baconjr
Nomad
Posts: 128
Registered: 7-14-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: Es la vida de perro!
|
|
Satellite internet
I am looking for a satellite internet (Ensenada area). Anybody out there with a lead? Thanks.
|
|
|
larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
|
|
You have 2 choices that I know of, Starband and Hughes. Personal preference as to which is better, kinda like Fords and Chevys.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
|
|
|
mtnpop
Senior Nomad
Posts: 597
Registered: 9-8-2009
Location: Colorado/mulege
Member Is Offline
|
|
I know nothing about Starband but have had Hughes in the past...
Found it to be expensive and some problems... they used to have a FAP fair access policy that had a limit on download time used daily... normally not
a problem but can be if you want to listen to music or watch video, movies etc.
over the internet...
We are very happy with Telmex internet and the cost is less than Hughes. many say it sucks but we stream TV and work on the internet with no
downside..
good luck..
|
|
|
schwlind
Nomad
Posts: 362
Registered: 8-30-2008
Location: Daytona Beach, FL/San Antonio Del Mar (Colonet)
Member Is Offline
|
|
We have been using Starband for approximately 9 years. You must purchase the equipment and pay for someone to come and install it. Total initial
outlay for us at the time was $1200, and you must sign up for a monthly service contract for about 2 years of anywhere from $50 to $100. I think the
$50/month gets you 1 GB of download bandwidth over a 7 day "rolling period". There are also limitations on what you can upload which is far less than
download bandwidth. If you exceed your bandwidth limitations... you can forget getting on the internet for anything. The main disappointment was no
one, and I mean no one ever told us about the bandwidth limitations (which they refer to as thresholds).
We upgraded to the Nova Modem when Starband did a satellite change which was supposed to increase speed...(didn't really)... and we upgraded the class
to the $69.99/mo plan which gives you 2 GB download bandwidth over the 7 day rolling period and 390.6 MB of upload bandwidth.
I think for $100/mo you can upgrade your service to 5 GB over 7 day period and the speed is supposed to be faster... Don't know for sure as we don't
have that package. This is supposedly the "professional" grade service and I don't think they have anything more than this.
Do not expect the same speeds as with a cable or land line connection... if you do you will be sadly disappointed.
Bottom line for us... We hate Starband, but when you are off grid in a remote location with no utilities available... you do what you have to do...
but it doesn't mean you have to like it!
This was copied from their "Support" link:
"Modified on 2011/01/21 17:13 by Administrator
Categorized as Uncategorized
» StarBand Support
[X] » StarBand Support
Welcome to StarBand Support Wiki!
Content Comming Soon!"
Note the date modified (2011/1/21)... Get the picture?
If you are in Ensenada area and have access to public utilities... I personally would strongly recommend you forget satellite and go with a landline
connection.
[Edited on 9-22-2013 by schwlind]
Linda
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Hughes has been running commercials up here (San Diego) lately for their new 'super high speed' satellite Internet (as fast a DSL in some cases) for
those who are out of town and don't have cable/DSL... ???
|
|
|
BigWooo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 579
Registered: 1-2-2007
Member Is Offline
|
|
We've had both Starband and Hughesnet. Starband changed one of their satellites a few years ago and we were no longer within their footprint, so we
had to switch to Hughes. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but I think I liked Starband better.
If you buy the lower priced packages, it doesn't matter which you use...it will be slower and you will have a low bandwidth threshold. Both perform
about the same in the lower price range. Just get the one that costs less.
If you can afford the "professional" packages, I think the Starband package outperforms Hughesnet for downloading information.
In the more expensive plans, the Hughesnet bandwidth allowance is still based on a 24 hour period, in our case 400 megabytes a day, where Starband is
based on a 7 day period and is 5 gigabytes a week. With Hughesnet if you want to download something that's 500 megabytes, you've blown your
bandwidth allowance for the day and you either have to buy more bandwidth, or wait 24 hours for your internet to speed back up. If you download the
same with Starband, you still have 4.5 gigabytes left for the week and you don't get penalized. You just have to watch your internet use for the next
few days while it catches back up.
