Satellite Internet, which was at one time only available to exploration companies and war journalists, is becoming more and more popular among regular civilians.
This technology offers many benefits of high-speed connections previously unavailable to people living in places where wired cable and DSL access don't reach, and to people who move around a lot.
If you're considering joining the growing satellite broadband community and getting a dish for your home or RV, you might first be wondering, How does it work? Satellite Internet uses a satellite dish, not phone lines or cables, for two-way data communications (downloading and uploading).
Downloading takes about a tenth of the time that uploading does, and satellite is not as fast as cable and DSL connections, but 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.
Two-way satellite Internet equipment consists of an approximately two-foot by three-foot dish, a mounting system, a feedhorn, a feedline, a Universal Low Noise Black connector, indoor receiving and transmit units, two modems (uplink and downlink), and coaxial cables that connect the dish and modems.
Satellites orbiting the Earth transmit signals to your dish.
These orbiting satellites hover over the equator area, and therefore users in the northern hemisphere must have a clear, unobstructed view of the southern sky in order to be able to receive the signals.
The same types of things that get in the way of satellite TV reception, such as trees, can also interfere with your Internet connection.
Likewise, bad weather can also disturb your connection, and users sometimes complain about rain fade (when the signal is absorbed or scattered by moisture).
There are three types of satellite Internet: one-way with terrestrial return, one-way multicast, and two-way satellite access.
Two-way satellite access uses Internet Protocol (IP) multicasting, which allows as many as 5,000 channels of communication to be served at the same time by a single satellite.
This works by sending data in a compressed format, which reduces the size of the data and the bandwidth.
Bandwidth through dial-up systems is often limited, as is the capacity to multicast.
Some satellite services still require a dial-up or cable modem connection for uplink.
For example, one-way with terrestrial return works in conjunction with traditional 56K dial-up access, with inbound data traveling via satellite, but outgoing data transmitted through the telephone modem.
This means that you can receive data much faster than you can send it.
Satellite Internet technology, indeed, is breaking barriers by bringing high-speed Internet to remote, previously unheard of locations.
Now, no matter where you live, you can work from home, shop online, play interactive computer games, plan vacations, and get instant access to breaking news.
You'll also be able to access higher quality graphics than you can with dial-up and download photos, music, videos, and software updates in a fraction of the time.
Furthermore, satellite Internet is compatible with both Mac and PC operating systems, as long as they meet certain minimum requirements established by the provider.
You should check that your computer meets those requirements before purchasing a plan.