentioned the other name had also assumed that this was your real name. Thanks for the info on the sat side of things.

Both are my real name, Chris, just for me it is an 'allowance' that I prefer to make. No problem!

OMG....seems I have every post scrutinized by those who deem themselves more "experienced" for the last month or so! Gets old...

>> Part of the application processing is determining the availability of services according to zip code! HELLO?
It would be preferred if you could have cable (TV is wired just about everywhere there is a sewer system installed), but the alternative is satellite, and I have never once heard of denial of service due to "no signal".......unless it was a smaller 'provider' possibly. If GPS works, so would satellite, but I am sure this is not an issue with the larger providers I mentioned......

Bethers · #10 10-30-2007, 12:45 AM

Well, with Karenmac they came to her house - telling her they could do it - and they couldn't. With me last summer, I had Verizon tell me I could get service at a location that they couldn't provide it. I even had it in WRITING. So - going by zipcode doesn't always work.

I was not saying you were wrong - I was giving further information - because everything is not always as simple as checking the zipcode.

My sister just tried to change services - zip code on line told her she could. Guess what? She ordered - and two days later they told her they couldn't service her area of the zip code.

Got your email Chris, ty - and I will respond :)

Karen Mac · #11 10-30-2007, 01:39 AM

<~~~Bringing popcorn...

Yes they could NOT hook up, power lines and tree lines.. so it has to be an UN OBSTRUCTED view, not to mention we get radar outages because of the near by base.. They black out extensive areas in flight zones from time to time and with various levels of threatcons you cannot even pull our town up on satelite... so.. various things can play into it. Just because they service the area doesnt mean you can have it. Also.. depending on the ZONING and housing areas some satelite dishes are not authorized to go up. Prior to this we couldnt even have satelite tv...or extended cable services. (ok well this was ten years ago), because the founding fathers of the town was skeered that MTV would be a bad influence on the kids.. So much for living in the BIBLE BELT. So.. this round was due to power lines, tree lines, and base radar..just so we dont confuse this issue, even tho the satelite company could SERVICE my area.

Karen

Vasili · #12 10-30-2007, 02:29 AM

Well, from the heads-up Chris shared, I doubt the location being considered is near a base or an airport --- sounds more like out in the boonies, which should pose no problem.

Hmmm....wonder if they are wired for electricity, sewer, and the like? If not, he'll be running on generators and to the outhouse!
And...I find it hard to think that if he has electricity, he would not have cable...