BajaNomad - Satellite Internet and/ DSL

Satellite Internet and/ DSL

DianaT - 4-15-2007 at 07:02 PM

Help for the technologically challenged, please.

We are considering buying a place in a couple of different places in Baja Sur. We don't care anything about television, but internet is very important to us----our link to our financial world.

In one place there is no electricity or phone service. How difficult is it to set up a satellite internet system and how expensive?

The other place has phone service. Can DSL be set up anyplace where there is phone service? We have cable here in San Diego and dial up just drives me crazy---yes, we are impatient gringos. :spingrin:

Thanks
John and Diane

Diver - 4-15-2007 at 07:14 PM

Sat internet is easy, just call your local direcway dealer or talk to Los Frailles (Nomad). Without power, you will need enough solar and batteries to suit your addiction. Good thing is you can use it at home and anywhere on the road. You can also share yours/someone else's connection with others by wifi or cable; maybe share the costs if it will stay in one location ??

Last I checked, our Direcway dealer wanted about $650 set-up plus about $65/month.

Phone availablity does not mean DSL is available.
Most phone dial-ups are pretty slow.
Not much DSL available in small towns in Baja.

.

Bob and Susan - 4-15-2007 at 07:30 PM

where are the two places?

BigWooo - 4-16-2007 at 06:28 AM

I don’t know much about DSL in Mexico, but I’ve spent a lot of time lately researching Satellite internet.

Los Frailes has installed several satellite internet connections in our area. He’s reasonable and does excellent work (He’s a nice guy too). Install cost depends on where you are and if you can get a few neighbors to set up at the same time to split his travel cost. I’d U2U him for info. There are a few steps you have to take to get it all together and it’s best he explains the process to you. He installs Directway (Actually its Hughesnet now)

There is a second option called Starband. Starband is a little slower than Hughes: download 512 kpbs vs Directway 700 kpbs.

Starband offers an installer course so you can learn to install yourself (not recommended if you have more than two thumbs). Starband is $50.00 month for the home (Pro) version and Directway is $60.00 month for the home version. Directway has other plans with faster speed that are much more reasonably priced than the Starband upgraded package.

If you want to check out Starband I’d recommend contacting http://www.orbitalenterprises.net (another Nomad). They are very helpful.

If you plan on sharing your connection, you need to make an agreement with your partner as to how much they will use the internet. Both Starband and Directway have fair access policies that limit bandwidth use (how much information you send/receive). Directway limits bandwidth to 200 MB a day and I believe Starband is about 1GB a week. You’ll never exceed this with normal web surfing, but if you share with too many others, or download movies/music etc., it can be exceed rather quickly. If you exceed the bandwidth limit with Directway your speed drops to 56kpbs (very sloooooow) for a few hours to a day. Starband isn’t really clear on what they’ll do if you exceed the bandwidth.

Overall I think it’s much easier to get Directway and have Frailes install it, but I opted to take the install course and go with Starband, mostly because we’re sort of remote and I want to be able to install and fix problems myself, plus I want to remove my dish when we’re not there for long periods. Since we’re on the beach I worry that without regular maintenance the dish will have corrosion problems. Also, the Starband modem is 24v (not a real selling point but nice to have if you’re solar). I don’t know if my justifications are reasonable but we’ll find out…

Oh..almost forgot. Starband allows you to park your service for up to 6 months. You don't have to pay for those months if you're not using it. Good option if you're not a full time resident.

[Edited on 4-16-2007 by BigWooo]

Dave - 4-16-2007 at 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BigWooo
If you exceed the bandwidth limit with Directway your speed drops to 56kpbs (very sloooooow) for a few hours to a day. Starband isn’t really clear on what they’ll do if you exceed the bandwidth.

This Starband user has been busted twice. They penalize the same as Dway. I have Starband because I also share a Dish Network subscription and so receive everything from one sat dish.

Compared to DSL, both starband and Dway suck but if you're in the boonies, it beats nothing.

losfrailes - 4-16-2007 at 07:02 AM

Lots of good information there from knowledgeable people. Most important of all, as Bob and Susan point out, where are the two places.

Being a certified DirecWay (Hughes) installer I am obviously biased toward the DirecWay system. I, many others, are using it for telephone communications as well as normal web surfing.

Installation is fairly complicated, and should be done by someone who knows what they are doing. Once installed, I can also provide you with an inverter that goes directly from a 12volt battery to the 19 volts needed for the DirecWay system in addition to the Router needed to use it wirelessly.

Just give me a holler and I will try to help you thru any questions you might have. I have a lanline telephone number that you can call if you choose. Simply u2u me for that number.

