| There has been a lot of press coverage lately | | | | close to the equator, when setting up your dish, |
| about a new option for getting online if you're too | | | | or when having a technician set up your dish, it is |
| far away from a cable internet connection and if | | | | important to make sure that it is facing south, |
| DSL isn't a viable source. Just like with satellite tv, | | | | where the signals will be coming from. Other than |
| this satellite version of getting on the internet | | | | this, choosing a dish is entirely up to the owner. |
| relies on sending signals into space and back again | | | | You can opt for a larger one, which provides for |
| to provide coverage just about anywhere on the | | | | more chances of getting reception during a storm, |
| whole planet, not just in the United States. In | | | | or you can just go with whatever the free |
| short, it's a great and incredible option for those | | | | standard is that your satellite internet company |
| who previously didn't have a way to get online, or | | | | might be offering along with service. |
| for anyone whose only option was the | | | | The actual way that information moves back and |
| increasingly slow and impossible-to-use dial-up. | | | | forth between your dish and satellites in space is |
| But before making the switch to satellite internet, | | | | thanks to a particular type of communication |
| it's helpful to understand how the technology | | | | technology called Internet Protocol multicasing. |
| works. Here is a simple how-to that explains | | | | This means that there's no waiting in line to have |
| exactly what goes on from the reaches of space | | | | data reach your dish from a satellite that is |
| to your very living room. Best of all, unlike other | | | | handling thousands of other requests, as the |
| sources, that try to over complicate things with | | | | system is configured to handle a great deal of |
| technical terms and difficult concepts, anyone will | | | | access without getting overloaded or dropping |
| be able to understand this. | | | | someone's signal. Because the signals are passing |
| First, it helps to understand what a satellite | | | | through space to earth, often there is a lot less |
| actually does, and how it differs from other | | | | of a limit on the amount of bandwidth that an |
| options for getting online. Unlike terrestrial | | | | individual user has, whereas with things like cable, |
| services, which rely on connections that are | | | | limitations are often imposed because service |
| based on the ground, like telephone lines or cable | | | | itself is limited due to the devices being used. |
| systems, satellites transmit information between | | | | As part of your devices, besides the dish, you're |
| satellites. The dish that you put in your backyard | | | | going to need a modem that attaches to your |
| or on your roof is actually just a miniature version | | | | computer. The modem will receive signals from |
| of the one in outer space, designed to receive | | | | the dish, just like with cable, you receive signals to |
| and transmit information long distances and deliver | | | | your modem through the cable itself. Just like with |
| it promptly. | | | | regular modems for other delivery methods, a |
| Now that the concept is clear, it's important to | | | | satellite internet modem is easy to set up. It's also |
| actually understand the execution. Two-way | | | | easy to reset if there are any connectivity |
| communication is possible, meaning that the data | | | | problems: simply unplug the device and switch it |
| streams back and forth between the two | | | | on again to start the connection and avoid |
| different points, often at a very rapid speed | | | | whatever hiccup was causing the trouble in the |
| considering the distance. Since most satellites are | | | | first place. |