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Anyone have Hughes.net (merged from DirectWay) satellite ISP?
Experienced the Fair Access Policy hassles? I feel like I'm being
punished for listening to music or downloading a file. In order to
resolved this, I need to shut down for 24 hours to reset. The monthly
cost $73.74 should allow me a few songs but not.
I have HughesNet. I've grown to hate it. You can avoid the FAP restriction with an automatic downloader that does its job during the couple of "free" hours in the early AM, but that means you have to line up your downloads and be willing to wait a day for them.
The problems with FAP, rain fade (which is much more of a problem than with Directv rainfade, unlike some claims to the contrary), the less than 24K dial-up speed if you exceed the FAP, and the $125 service calls, poor tech support, and claim of a $300 fee if you disconnect have turned me from a promoter of the idea into a naysayer.
Currently, I'm back on dial-up for the weekend. I called for a repeat service call on Thursday, but haven't heard from a tech wanting to set an appointment. This is after a fix that was made a week ago. Now my system says the dish isn't pointing in the right direction, even though the signal strength is 71. Previously, the modem wouldn't transmit. If service continues like this, I'm going to become their worst enemy. If I had another option, I would choose it. Sorry you got sucked into "service" from this company.
There are other options.. though they can be expensive.. I suggest you have a look at dslreports or check out what info they have in their forums..
I'm currently traveling the country and everywhere I go I can use EVDO/1xx through the cellphone networks.. these are options I would recommend over satellite and its 500 ms latency any day of the week.. (though I did once see a impressive pc anywhere session through satellite that seemed responsive)
I pay $30 a month for 500 national phone minutes + unlimited internet.. hell of deal really..
Yes, well since you thanked me.. I will point out 3 reasons to go EVDO if in your area..
1. Some resellers can be had for $30-50 a month with unlimited (alltel and a sprint reseller?)
2. EVDO has up to 1 mbit download (I don't remember the upload I think Rev A. is like 25 kb/s) but it's my understanding last I saw/heard satellite was 50 kb/s (about half a mbit)
3. EVDO has 200 ms ping times.. or less (which is better then or = 56k)
Other facts about EVDO if you can get it.. renders pages in 3-4 seconds (I'm posting from it now) recommended providers would be Sprint or Alltel and verizon only if it's you're area (they don't allow data roaming) alltel/sprint does.. I suggest you check some coverage maps if you’re interested.. also I wondered around the internet the other day and ran into this.. evdoforums.com might be another good source of information..
If you only have 1xx (which is the same as having digital cellphone service) there are cases where that will load pages at 30 seconds (about 56k.. though just a little faster) and it can download between 10-20 kb/s (actually faster then 56k here too) but it's ping times are 500 ms like satellite but still way less.. (because it takes 500 ms to get into space and then come back down.. which ='s to a second but in reality when I've seen satellite working it's more like 3-4 seconds.. so if it's all working GOOD you could see page renders done in 3-12 seconds)
And I suggest if you have real questions about satellite internet you should ask on dslreports.. that's where other satellite users should at least talk to you..
I'm not a big fan of GSM technology just cause it's coverage is less then CDMA (that's sprint/alltel/verizon) But it's my understanding that there normal phone network is called EDGE and this operates like 1xx and has about the same speed or better.. if you happen to be in a 3G area and get good reception it's supposed to be beat out sprint/alltel's/verizon's EVDO speed but since these area's are far and few between I assume you have a low shot at that..
So in analogy
EDGE/1xx = better then any satellite on ping times.. but download.. they get beat by at least 20-30 kb/s last I checked anyway.. 1xx download is 6-20 kb/s page loads are a realistic = 30 seconds
EVDO/3G = way, way better ping times.. and should beat all satellite internet downloads unless there offering + 1mbit these days.. (I don't keep up) page loads = are 2-4 seconds
It’s more then possible to tether and use AT&T internet from your laptop/network/whatever.. to be honest I’m tethered (that means phone to laptop) right now in Tucson to Sprint or Alltel’s EVDO data and the tower’s right nearby so I can download at about a mbit 100 kb/s but likely to average at about 70 kb/s (I'm pretty sure it's alltel as the first 4 hops have no names.. then I'm on sprints network.. alltel passing me to sprint is what I believe it means)
A great forum for learning about phones would be howardforums.com
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