Pescador - 4-16-2007 at 07:25 AM

We live on the beach at San Lucas Cove and ran our Direcway system (of course installed by Los Frailes) for the time that we are there. I bought a second dish and have it installed at home in Colorado so it is very simple to just unhook the modem and then hook up at home or Mexico. Before we had satellite, we had dial up (read that SLOW) at home in Colorado, so we thought it was a whole new experience to have blazing speeds on the beach where our only power source was our solar panel.

Lousy phone service, too.

Dave - 4-16-2007 at 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by losfrailes
I, many others, are using it for telephone communications

I've had people telephone me using VOIP with Starband and Dway. There is a noticeable delay.

internet in TS area

BFS - 4-16-2007 at 07:40 AM

Try Tommy Castelo in the Todos Santos area for broadband. He is very helpful and will answer all of your questions: His cell number is 612-152 8180 and his e-mail address is tommy.castelo@gmail.com He lives not far from here and is available if you have any problems. He also has a partner who lives in La Paz who is available if and when Tommy is not here to answer your queries.

Good luck!
Aq

losfrailes - 4-16-2007 at 07:41 AM

Of course there is a delay, the signal is going a long ways up, then back down and then to and from the sending/receiving parties. However, with upgraded plans the delay is manageable.

Its only an alternative to NO PHONE.

But this post is not an attempt to start a flaming session on the values of VOIP. Only to try to help someone thru the off grid need for internet connection.

[Edited on 4-16-2007 by losfrailes]

Dave - 4-16-2007 at 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by losfrailes
Its only an alternative to NO PHONE.

Really?

I would have guessed that most folk use it 'cause it's cheap.

DianaT - 4-16-2007 at 08:34 AM

(not recommended if you have more than two thumbs). :lol:

You must know us---all thumbs.

Thanks for all the information. Losfrailes, expect a u2u.

Diane and John

BajaBruno - 4-16-2007 at 09:04 AM

Telecom Mexico (I assume it was them) ran fiberoptic cable all the way down the penninsula a few years ago. Isn't that used for DSL on the local landline numbers?

DianaT - 4-16-2007 at 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruno
Telecom Mexico (I assume it was them) ran fiberoptic cable all the way down the penninsula a few years ago. Isn't that used for DSL on the local landline numbers?

I know we stopped in Vizcaino at an internet place and they had DSL---so maybe that is the case. However, I doubt that fiberoptic cable was fun out to the more remote places.

Sure learning a lot

Diane

losfrailes - 4-16-2007 at 12:14 PM

Many of the smaller communites in Baja have the fiberoptic cabling running alongside the highway passing near their location, however, the fiberoptic system is not provided to them.
A case in point are the small communites just south of Santa Rosalia, San Lucas, San Bruno, Palo Verde. They have phone service but it is microwave tower based. The fiberoptic cable runs along the highway but will not be brought into the village. Consequently no DSL.

Mulege on the other hand, has DSL available.

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruno
Telecom Mexico (I assume it was them) ran fiberoptic cable all the way down the penninsula a few years ago. Isn't that used for DSL on the local landline numbers?

Dave - 4-16-2007 at 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by losfrailes
Many of the smaller communites in Baja have the fiberoptic cabling running alongside the highway passing near their location, however, the fiberoptic system is not provided to them.
A case in point are the small communites just south of Santa Rosalia, San Lucas, San Bruno, Palo Verde. They have phone service but it is microwave tower based. The fiberoptic cable runs along the highway but will not be brought into the village. Consequently no DSL.

I know for a fact that if you flash enough cash and commit to paying for enough bandwidth they will run the cable to your casa...anywhere. :biggrin:

The way it worked up here is if enough customers in a specific area would commit then they would run the cable.

My experience....

CasaManzana - 4-16-2007 at 07:36 PM

Six years ago I bought the DirecWay (now Hughes) system in SoCal and brought it down to my casa south of Mulege. I thought it easy to install. They give you a "Installation 4 Dummys" book. Three hours later it was up and running. On solar, it sure helped when we put in the router and went WiFi laptop instead of desktop. Yep, the phone delay sucks.

Pescador - 4-17-2007 at 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

I know for a fact that if you flash enough cash and commit to paying for enough bandwidth they will run the cable to your casa...anywhere. :biggrin:

The way it worked up here is if enough customers in a specific area would commit then they would run the cable.

Dave, while that may be true in areas that have a great density of tourists to support the installation of DSL, that certainly is not true of the 5 or 6 villages between Santa Rosalia and Mulege. I for one think the tradeoff is well worth a little delay in phone communication in order to be able to live away from "touristville" and will glady put up with the lack of DSL. I can remember sitting on the beach some years ago and dreaming that I could somehow set up an internet connection and stay in touch with the rest of the world and thanks to Hughes Net, that day has arrived. And thank goodness not everyone feels that way and they continue to flock to Loreto and Cabo (with DSL) and drive right on past "paradise".