One advantage of Hughesnet though, is that if you do exceed your bandwidth, they have a program that allows you to buy "tokens" to restore you
bandwidth allowance. I don't think Starband has that program.
But for uploading, Hughesnet is better. Starband limits your upload bandwidth, Hughesnet doesn't monitor upload bandwidth, so if you send pictures
to some website like smugmug or photobucket, Hughesnet does not penalize you for uploading. With Starband you can go through your upload allowance
pretty quickly.
The new Hughesnet high speed packages are not available in Mexico..
Like someone mentioned above, if you have access to 3G or landline, avoid satellite altogether.
[Edited on 9-22-2013 by BigWooo]
|
|
|
BajaParrothead
Nomad
Posts: 460
Registered: 12-4-2012
Location: Portola, CA / Los Barriles
Member Is Offline
|
|
Not sure if it goes that far south, but I just installed ViaSat's new Excede system, which is an upgraded Wildblue. The download speeds are 23.92
Mbps and 3.74 Mbps upoload. That's a huge improvement over the 3.33 Mbps download that I was getting with our old Wildblue system. Total cost $174.
I am in north eastern CA, so I'm not sure where else they cover.
WWW.Wildblue.com
|
|
|
Mariz
Nomad
Posts: 219
Registered: 9-21-2008
Member Is Offline
|
|
We had Hughes for many years...
The limits on downloading were often a pain.
Something else not mentioned above...we could not use any VOIP telephone service. Someone explained that the distance to and from the sat. caused a
delay that makes VOIP nearly impossible. All I no is it didn't work and was important to us.
We now have a local company that provides a small dish and connects us to Telmex wireless. It's not perfect but no limits, decent speed and VOIP
works.
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
Where????
In what area of Ensenada might you be, and why satellite instead of Telnor or Cablemas??
|
|
|
mtnpop
Senior Nomad
Posts: 597
Registered: 9-8-2009
Location: Colorado/mulege
Member Is Offline
|
|
In regards to Wild Blue Sat. service,,, I don't know if it is still this way but they did not have a satellite themselves.. they leased space from
Hughes for years..
When we tried voip Majicjack on Hughes,,, downlink was great but uplink had about a 5 second delay for the one called would hear us... thus they
hung up usually....before hello got to them...
just our experience....
|
|
|
baconjr
Nomad
Posts: 128
Registered: 7-14-2012
Member Is Offline
Mood: Es la vida de perro!
|
|
Bahia Soledad at the end of a 15 mile dirt road, totally off the grid. North of Pte Santo Tomas
|
|
|
larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have used starband for 13 years now and for the most part it works well for me. I have the slowest service ($50 a month) and magicjack's voip works
very well most of the time. I do have a larger 1.2 meter antenna and I am sure that helps a lot. All the info given here is good. One thing not
mentioned is that you can control your bandwidth usage by down loading and up loading large files during the nite time "free" period. Your free period
is from 12am to 6am in the time zone where you gave starband you subscription address. If they think you on the east coast then your free time in
Ensenada would be 9pm to 3am. I use the free time to download large files, pictures and computer updates. Anyway good luck with your choice.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
|
|
|
BajaParrothead
Nomad
Posts: 460
Registered: 12-4-2012
Location: Portola, CA / Los Barriles
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by mtnpop
In regards to Wild Blue Sat. service,,, I don't know if it is still this way but they did not have a satellite themselves.. they leased space from
Hughes for years..
When we tried voip Majicjack on Hughes,,, downlink was great but uplink had about a 5 second delay for the one called would hear us... thus they
hung up usually....before hello got to them...
just our experience.... |
mtnpop, they currently have four of their own birds. They (Wildblue and the satellites) are owned by the parent company ViaSat, which apparently also
does stuff for NASA.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
