satellite internet off-grid [RE-wrenches]

[Tom Elliot, Guffey Energy Works]

I've used DirecWay and found it just fine and have neighbors that have 
signed up with Wildblue and like it as well.  The key to satellite internet 
is to understand that the upload speed is  very much slower than the 
download speed and they generally limit the maximum amount of data you can 
download for a specified period of time, DirecWay calls it "fapping" (for 
Fair Access Policy) which means they will keep any one user from gobbling up 
too much bandwidth for too long (satellite has a fixed amount of bandwidth 
available on each satellite transponder).  From what I've heard WildBlue has 
a better more flexible FAP policy than was my experience with Direcway.

I can't believe, especially in the US with our poorer cell phone systems, 
that satellite internet would be worse than cellphone.

I have the satellite dish for the system mounted on the roof of a shed 
behind the house and it just so happens that the dish is pointed up along 
the slope of the metal roofing of the house.  The signal strength for that 
system has always been off the charts high, which is great, and always 
better than anyone else's who had their just mounted without the benefit of 
the metal roof in line with the dish.  I came to believe that the metal roof 
actually amplified the signal coming to the dish, which was a nice albeit 
unintended way to boost the signal.  It would take a lot of snow in the dish 
to block the signal and even the heaviest Rocky Mountain thunderstorm (and 
they are doozies) would not block the signal.

Unless you have a need for massive upload capacity I'd highly recomment 
satellite.  It has the added advantage of being a real power-sipper too.

Tom


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicholas Ponzio" <wrench at vtsolar.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 4:59 AM
Subject: satellite internet off-grid [RE-wrenches]



What are folks using these days for off-grid internet? The site in question
has no phone lines but good cell service. Broad-band is a must. Is cellular
broadband worth considering? Has satellite internet improved significantly
since it was last discussed here?

Thanks in advance.

-Nik


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