Satellite Internet

[PDDGM]

I have been receiving emails from satellite internet companies, and am wondering if anyone uses it. We have basic Direct and use my smart phone for a wireless hotspot when we don't have free Wi-Fi.





Joe

[Playtime_II]

Expensive must be an understatement. My MH's previous owner must have needed Internet anywhere (2006). They installed a huge dish (motosat), router, modem in the coach. I found the receipt behind one of the desk drawers. $12,000! Equipment and installation only. I unplugged the router and modem from the 110v outlets as I do not need them drawing power when I am on the Inverter. I just hope they sealed the dish good as it looks to big to remove and seal.

[PDDGM]

Ok, thanks to everyone for your info. As always good info on here. From what I am reading here and info I found doing research, looks like a hot spot is still my best choice, even with limited data.


joe

[GJim]

I have a Starband System. It is slower than DSL, and the service is $80/month. That being said, it is reliable - you just need a clear view of the southern sky.

Of the three main satellite internet providers (Starband, Hughes, WildBlue), only Starband truly supports mobile users. Wildblue, and the new Hughes Gen4 are 'spot-beam' systems. Once your service is set up, at a particular location, it requires a certified installer to move the system to another location.

With Starband, you do need to be 'certified', by them, in order to move your own system. It really isn't difficult to become certified - they have on-line training, and they you have to pass a test based on the training.

After you have moved the system, a few times, and have gotten familiar with the setup procedures, you should be able to get 'on the air' in about 45 minutes. So, it's really not for over-night stays, but if you are going to be some place for a few weeks/months, it's good for that.

The equipment isn't cheap - expect to pay $1500-2000 based on options (tripod, satellite meter, &c.). I got the system in 2007 because camp-ground Wi-Fi was so unreliable, and this is still quite true today.

I do some web-site work, for clients, so I absolutely need to have a reliable connection. Internet service, via cell-phone, wouldn't be a good solution for me because of the monthly band-width limitations. Starband also has band-width limitations, but not as limited as the cellular carriers.

Right now, I have the best of both worlds. I am in the process of upgrading the Wi-Fi where I'm currently work-camping. I can get quite reliable 10Mbps service, in my MH, via that system. To take advantage of both the Wi-Fi, and Starband, I installed a Cisco RV042 dual-port router. I have the camp-ground Wi-Fi as the primary service with Starband on stand-by. If the Wi-Fi has a glitch, the router switches to Starband until the Wi-Fi services is restored.

[PandK]

Had Hughes satellite internet for several years because of job requirements. Worked fine as long as there were no tree's blocking the view. Got a Verizon MiFi (now jetpack) when it became available. Unless I really needed to get an internet connection in the middle of nowhere I would never go back to satellite.
As stated above you need additional equipment and the cost is high.

[WayneLee]

Read those advertisements carefully, most of them are for "stationary" satellite internet, not for "mobile" internet. Or, they could be for TV coverage. There are only a couple of major mobile internet satellite providers, HughsNet, Starband, and IDirect. I had a MotoSat internet dish on my coach for many years with internet service from HughsNet, and it served me well. I was able to have internet access anywhere where I could see the southern sky.

Now, with the advent of better 3G/4G service, many of the former satellite users have switched to wireless internet with Verizon, AT&T, or others. And, I have to add myself to this group.

And, if you start looking at wireless services, be sure to check out Millenicom. They are resellers of Verizon, AT&T and Sprint data services. They offer more band width for less dollars per month than the major wireless providers.

[donn0128]

Its expensive and slow. Plus it requires more equipment to drag around with you.

[Goldencrazy]

Many of the adverts are for satellite tv but the internet is phone line dsl. Hughes is satellite but still limited in amount of data usage. A hotspot or miff is best if you can get coverage and that is most places. Hughs net works for those in remote locations.