On Sat, 9 Jun 2001 dc@k-net.de wrote:

Hi!

Do any of you have knowings of inet connections over satelites.

I'm unable to get cable or xDSL in my area and 128kB is getting thin. Considering Astra but would like to have my linux box(who else) handle the access for my other clients(Mac and Widows). Any comments??!?

Daryn

I've heard of two providers of two-way satellite internet access. Starband (www.starband.com) launched their service last fall. It is available via two channels: Radio Shack is selling a package consisting of a Compaq desktop computer, an internal receiver/modem, and an MSN account. The machine is pre-loaded with Windows ME, and no technical information or linux drivers are provided or available. The second channel is your local 'Dish Network' distributor. They are selling a package with an external USB-connected receiver/modem, and they don't appear to bundle MSN. I inquired about Linux drivers, and was told that they are not releasing technical information, but they are developing a driver themselves, but would not disclose a targeted release date. HOWEVER..., I stumbled across some information on the web, which indicated that the external receiver is really an ethernet bridge, but due to some agreement with Microsoft, they have packaged an internal Ethernet/USB adapter with it, and are releasing only windows drivers for that part! (Believe that or not, depending upon your personal degree of MS-paranoia...) The short story is that if you open the case, remove the USB daughter board, plug in an ethernet to the hidden RJ-45, it fires up quite nicely with your garden-variety standards-compliant DHCP client! All this may be a moot point, however. As of about a month ago, their system went into a downlink-only mode, so their users are forced to use a conventional modem for their uplink. The dealer I spoke with mentioned 'interference issues' as the reason. <SPECULATION> The small 18" fiberglass elliptical dishes they are using aren't really very good as antennas go. (Compare them to the satellite uplink antennas used by the networks for their remote feeds) Is the beamwidth really tight enough to focus the uplink energy on just one satellite in the geosynchronous band? The starband people are insisting on professional installation, but I first heard of this from a friend who is a full-time RV'er, and was hearing boasts from other RVers about being set up and checking their e-mail 15 minutes after pulling into a new campsite. Could it be that the owners of the adjacent satellites might get upset by the interference from poorly-aimed low-quality antennas? </speculation> At the time I spoke with a dealer about this, I was told that Starband wasn't accepting any new orders until the problems were resolved. However, the DirectPC people, who have been selling a one-way downlink service for several years, have just announced a similar two-way service. They are taking orders, but the hardware wasn't in stock and would be a few weeks for delivery... Same configuration - external USB-connected receiver/modem. I wonder if it's the same internal-ethernet with a USB adapter configuration? Once you've gotten past all that, you'll have a high-bandwidth link with VERY high latency. Minimum 1.2 seconds ping times (~600ms round-trip to satellite). Maybe fine for file transfers (with large enough frame windows), but abysmal for a telnet session! -- Rick Green "I have the heart of a little child, and the brain of a genius. ... and I keep them in a jar under my bed"