Comparing Satellite and Cable Internet
December 8, 2009 by DSL and Broadband Tips
Filed under Broadband, Wireless & High Speed
If you’re tired of using dial up or DSL phone services for an internet connection, then you have three other options: cable Internet, satellite Internet or cellular Internet. Since WWAN Internet tends to be slower and more inconvenient (at least for heavy PC use) we are going to focus on cable vs. satellite Internet technologies.
Both of these services offer high speed Internet connections. Both services offer bandwidth and connection speeds that are much faster than dialup services. Cable Internet is a form of broadband Internet access that uses the cable television infrastructure. Cable Internet services require a modem to be at the customer’s premises, which will connect to a CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System) at a cable operator facility. This is a different technology than satellite Internet, which communicates from a satellite dish outside a consumer’s home to a satellite in geostationary orbit.
This immediately brings to mind two advantages satellite Internet has over cable Internet. First, a satellite Internet connection is not limited to a physical location or region. You could keep a satellite Internet going strong across 99% of the United States. This makes satellite Internet ideal for RVers, boaters or travelers constantly on the move. Additionally, because satellite Internet establishes a connection directly from dish to satellite, they are spared the extra taxes and fees associated with using towers, ground cables and other miscellaneous utilities.
Speed wise, the actual connection speeds vary according to the service provider. For example, services that use VAST systems may offer a 512 KPS upload and a 2 MBPS download. There might also be upload speeds anywhere from the range of 128, to 200 to 300 or 500 KBPS. Download speeds could be between 700 KBPS, 1 MBPS, 1.5 MBPS and 2 MBPS. Cable Internet models are capable of reaching slightly higher speeds; however, the majority of customers will use between 700 KBPS to 2 MBPS, and in this respect satellite Internet offers the same quality service as cable. Chances are, you are using a modem speed of less than 1 MBPS right now.
Satellite Internet is usually not available in rural areas or in locations that aren’t nearby a Cable Modem Termination System. (Usually found in the middle of a metropolitan area) Keep in mind that with a satellite connection, you will need two modems in order to both upload and download data to the World Wide Web. You must also be conscious of the weather, as very strong storms could impact a satellite’s connection. However, when it comes to total downtime, satellite Internet is equal to cable Internet in keeping an uptime of close to 100%.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both services. However, if you are feeling unsure about choosing between DSL or cable, know that there is another option. Satellite Internet is not as expensive as you might have heard, nor is it as slow as some sources suggest. It’s about equal with cable technology and about the same monthly price. Satellite Internet is becoming a major competitor in the Internet wars of the 2000 era.
Thanks to Matthew Pevensie for contributing this article to our DSL blog:
Both of these services offer high speed Internet connections. Both services offer bandwidth and connection speeds that are much faster than dialup services. Cable Internet is a form of broadband Internet access that uses the cable television infrastructure. Cable Internet services require a modem to be at the customer’s premises, which will connect to a CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System) at a cable operator facility. This is a different technology than satellite Internet, which communicates from a satellite dish outside a consumer’s home to a satellite in geostationary orbit.
This immediately brings to mind two advantages satellite Internet has over cable Internet. First, a satellite Internet connection is not limited to a physical location or region. You could keep a satellite Internet going strong across 99% of the United States. This makes satellite Internet ideal for RVers, boaters or travelers constantly on the move. Additionally, because satellite Internet establishes a connection directly from dish to satellite, they are spared the extra taxes and fees associated with using towers, ground cables and other miscellaneous utilities.
Speed wise, the actual connection speeds vary according to the service provider. For example, services that use VAST systems may offer a 512 KPS upload and a 2 MBPS download. There might also be upload speeds anywhere from the range of 128, to 200 to 300 or 500 KBPS. Download speeds could be between 700 KBPS, 1 MBPS, 1.5 MBPS and 2 MBPS. Cable Internet models are capable of reaching slightly higher speeds; however, the majority of customers will use between 700 KBPS to 2 MBPS, and in this respect satellite Internet offers the same quality service as cable. Chances are, you are using a modem speed of less than 1 MBPS right now.
Satellite Internet is usually not available in rural areas or in locations that aren’t nearby a Cable Modem Termination System. (Usually found in the middle of a metropolitan area) Keep in mind that with a satellite connection, you will need two modems in order to both upload and download data to the World Wide Web. You must also be conscious of the weather, as very strong storms could impact a satellite’s connection. However, when it comes to total downtime, satellite Internet is equal to cable Internet in keeping an uptime of close to 100%.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both services. However, if you are feeling unsure about choosing between DSL or cable, know that there is another option. Satellite Internet is not as expensive as you might have heard, nor is it as slow as some sources suggest. It’s about equal with cable technology and about the same monthly price. Satellite Internet is becoming a major competitor in the Internet wars of the 2000 era.
Thanks to Matthew Pevensie for contributing this article to our DSL blog:
Hughesnet internet brings you the Internet so much faster than dial-up. Service is available throughout the lower 48 states. Get Hug
hesnet today.
What Is Wireless Internet And How Can I Get It?
