Satellite Broadband - opinion needed

Calvin loves Hobbes

Hi,

I live in the sticks (approx 6 miles from Ballinrobe in Mayo) and need to get sorted with decent speed broadband. Thinking that satellite is my only option. Anyone have any feedback/would recommend any providers? What about digiweb - are they any good? Satellitebroadbandireland? Thanks for the help.

Knasher

I haven't ever bought satalite broadband myself, so I don't know that much about it. But I have used it, so just a word of advice before you take the plunge. The round trip time on satalite broadband is huge (obviously because your receiving a signal from space) so while you should be able to download media at a reasonable enough speed, for things like browsing the web it will feel about as fast as isdn. For things like gaming and skype it will be completly unusable.

What I'm getting at is if you have the option to use a wireless network then that would be your best bet, its only as a final option at best. I know of a couple of villages in my area that get broadband via a small wisp that set up in their area. Also 6 miles isn't all that far, so if you knew somebody in Ballinrobe who can get bb and you have line of sight to their house, it mightn't be too hard to set up a private wireless network between the two of you and split the cost of the bb. Just saying, satalite would really be the last option I would look at.

El Tarangu

Satellite broadband tends to be very expensive, so people only tend to go satellite as a last resort

Link

I'd exhaust all other avenues of enquiry before considering satellite

Calvin loves Hobbes

I hear you - I've currently got a dongle from O2 and the speeds are chronic 243 kb per second at a push! From looking on the broadband gov site, it's saying that satellite is my only option.

El Tarangu

Calvin loves Hobbes wrote: »

I hear you - I've currently got a dongle from O2 and the speeds are chronic 243 kb per second at a push! From looking on the broadband gov site, it's saying that satellite is my only option.

Can you not get broadband through your landline provider?

I live in an urban area, and wireless broadband didn't work for us but Eircom's did. Even if you don't have a landline at present, it could work out cheaper to get one installed just for the broadband, rather than getting satellite. Obviously neither situation is ideal, but c'est la vie.

watty

Professionally installed satellite will give 3Mbps, even in rain. Cap tends to be low unless you pay a lot.

It should be at least a 95cm dish for rain margin.
Typical prices
http://www.digiweb.ie/business/products/connectivity/broadband/satellite/

You can see at bottom end it's actually cheap (only 5 Eur more than eircom line rental) but cap is low.

The install cost might seem high, but that's subsidised. A VSAT used to be £10,000 then about €1,200, now over €400 excluding labour.

You won't get decent un-subsidized 80cm TV satellite installed as cheap.

Calvin loves Hobbes

I have line rental with eircom, but get this....there's an electric fence interferring with the line, so I can't use dial up :rolleyes:. Thanks for all the advice though, it's really appreciated.

watty

I have Mobile for phone calls. I pay 15 euro a month and rarely use up my 50 minutes and 50 texts, if I do exceed, it's just on the bill. eircom line rental is about 26 Eur, before you make a single call.

I gave up PAYG as it tended to run out at 2am or at a foriegn airport or on a rural road miles from anywhere.

Sponge Bob

You are at the southern end of Westnet coverage and at the northern end of Airwire coverage, both wireless ISPs. I would choose either of them any day over satellite. Cheaper and Better in every way.

Start with the Westnet map here, zoom in by pressing + ON SCREEN