# Satellite broadband



## elefantfresh (19 May 2008)

I've had a look around here and over on boards but a lot of info seems out of date or not actually user feedback.
Does anyone actually HAVE satelite broadband and have real feedback? Does it "die" does it actually work efficiently? Possibly be able to work from home for a couple of days a week but if it failed on me then that option would disappear fairly sharpish.
All other options appear out of the equation broadband wise. 
Some real feedback would be great. Thanks guys.


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## loll (19 May 2008)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*

i have sattelite broadband from permanet, no complaints


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## Wisecom (19 May 2008)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*

I haven't got Satellite Broadband but I work in a position where i keep an eye on all providers, technologies, options. Generally Satelilte broadband is very reliable. Digiweb are currently building new infrastructure which is a good sign for their product. 
My concern is that you say you want to work from home. A lot of the time it's not the broadband quality that causes issues when people work from home, it's the "lag" on their e-mail and the quality of their dial-in\access option. Do you have a requirement to access e-mail when your working from home and if so what e-mail client so you use(lotus Notes, Exchange)? If it's Lotus Notes you could have problems, if it's Exchange then not so much.


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## Technologist (19 May 2008)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*



loll said:


> i have sattelite broadband from permanet, no complaints


Is Permanet actually Satellite broadband? Or is it Wireless broadband? 

Satellite broadband takes its signal from an earth orbitting satellite and uses a dish like that used for Sky TV.


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## roadrunner (22 Jun 2008)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*

anyone heard of National broadband are they any good?


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## Decisions! (20 Jul 2009)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*

Hi elephantfresh

Did you get satellite broadband? Are you working from home now? 

I'm working from home on a 1MB eircom connection which is fine but we're moving and eircom cannot do broadband where we're going so have to consider satellite. 

(The most recent post is a year ago already and much has changed since then, or has it?!)

Does anyone else have any experience/advice re satellite broadband?


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## MOB (20 Jul 2009)

*Re: Sattelite broadband*

I had satellite broadband a few years ago.  It was fine for work.  

Not so great for what you might call impulse browsing.  But still ok (just).

This was explained to me in the following way: a satellite connection might have ample bandwidth ( so you can easily download large files quickly, and streaming data will stream away fine) but will always have an issue with latency ( it takes a few seconds for data to get from satellite to you - or possibly from you to satellite, I don't know which.) which manifests itself in a perceptible time lag between when you click on something and when it starts to download.


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## PaddyBloggit (20 Jul 2009)

We have satellite braoband (provided by DigiWeb) in our school.

Dial up is faster .... any page with a login/ssl security dies as it can't cope.

Any data out there about satellite broadband?


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## mosstown (16 Jun 2010)

has anyone got any updates to add here please ?


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## Dirac (17 Jun 2010)

In a word "frustrating"!

We have satellite broadband through the National Broadband Scheme. It cost €49.99 installation and €19.99 per month thereafter. When it works it is great, much faster than dial up and easily copes with watching you tube videos etc. 

HOWEVER, sometimes it doesn't work, very heavy cloud cover and very bad rain do affect it similar to Sky TV in really bad weather. The monthly allowance is approx 12GB but seems to vary depending on which month's bill I am looking at so not sure if they roll unused allowance over. 12GB isn't that much especially if you want to listen to music or watch video etc. There is no provision to get an increased allowance at the moment as far as I know.

It will work though a wireless router however the tech help wont support this and don't recommend it for some reason.

Bottom line is that it works about 70% of the time for us as if you go over your allowance in any period (they break your allowance down into day/week/month) then the connection is exceptionally slow to non existent. Dial up is a lot lot faster in this instance to the extent that we still have to use dial up now and again.


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## moneysaver1 (17 Jun 2010)

Been in this boat for what seemed like an eternity, could write the book on it!!!!
Now I finally have Eircom BB after living with Satellite (or Microwave to be precise) for 2 years. I had heard lots of bad things about the Eirom solution but to be honest, one year on the IS NO COMPARISON. Even when the Satellite worked well, it always has latency issues (a slight lag time in loading information). But, if thats all you can get it should be much faster than dialup. The crowd we used were Permanet and are now Ripple Telecom. All above board, service was pretty solid and yes I would recomend them. HTH.


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## Leo (17 Jun 2010)

moneysaver1 said:


> Now I finally have Eircom BB after living with Satellite (or Microwave to be precise) for 2 years. I


 
To be even more precise, satellite and microwave are two different technologies. Microwave or wireless does not use satellite links between the consumer and the network and doesn't suffer from anything approaching the lag satellite links involve.
Leo


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## moneysaver1 (17 Jun 2010)

Indeed Leo, but I think for most they use the term "Satellite" to describe any solution that doesn't require wires. Ive had true Satellite (one way only - from SkyTel) and also the FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) Microwave box bouncing from a local AP (Access Point). The One way SAT go me out of a hole, but to be honest the fact it still requires your dialup line to be connected is drag number 1, and drag number two is...well its one way only. 
The FWA solution was of course better since its two way, but the lag there was nasty to be fair. Ive had only limited exp. with Two Way Satellite so cant really comment on that one. Thx for the clarification.


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## Leo (18 Jun 2010)

moneysaver1 said:


> Indeed Leo, but I think for most they use the term "Satellite" to describe any solution that doesn't require wires.


 
I don't think any of the wireless providers would intentionally allow wireless/microwave technology be confused with an inferior service such as satellite.


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