Technical Help Requested: HughesNet

Me | Today | Me

[TexasNative2000]

Since we have moved to a rural area, DSL is not available and we are considering using a HughesNet satellite internet conncection. I am seeking input from any Freepers who have experience, either positive or negative, using HughesNet.

Thanks for your input.

[mountainlyons]

Well this is the way I have it figured. Dsl and cable are not available. The phone is $25 a month and DAV Internet service is $12.95 a month. Modem speed is 19 to 28.8k with 28.8 being undependable. So if satellite was 100 times faster I could get my stuff done in a few minutes at a cost of $50 a month. It is not worth it to me.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

We're moving to Texas in a few weeks. No cable out where we're going and the phone company has been less than helpful. Even with a street address they won't tell me if DSL is available. They say they have to come out to determine DSL availablility but won't come out till there is an order and won't take an order until there is a house.

I put in an order with HuhgesNet but canceled it after looking into WildBlue. Here's a phone number 1-866-624-9453.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

From the perspective of a rural and isolated Islander...

Satellite downlinks fine but uplinks via telephone line just like DSL/dial-up.

[olinr]

"Satellite downlinks fine but uplinks via telephone line just like DSL/dial-up."

No true any more! Your dish is uplink and downlink! No POTS, at all! Only the uplink speed is slower than download speed. Since you are communicating through a satellite, there is the delay for your data to go up and back down. Thus, no gaming, or VPN. It is fine for me on checking email, downloading programs and music. Streaming would cause you problems with the FAP.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

I am not the OP so don't contradict me without revealing the details to the person requesting help. I suspect that you are in error or are writing of a relatively new technology. To uplink with a dish means to up link to a satellite and that sounds expensive to me.

Again don't just contradict me without some details. Tagline...

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

olinr is correct. These days the dishes uplink too. No phone line needed. Fact.

[HAL9000]

To uplink with a dish means to up link to a satellite and that sounds expensive to me.

HughesNet, WildBlue and Starband are two-way services - uplink and downlink from the satellite to your dish. Your dish must be professionally installed.

WildBlue has newer technology on their satellite, so I think it may be better than HughesNet or Starband.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

they won't tell me if DSL is available

It's not rocket science....ya gotta be w/in 3+/- miles of the telco's main switch installation.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Do a google search for WISP+ your city/area to see if an independent is providing wireless in your area (much better/cheaper vs. sat)

[PAR35]

ya gotta be w/in 3+/- miles of the telco's main switch installation.

Not necessarily. The phone company can install hardware along the line which can extend the distance.

It's been a while since I've read up on it, but I think the distance is now measured from the copper/fiber interface, rather than from the CO.

[js1138]

Thgat's correct. The distance from the phone wwitch doesn't matter. What does matter is the phone company's willingness to install repeaters. That depends on the number of customers in the area.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

OK, there are exceptions

I read several years ago of a new type of relay that would "fool" the central office switch into thinking it was next door....
but I'm not holding my breath for AT&T to install it for me. (I'm 13 miles from the switch).

[olinr]

http://www.wildblue.com/aboutWildblue/qaa.jsp

FAQ #25 Do customers have to have a phone line in addition to the satellite connection?
No. WildBlue offers an efficient 2-way broadband connection that requires no phone lines.

BTW, I am not happy with WildBlue's Customer Service, NOT, but what else is new? I am in the barrel since I have Verizon, aka GTE!

That's all folks!

[Quix]

My AMD DUAL PROCESSOR ATHALON CPU MOTHERBOARD XP-P machine is giving me fits. It appears that something's been corrupted. Have scanned with several anti-spyware, anti-virus programs and it's supposedly clean.

Had to uninstall Norton System Works 2006 and haven't reinstalled it. Still have Zone Alarm running and all it's features turned on given that Norton's gone.

Before I uninstalled Norton, Utilities FIX-IT did not solve the problems.

But it was worse before I uninstalled Norton. Clicking on something and taking an action would hang the computer for 30 seconds to maybe 5 minutes. Then it would release and I could do some things. Still often hard to get the hidden task bar to appear.

Anyway--I must solve this and I absolutely rebel against the idea of reinstalling WINDOWS XP-P. It's such a nightmare.

Are there any good fix-it software programs I could use? I have SYSTEM MECHANIC 5 and it's done about as much good as it's going to do, too.

I have AntiCrash but it got sidelined somewhere along the way just before all this started and I haven't got it going again yet.

Any ideas would be most welcome.

Thanks

[Quix]

ooops, pinging my above post for help, too.

[TexasNative2000]

It's not rocket science....ya gotta be w/in 3+/- miles of the telco's main switch installation.

It may not be rocket science but it seems to be brain surgery for Verizon. I've had a permanent phone line in place for three weeks and they STILL can't tell me if I'm eligible for DSL. They can't even tell me if they've run the test or not.

[TexasNative2000]

My wife's job requires that she work with a laptop at home via a VPN. The HughesNet website states they will work with a VPN; Their sales people tell me it will work with a VPN.

Guess what . . . .

IT DOESN'T WORK IF YOU NEED TO ACCESS A VPN. I called Customer Care and told them the problem and she said "Oh, no. Our system will not work if you are using a VPN."

We are cancelling immediately.