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Satellite Internet Access
What Is Satellite Internet? Satellite Internet is one
method of experiencing a broadband connection. While it may not be as
popular as DSL or Cable Internet access, it is predicted that by the end of
2004, almost 4 million homes will be using satellite dishes to get online.
As the name implies, satellite Internet uses a space satellite to deliver
broadband access to homes. Because of this, even homes in areas where DSL or
Cable are not available can receive high speed access. Of course that access
does come at a price. Satellite Internet is one of the more costly broadband
alternatives.
Two types of Satellite Internet currently are available. These types are
known as one-way and two-way. One-way Satellite Internet provides fast
download speeds of between 400 Kbps and 1.5 Mbps. For uploading, however,
you would still use a traditional dial-up modem so your speed would not
improve. On the other hand, two-way Internet satellite does not require the
use of a traditional modem so it delivers faster download and upload speeds
of around 200 Kbps. Whether you choose a one-way or two-way service depends
primarily on availability (some providers offer only one or the other) and
one your budget (one-way service is generally less expensive).
While Satellite Internet can be the ideal choice for some broadband seekers,
it does have its drawbacks. One is that you must have a clear, unobstructed
view of the southern sky to receive the signal. Another is that you may
notice lags in the time between clicking on a link and receiving the data.
These lags, known as latency, do not interfere with most Internet activities
but can cause slowdown during online games.
How Satellite Internet Works: Satellite Internet works much like regular satellite television. About
22,000 miles above the Earth, your provider has placed a satellite, known as
a "bird." This satellite is the key to your Internet connection.
Depending on whether you choose one-way or two-way service, the process
is somewhat different but let's begin with the one-way process.
With one-way service, you use both a dial-up and a satellite modem.
First, you connect to the Internet via your dial-up modem. When you click on
a link to view a different Internet page, the process really begins. While
normally your request would go directly to the web server, with Satellite
Internet it is actually sent to your provider's Network Operations Center (NOC)
and the NOC forwards the request to the web server.
The web server sends back the page to NOC which transmits it to the
satellite which bounces it back to be picked up by the satellite dish
mounted on your house. The data is then sent through the dish into the
satellite modem, which translates it for your computer. The entire process
from requesting the page to receiving the page takes no more than one-half
of one second.
With two-way service, the process is the same except you no longer use a
dial-up modem and instead have an always-on connection just as you would
with Cable Internet or DSL.
The Facts About Satellite Internet: Deciding
on Satellite Internet for your broadband needs requires that you know the
facts beforehand. Otherwise, you may realize too late that a different
alternative would have been more appropriate. Below are five of these
important facts:
Satellite Internet comes in two varieties. Early Satellite Internet only
provided one-way service to subscribers. This type of service meant that the
user kept a traditional dial-up modem in order to access the Internet but
all web page requests and downloads were handled by the separate satellite
modem. Now two-way systems are also available. In a two-way system, you no
longer need the dial-up modem. Instead, your satellite modem handles both
uploads and downloads. One-way systems are typically less expensive than the
two-way variety and may be more readily available.
Satellite Internet downloads faster than dial-up. No matter which type of
service you choose, download speeds with satellite Internet are
significantly higher than with a standard 56K modem. In fact, you can see
speeds ranging from 400 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps, which means you could download a
song or a large file in only 1-2 minutes, perhaps even less. With a 56K
modem, it may take as much as 20-30 minutes or longer.
Satellite Internet is one of the more expensive broadband options. Because
it requires you to purchase expensive equipment, Satellite Internet does
include a rather high up-front cost. You will need to buy and install the
satellite dish and modem. You may also want to pay extra for professional
installation. In addition, you will need to pay a monthly service fee to
your provider. Also, if you are using a one-way service, you will need to
pay for a dial-up ISP provider. You can save money by taking advantage of
special offers from the providers, such as receiving the dish for free if
you sign up for a certain period of service.
Satellite Internet is available almost everywhere. While it does cost more,
the real advantage of Satellite Internet is that it is available to almost
everyone. Unlike Cable or DSL, which require a pre-installed and complex
infrastructure to provide service, Satellite Internet does not so it can
even be used in rural areas or small cities which lack the means to get
other forms of broadband. The only requirement you need to meet in order to
receive Satellite Internet is an unobstructed view of the southern sky.
Satellite Internet requires extra equipment. Whether you choose a
one-way or two-way service, you will need to purchase both a satellite dish
and a satellite modem. These are sold by the service provider you choose. If
you choose to install the dish yourself, you will also need to purchase a
self-install kit. With one-way service you will also need a dial-up modem if
your computer does not already have one installed.
Networking a Satellite Internet Connection:
One of the benefits of Satellite Internet over dial-up and other broadband
options is the ease in which the connection can be shared. Unlike DSL or
Cable, which require a router to form a network, Satellite Internet simply
requires one of the computers to act as the host. Your host computer will be
the one connected to the satellite modem and it must be on in order for
others to access the Internet on their computers. Once your host computer is
established, you can share the access via the Internet Connections Sharing
(ICS) software available on Windows 98 (second edition only) and newer
versions.
