So you’ve looked at your options and evaluated the differences between dial-up, cable, DSL, and satellite Internet, and you’ve decided that satellite is the best fit for you and your lifestyle. You’ve ruled out cable and DSL because you live in a rural area where wired high-speed access doesn’t reach, and you’ve decided dail-up is just not fast enough. While satellite is not as fast as cable and DSL connections, it can be up to fifty times faster than dial-up—typical dial-up connections download at 53 Kbps, while satellite connections download at 1.0 to 5.0 Mbps. With satellite Internet broadband, you’ll be able to work from home, video chat with long-distance friends, shop online, play interactive computer games, plan vacations, and get instant access to breaking news. The next step is knowing the facts about the equiment you’ll need.
Usually, all the equipment you’ll need is provided by the service provider, or a licensed contractor of that provider, but it’s a good idea to have an understanding beforehand of what you’ll be dealing with. Two-way satellite Internet equipment includes an approximately two-foot by three-foot dish, a mounting system, a feedhorn, a feedline, a Universal Low Noise Black connector, an NIC card, indoor receiving and transmit units, two modems (uplink and downlink), and coaxial cables that connect the dish and modems (same as the thick cable used by cable television providers.
The satellite modem transforms radio signals received by the dish into data that can be displayed by the computer, and likewise converts the data sent by the computer back into radio signals and then relays those via the dish to an orbiting satellite in the network.
The satellite dish, also known as the parabolic antenna because of its shape, is affixed to the customer’s roof with a mounting system and acts as the middle man between the computer and the satellite network. The feedhorn is the part that receives and sends signals and can be found at the center of the dish, towards which all signals are “funneled” by the shape of the dish.
The NIC card, or Network Interface Controller, is hardware that enables communication over a network with other computers and comes built-in to the motherboards of most new computers. The NIC card is used with a satellite broadband connection provided by any high-speed Internet service.
Though some ambitious tinkerers may opt to install their system themselves, normally a technician is sent by the service provider to install the entire system. Equipment and installation can be free when you buy a package, depending on the type and length of subscription you order.
As with satellite TV, satellite Internet is more vulnerable to weather conditions than are its terrestrial-wired counterparts. Bad weather can interfere with your connection, and users sometimes complain about signal latency (the delay between requesting data and the receipt of a response) and rain fade (when the signal is absorbed or scattered by moisture). All-in-all, though, the benefits of high-speed Internet access seem outweigh the drawbacks associated with the technology, and customer satisfaction is high among converted former dial-up users.
Stop waiting on dial-up and contact hughes internet today. With hughes satellite, you’ll enjoy the high-speed benefits of DSL and cable, no matter where you are.
Article from articlesbase.com