September 13, 2009 by DSL and Broadband Tips
Filed under Broadband, Wireless & High Speed
Wireless Internet has truly changed the way the world goes online. Because of this transformative technology, you can go online and enjoy high-speed Internet access without being tied down to your home. In fact, wireless Internet is so wonderful because of the freedom it gives the individual to surf online away from the desktop, on your laptop or other portable device.
Also referred to as “wifi,” wireless Internet is usually accessed on a laptop, cell phone, and other mobile computing device. You can also set up a wireless network between the computers in your house using a special router. People use wifi at home as a way to wirelessly access the Internet from any room in the house. It really is the most convenient way to go online in the modern world.
Wireless Internet providers offer a wide range of services to customers with speeds that compete well with DSL and cable. In the past, before the introduction of wireless Internet and routers, the only way you could connect to the Internet on your laptop was through a very slow, dial-up connection. Luckily, wireless Internet now allows you to go online without having to plug into a phone line.
Connection speeds for wireless broadband vary between 384 Kbps and 2.0 Mbps, which is a whopping 35 times faster than your average dial-up speed. This allows users of mobile devices to carry out online tasks on the go – and you can do more than just email and text message. Plus, it allows you to wirelessly set up a network at home with the use of a router.
Wifi and wireless routers make it possible to download streaming media and large files no matter where you happen to be – this is a convenient option for media junkies who just can’t get enough of online media, such as videos. This type of router in particular lets you share files between several computers at home. In the past, you had to create a wired network for this to work – now routers make it possible to network more than one home computer more easily. Wireless routers let you bridge several computers together, even in different rooms.
How it works is that you purchase a wireless Internet connection, and then set up a router to transfer the signal elsewhere, and share the Internet connection.
With a laptop and router it’s easy to get connected to a wifi signal and take advantage of wireless broadband – almost every laptop sold now comes with a wireless modem already installed. The same goes for portable handheld devices, which have wifi capabilities built right in. The number of wifi hotspots is also increasing, so you can almost always find access to a broadband connection when you need it.
So where do you find a wifi provider? If you want to find a broadband connection in your local area, that isn’t in your home or office, all you have to do is search online for hotspots that provide wireless Internet service. There are various websites that help you locate broadband connections in certain areas, especially as wireless Internet access grows in demand.
A wifi connection doesn’t have many requirements. Although different from other connections, providers do provide many of the same features provided by other services. A wireless Internet service usually requires a laptop computer or a computer that is connected to wireless routers. A regular computer may need a Wi-Fi card for the service to work properly.
For wireless Internet access you may also need sniffer software that allows you to search out hotspots around your town.
Here is my original post http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Wireless-Internet-And-How-Can-I-Get-It?&id=1081334
Thanks to Garry Neale for contributing this article to our DSL blog:
Also referred to as “wifi,” wireless Internet is usually accessed on a laptop, cell phone, and other mobile computing device. You can also set up a wireless network between the computers in your house using a special router. People use wifi at home as a way to wirelessly access the Internet from any room in the house. It really is the most convenient way to go online in the modern world.
Wireless Internet providers offer a wide range of services to customers with speeds that compete well with DSL and cable. In the past, before the introduction of wireless Internet and routers, the only way you could connect to the Internet on your laptop was through a very slow, dial-up connection. Luckily, wireless Internet now allows you to go online without having to plug into a phone line.
Connection speeds for wireless broadband vary between 384 Kbps and 2.0 Mbps, which is a whopping 35 times faster than your average dial-up speed. This allows users of mobile devices to carry out online tasks on the go – and you can do more than just email and text message. Plus, it allows you to wirelessly set up a network at home with the use of a router.
Wifi and wireless routers make it possible to download streaming media and large files no matter where you happen to be – this is a convenient option for media junkies who just can’t get enough of online media, such as videos. This type of router in particular lets you share files between several computers at home. In the past, you had to create a wired network for this to work – now routers make it possible to network more than one home computer more easily. Wireless routers let you bridge several computers together, even in different rooms.
How it works is that you purchase a wireless Internet connection, and then set up a router to transfer the signal elsewhere, and share the Internet connection.
With a laptop and router it’s easy to get connected to a wifi signal and take advantage of wireless broadband – almost every laptop sold now comes with a wireless modem already installed. The same goes for portable handheld devices, which have wifi capabilities built right in. The number of wifi hotspots is also increasing, so you can almost always find access to a broadband connection when you need it.
So where do you find a wifi provider? If you want to find a broadband connection in your local area, that isn’t in your home or office, all you have to do is search online for hotspots that provide wireless Internet service. There are various websites that help you locate broadband connections in certain areas, especially as wireless Internet access grows in demand.
A wifi connection doesn’t have many requirements. Although different from other connections, providers do provide many of the same features provided by other services. A wireless Internet service usually requires a laptop computer or a computer that is connected to wireless routers. A regular computer may need a Wi-Fi card for the service to work properly.
For wireless Internet access you may also need sniffer software that allows you to search out hotspots around your town.
Here is my original post http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Wireless-Internet-And-How-Can-I-Get-It?&id=1081334
Thanks to Garry Neale for contributing this article to our DSL blog:
