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Experiences with DirecWay Satellite Internet

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the had-it-up-to-here-with-56k dept.

Since moving outside Ann Arbor almost 2 years ago, I've had only a 56k modem to tether my home to the net. Cable, DSL and ISDN are impossible in my location. DirecWay now offers the DW6000, which appears to be an operating system agnostic router for satellite internet access. I already use DirecTV, so this might work well. I'm aware of the game crippling latency, but that's not a huge deal to me. The monthly price seems reasonable, but is there a catch? I'm abusing my power as Slashdot editor to ask for experiences with this (or similiar) services. Does it bog down during the day? Not work with common hardware? Hidden costs? Does it cost a fortune for the required professional installation? Is ssh completely unusable?

23 of 771 comments (clear)

  1. No way by mr.henry · · Score: 5, Funny

    WTF.. the editor of Slashdot is on dialup?

    1. Re:No way by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Funny

      How much speed do you need to cut-and-paste a story from 3 hours ago?

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    2. Re:No way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      You know, people make the statement that taco is out of touch with the slashdot community, and I dont think anything illustrates this point as much as the fact that he's on dialup.

      Probably uses AOL from his winme box too.

    3. Re:No way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      New AOL Express cuts his page loading times in half!

    4. Re:No way by Uma+Thurman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Apparently that takes less bandwidth than a search for DirecWay on Google.

      --
      This is America, damnit. Speak Spanish!
    5. Re:No way by mhesseltine · · Score: 2, Funny
      No, a true geek would build their own rocket and launch their own communications satelite into a geo sync LEO!

      Am I the only one who read that as "into a geo sync LEGO "?

      If you can create a telecom satelite out of a Mindstorms kit, you should be working for LEGO (or the government)

      --
      Overrated / Underrated : Moderation :: Anonymous Coward : Posting
    6. Re:No way by Bingo+Foo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Go easy on him. He did say he starts hitting the Wild Turkey early in the morning.

      --
      taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!
  2. Satellite internet by pardasaniman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Features: Space age technology Really means your ping times will be comparable to that of the mars rover.

  3. I find it odd... by The_Rippa · · Score: 3, Funny

    That the only guy on Slashdot with a 56k is the guy that started it

    1. Re:I find it odd... by LnxAddct · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why wasn't this an option in the "Failure as a Geek" poll last week :)

    2. Re:I find it odd... by dasmegabyte · · Score: 4, Funny

      "56k should be enough for everybody." --Cmdr Taco

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
  4. That explains by RLiegh · · Score: 5, Funny

    why he doesn't read his own site ;-)

    -anonymous 56k user

    1. Re:That explains by slpalmer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't you know you shouldn't admit to doing illegal... oh wait... that Coke... :-)

      Stephen L. Palmer
      SLP - Technical Consulting

    2. Re:That explains by Wog · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, I even tried sniffing coke once.

      Pity, though, the ice cubes kept getting stuck up my nose.

    3. Re:That explains by Zardus · · Score: 5, Funny

      You know, I actually used to sell Coke illegally at my school....

      What I mean is this: Back in Junior year of high school, my school signed an exclusive contract with Pepsi and outlawed sale of Coka Cola on campus. Almost instantly, me and a few friends seized the opportunity to make some money and started selling Coke to fellow students at a lower price than the school itself sold its Pepsi.

      It went well for a few weeks, then rival gangs rose up and soon the school was torn in a Mafia-style Coka Cola peddling war. After a while, our "family" and the other guys' "family" were the only two left, and they decided to turn the heat up and set up shop in plain sight. It started a frenzy, got them shut down by the authorities within a day, and left us as the only ones to reap in the profits.

      The result of all that (other than a bit of spare change) has been being able to say "You know, I used to see Coke illegally at my school..." to people and see their reaction.

      --
      You can mod your friends, you can mod your nose, but you can't mod your friend's nose.
  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  6. Wireless by -tji · · Score: 2, Funny

    Find some slashdot fanboy in Ann Arbor, buy him a can 'o pringles, and set up a wireless link to you house.

    By the way, with assloads of money from /.'s acquisition, couldn't you find a house a little closer to civilization?

  7. Re:SSH over satellite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    hours upon hours of work this way though, I imagine it will drive you nuts

    Alright. One more time. He is the editor of Slashdot ;)

  8. 56K?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    56k?! Let's show him the slashdot effect boys ;) Talking about a taste of your own medicine...

  9. Re:PEI by vladkrupin · · Score: 2, Funny

    I know how that goes -

    So, how many backspaces do I need to type to fix that typo? I think 7. (pressing backspace 7 times and starting to type again before the chage has shown on the screen). Oh, cripes! That should've been 6! Now, how many backspaces do I need to type to fix that? It sure looks like 5 (typing 5 backspaces, which is correct; resume typing). Cripes, I forgot which letter I was on, and resumed typing from the wrong one! Arghhh!!! How many backspaces would that be again?

    --

    Jobs? Which jobs?
  10. You're right... by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...he should put up a standard TV antenna on a 100 foot tower, so he can pick up 2 channels full of static.

    Oh, but wait, he could just stream real-time video or download DVDs off of his 56k dialup. Is that the alternative you are suggesting?

    Geez, some people need to think before they get on their moral soapbox. Some other people need to think before they mod that crap up too.

    Dan East

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  11. Re:fake geek by snowbike · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually, LEO geosyncs are very easy. Everyone has one. In fact, most of the time, everyone is in a LEO (very LEO) geosync orbit. (mostly, hopefully we all move around in the orbit a bit). LEO geosync has very low launch costs--to get to the local elevation of ground. Or don't. Even if you stay in bed, you'll keep circling the earth once per day, locked in step with the globe as it goes around. The field of view isn't that large, but it keeps me entertained.

    I guess we all have a small amount of propellent we fire off every now and then, but for the most part, it is a pretty easy orbit to maintain.

  12. Straight from The Onione by wantobe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey, are you this guy?