Satellite Internet (NH, Rural....) experiences?

[AndyL]

I am looking at some VERY rural property in New Hampster, as in, Get the 4wd kinda rural.....

No internet there at all, none, zero....the only high speed things are the black flies.

Solutions are needed. I run the leather biz ( www.shottist.com ) 99.99999999 % online sales. Fast 'net for web stuff and I like Hulu as well.

I get 2 bars on the iPhone, so a cell modem might work.

Hughes seems to be an option but I hear Good/Bad/HORRID things.

Who here is in the woods and can comment?

Thanks,

Andy

 

[Admin]

The problem with your cell phone is you'll probably be in an analog network area which means your connection speeds will be 40-100K, which is miserable.

Hughes has a pretty large commitment like 24 months at pretty high prices. I stuck with my tethered cell phone and could really only browse the forum and get email.
I found out later about a wi-fi network in town and signed up for that 1.4mb down and .5mb up. I had that from Dec until this month as Fairpoint just started installing
dsl in my area.

Not sure where you are going but you might find a small company offering wifi that will work much better than Hughes or a cell.

 

[MassMark]

I have not revisited HughesNet since being told of the 24-month commitment and the $700.00 initial fee to play. That was a few years ago, so maybe it's changed. What I do know is the library/town hall in Tyringham have it and they may as well have dial-up. Apparently, they have the lowest tier and when you click on a site like NES, your browser sits there - forever, then the page loads instantly, but downloading things like small iPhone apps had be stashing my phone behind the A/C unit and going home for dinner....So, you'd need to spring for the upper tier service for it to be effective...

 

[RKG]

Derek's advice is sound.

In addition to other issues, satellite service requires a clear view of the satellite, which is often hard to achieve in the woods. Satellite reception is also typically degraded during times of snow, heavy rain or fog.

 

[kevin9]

I used to have Direct PC. Performance and cost was OK, not great, until Hughes bought it them. Performance then tanked due to much more down-time and a "fair use" policy that was downright abusive (download 500M, less than 1 CD, in 24 hours and get cut to dial-up speeds for the next 24 hours). Customer service also went from tolerable to abysmal. I've since moved to cable.

 

[upStomp]

If you plan to tether your iPhone, maybe try a signal booster that supports 3G:

http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Electronics-801247-Desktop-Booster/dp/B0014KOB6Y/ref=pd_cp_cps_1

 

[Roadblock]

Another thing to think about- For your purposes downloads/business it would be fine, but for rapid transaction type connections (gaming, etc) it has MUCH higher latency than other connection types.

You could always "try" the cell route and see if it (as it stands) is sufficient and then pursue using a cellular modem that allows the attachment of an external/directional antenna to boost the signal. If your IPhone gets 2 bars...be aware that Verizon generally has superior service to ATT in NH; so that could also be worth investigating.

 

[M1911]

Cell modems will be slow and unreliable. Satellite has fair download speeds, but upload is usually via your telephone land-line, so that is slow. As others have mentioned, rain, snow, and high winds may cut off your connection. Unfortunately, there just isn't a reasonably priced solution (you might be able to get a T-1 line, but the cost to string the line, let alone the monthly cost, would be horrific).

 

[atilla]

provided you have an unlimited data plan (only because you'll use a lot of data, not because it's required) you can tether an iphone for free by unlocking the setting on the device:

http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=4059

easiest solution if you get a signal.

 

[KBCraig]

The folks I know up there prefer WildBlue over Hughes.

http://www.wildblue.com

 

[Kicker96FS]

This is how you install a Sat. dish in the woods.

Good thing it's up north because this does not look like it would comply with Mass "laws".