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DirecWay Satellite Configurations and LAN Configurations?

Posted by Cliff on from the working-around-platform-limiting-software dept.

Need for Speed asks: "I just moved to the boonies and I'm looking into DirecWay from Hughes. I'm too far from my CO for ADSL and IDSL is too expensive. DirecWay requires their modem to be connected to the USB port and their software to be installed on the client. Multiple connections can be supported by enabling ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) in Windows on that client. I then can connect a router/etc to the ethernet card on that client. I don't want to sacrifice my Linux box to do this. A direct connection from the DirecWay modem to my Wi-Fi router would be nice, but it doesn't seem to be an option here. Has anyone successfully configured DirecWay without installing the DirecWay software and connecting the DirecWay modem directly to your computer?"

18 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. they're kidding, right? by hawkbug · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You're kidding me? DirecWay requires using a usb connection and *software*? Whatever happened to the days of running ethernet out of the back of these routers? I've seen a few comcast cable modems only set up for usb, and that's just nuts. Now this - I'm absolutely baffled that they would do this. I know someone getting this installed on Friday - so I am very interested in finding out ways to make this work with other operating systems or directly with a wireless router.

    1. Re:they're kidding, right? by GoRK · · Score: 5, Informative

      OK, I have used this. I have installed this. It sucks, but sometimes it's the only option.

      A couple things about the need for USB: The directway hardware is actually two seperate units (TX and RX) daisy chained together. This allows them to be configured for both the one-way and the two-way satellite Internet configurations. Obviously the one-way satellite connection requires the modem in your computer to assist, so it must have some sort of direct connection to the computer. If they put an ethernet interface in it, then it'd only be functional for the two-way system. ....

      So, why don't they just put an ethernet port in the Tx IRD? Well.. there are a couple of reasons they probably dont want to do this: The first is that the "software" you install really is basically just drivers for the IRD's and a configration tool to set up your account and whatnot.. it's not really fair to say that you have to install a whole suite of crap just to use the service. Anyway, the other nice little touch it does is to set MTU's and whatnot appropriately while the satellite network connection is active. If it didn't do this, users would constantly be complaining about how slow the service feels and DirectWay's network would be clogged with tinmeouts and tiny useless packets.

      Also, keep in mind that these IRD's internally provide a serial datastream to and from the satellite. Could they put a router in it? Probably. Other satellite vendors have such devices. Would it cost a lot? Yeah probably would bring the already high equipment cost up a lot since they'd not really sell a lot of these... Would it hurt performance? Probably, if the average user does not alter certain network parameters, it would. Would it be a support nightmare? Probably, yeah.

      Anyway, I really dislike their USB interface. There'd be a small but fledging market for a device that is a DirectWay ethernet router (Hello, linksys? :), but I dont really see it happening. Until then, I'm using either ICS or some other Win32 NAT solution to do the job.

      Incedentally, for anyone setting this up, running a transparent web proxy on the gateway machine helps a lot. It'll give the end users speedy web access without them having to adjust their network settings to properly cope with a satellite connection (though it wouldnt hurt for them to do it anyway)

      ~GoRK

    2. Re:they're kidding, right? by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2

      What azimuth and elevation for the satellite?

      I have a DirecPC pci card I'd like to play with it, maybe they haven't changed much since then. Think I also have the external USB box for it to, but it uses a funky power supply I don't have (they need 5v for electronics, but 13v for the LNB?).

      Now if only I had some starband hardware...

  2. Sourceforge project by missing000 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here.
    Next time, google.

    1. Re:Sourceforge project by echo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Next time read what you get from a google search. This is for the one way DirectPC system, not the 2 way DirectWay system.

  3. sure it isn't ethernet...? by topham · · Score: 3, Informative

    I remember reading an article about a year ago where-in the USB based ethernet/modem for a sat system as actually an ETHERNET device, with a USB to Ethernet adapter built in.

    pop the cover and have a look...if you don't mind voiding the warranty.

    1. Re:sure it isn't ethernet...? by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2

      You're thinking of starband. Totally different service and hardware.

  4. look at the previous articles by ksheff · · Score: 2, Informative

    There have been a few slashdot articles about satelite internet access, mainly starband, which people are running Windows in a VM so they can use it from a linux machine. Although it appears one has to do some tuning with linux even if windows is sharing the connection.

    --
    the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
  5. Re:Nope by echo · · Score: 2

    Well, that certainly doesn't sound like it works, unless you are a network coding guru and write the missing pieces.

  6. i'm disgusted with it by Peartree · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am an FCC certified direcway installer and I think it's a piece of shit. I was totally offended when I was told that it would slow down a VPN connection b/c they block ports. I was not happy when they told me that it only ran on Windows 98SE or newer (the reason for this being the software helps monitor the signal, blah blah), the latentcy is 500ms-700ms, and that it was the speed would come to crawl if you setup a LAN behind it.

    1. Re:i'm disgusted with it by duffbeer703 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Obviously the knowledge required to become an FCC certified installer ends with sticking a pole in the ground.

      Windows 98SE is the first version of Windows to fully support USB. If you are running Windows 95, you probaly don't have USB-equipped hardware, and 95 is now a legacy product anyway.

      As for your other issues, that's pure bunk. The Direcway service is basically using a proxy server to conserve enough limited (and very, very expensive) bandwidth between the satellite and ground station. If you want low-latency service, get DSL, not a service using a geosynchronous satellites.

      Direcway does nothing to reduce LAN performance. Your poor performance is a result of using Windows ICS instead of a better solution. I just set the system up for my parents who live in the hilltowns near my city. All you need to do is setup a proxy server (like Webwasher) on the box for web access and use ICS for email and other services.

      The result is excellent service over a 802.11b wireless network in the middle of nowhere. Web pages, streaming audio/video and other high latency tolerable applications work great.

      --
      Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
    2. Re:i'm disgusted with it by duffbeer703 · · Score: 2

      DirecWay is a great solution for people in rural areas or just out of the range of DSL. It's fine for small business or for home users with two or three computers.

      It is what it is. If somebody was selling DirecWay as a T1 or DSL replacement, and I bought it, I'd be disgusted too.

      --
      Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
    3. Re:i'm disgusted with it by sysadmn · · Score: 2
      I admit the DirecWay "class" was a joke.

      Do not look at uplink with remaining eye.
      --
      Envy my 5 digit Slashdot User ID!
  7. Spot On! by Manic+Miner · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have also used this service, we used it to setup and internet connection in the middle of a forest, lets see ya get anything other than a satelitte connection in the middle of a forest ;)

    The poster above is spot on with the description of the twin box unit etc. However there are a couple of points you need to consider. Firstly the software on your windows machine is used to download the correct keys to allow your connection to work. Once this has been setup they are stored in the satelite interface boxes, but you will need windows at least once for the setup / install.

    Also, yeah the USB interface is not great, but there do exist satelite boxes for DirectWay that just provided an ethernet out - just expect to pay a LOT more for it. However ICS will work, as will other win32 Nat solutions. We used ICS with a separate linux webcache and caching DNS server. We ran a large number of PC's from this system with no real problems - however you will find the delay on dynamic pages - such as slashdot or web based mail client, is horrible. The speed is great, but the latency sucks :)

    --
    If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone.
  8. Unfortunate corporate acronyms, part 28823... by Mandoric · · Score: 2

    ... So now I can download that huge pr0n MPEG, and then be automatically fapped for 8 hours? Where do I sign up? =D

  9. They do have this by Maller · · Score: 2, Informative
    I don't know if this is only for business customers, but I know they do have this as an option. Instead of the normal two cable modem/any linksys product-sized boxes, this configuration has three.

    The transmitter and receiver (model# ITU-R1 and IRU-T3, respectively) actually have the DirecPC logo on the front and either the word "transmitter" or "receiver." Both of these have an antenna connector and a data connector (DB-25 or so). In addition the transmitter has a USB port and an AT-keyboard-connector-looking power input. The third box (model# DW4-G1) is labeled "gateway" and has the DirecWay logo. The back has a USB port that is connected to the transmitter, a similar power input that is piggy-backed from the transmitter (looks kludgey), and four ethernet ports.

    Functionally, this third box seems like those "cable/DSL routers" except you connect to the outside via USB instead of regular ethernet.

  10. Re:This is all moot, isn't it? by travisbecker · · Score: 2, Informative

    It was just a couple of weeks ago that DirecWay accounced they were closing up...

    You're thinking DirecTVDSL, their land-line based DSL service (they bought out Telocity a while back). DirecWay will still be around.

    Travis

  11. Is this how DirecWAY installers always are? by Smelly+Jeffrey · · Score: 3, Informative
    I have only had contact with a DirecWAY installer once, so I may be biassed. He had some notable problems, however.
    • He had trouble getting around Windows, just to run the company-provided software installer.
    • He was unable to prove that he knew the difference between a USB connector and an RJ-45.
    • He could not tell me whether or not I could purchase a device to hook up the sattelite directly to an ethernet network.
    • He was unable to produce a copy of the license to which I was agreeing.
    • When asked to hook up the rest of my computers, he told me that he was not allowed.
    • Later, he told me that the satellite dish could only support one computer.
    • He told me that I would have to buy a different satellite dish for each computer I wished to put on the DirecWAY service.
    I may be slightly biassed, but DirecWAY seems to be a bit lacking in some areas. Is this anyone else's experience with DirecWAY installers?