| SATELLITE
HIGH SPEED INTERNET FAQs |
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Who is DirectWay? (return)
DirecWay®
began offering Satellite DSL internet services in May 2002 and is
an internet services affiliate of DirecTV, a leading provider of digital
satellite TV services since 1994.
What is DirecWay®® Satellite DSL?(return)
DSL stands for digital subscriber line and DirecWay®
Satellite DSL is high speed connection to the internet by satellite
through the use of a DirecWay®
satellite dish system and modem to your computer.
What is DirecDuo?(return)
This is a special satellite dish that can be used for both high speed
internet connection and satellite TV. DirecDuo refers to the dish
only.
How fast is the connection?(return)
You can test your internet connection speed by clicking
here just as we have just done on our computer. We have phone
line based high speed DSL and have found it far more efficient than
the high speed cable we once used. The DirecWay®
load of a 100k web page was 4 seconds for satellite DSL and my phone
line DSL was 2.8 seconds which was a third faster. However, the upload
of a video clip by DirecWay®
was 16.8 seconds and my phone line DSL was slower
at 18 seconds or .3 of a minute. DirecWay®
DSL download of an mp3 file was again faster at 1.1 of a minute and
my phone line DSL was 1.2 of a minute. An upgrade of software with
DirecWay®
was faster again at 6.8 of a minute than my phone line DSL which was
7.9 of a minute. I know from my experience that when I had high speed
cable I did not like it at all because it was very slow at times and
there was too much down time and now that I have high speed phone
line based DSL and find it fast with very little down time. I
was surprised to discover that the DirecWay®
high speed satellite connection was even faster. Telephone
line based DSL and high speed cable is potentially faster but if the
lines are congested because you live in a crowded area and there is
lots of down time since satellite is comparative in speed it can have
the advantage on the newer 2 way systems. There can be no definitive
answer because everyone uses shared bandwidth. The experience with
DirecWay®
high-speed Internet is astonishing. When comparing typical activities
with a dial-up service based on standard dial-up connection at 28.8Kbps,
the difference in the amount of time you'll be waiting for what you
want is night and day. DirecWay®
speeds are based on download speeds of up to 500Kbps, but not guaranteed.You
can download software upgrades in just minutes, versus up to an hour.
There's no more waiting for Web pages to fully finish loading; they
are typically done within a couple of seconds. Getting your favorite
song can be done in less than the song's length rather than three
times as long. As you can see this is a huge improvement.. and broadband
by satellite is the only high-speed Internet technology that's available
everywhere in the continental U.S.!
How do these speeds compare with DSL and cable modems?(return)
I tested my high speed phone line based DSL which I have found far
superior to the high speed cable which I once had by DirecWay®.com/connection_test.html">clicking
here. The DirecWay®
load of a 100k web page was 4 seconds and my DSL was 2.8 seconds which
was a third faster.. However, the upload of a video clip by DirecWay®
was 16.8 seconds and my phone line DSL was slower
at 18 seconds or .3 of a minute. DirecWay®
DSL download of an mp3 file was again faster at 1.1 of a minute and
my phone line DSL was 1.2 of a minute. An upgrade of software with
DirecWay®
was faster again at 6.8 of a minute than my phone line DSL which was
7.9 of a minute. I know from my experience that when I had high speed
cable I did not like it at all because it was very slow at times and
there was too much down time and now that I have high speed phone
line based DSL I really do like it. I was surprised to discover that
the DirecWay®
high speed satellite connection was even faster. Telephone line based
DSL and high speed cable is potentially faster but if the lines are
congested because you live in a crowded area and there is lots of
down time since satellite is comparative in speed it can have the
advantage on the newer 2 way systems. There can be no definitive answer
because everyone uses shared bandwidth.
What is a two way system? (return)
A two way system means that the data is both downloaded and uploaded
by satellite. Cheaper satellite systems have a one way system which
downloads by satellite but uploads by the use of your phone line through
a dial up modem. This is a far slower process and ties up your phone
line when you're on the internet. With a 2 way system you will have
faster uploads and no busy signals.
Is DirecWay® a one way or two way system? (return)
DirecWay®
is a two-way satellite dsl system. It uses the new, next generation
DW6000 modem to send and receive information over the Internet. There
are no hassles logging-on to the Internet because you're always connected!
Do I need a dial up modem and telephone line? (return)
No. Not with DirecWay®
DW6000 satellite DSL 2 way system. Cheaper satellite systems have
a one way system which downloads by satellite but uploads by the use
of your phone line through a dial up modem. This is a far slower process
and ties up your phone line when you're on the internet. With a 2
way system you will have faster uploads and no busy signals.
Is the DirecWay® System available for both PC and Mac computers?
(return)
Yes, the new DirecWay®
DW6000 system is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems.
Is DirecWay® Satellite service available in my area? (return)
If you live anywhere in the 48 states of the USA or in Puerto Rico
and have and can aim your satellite dish at the southern skys then
it is available to you.
What are the minimum system requirements for DirectWay Satellite High
Speed Internet DSL? (return)
The DirecWay®
Modem (model number DW6000) lets you connect your computer to the
Internet whether you are running a Windows® or Macintosh®
based system. In order to ensure you get the most out of your Internet
experience, DirecWay®
has developed these minimum requirements:
Operating System -
PC: Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP
MAC: 9.0-10.2 (excludes 10.0)
LINUX
Processor
PC - Pentium II 333 MHz or faster.
MAC - 300 MHz or faster
64MB RAM (Windows 98SE and Windows Me);
128MB RAM (MAC, Windows 2000 and Windows XP)
100 MB of free hard drive space for PC and 150
MB for MAC
Analog modem — used for commissioning
the account and occasional troubleshooting for MAC or Linux
One available USB port
CD-ROM drive
Networking Capability - 10/100 Ethernet
pre-equipped (configured for auto-negotiate)
Do I need to have a separate ISP- Internet Service Provider? (return)
No. DirecWay®
Satellite DSL service is offered through DirecTv which is the ISP
providing Internet access for all subscribers. Standard consumer service
includes 5 e-mail accounts with up to 10 Mb of storage. So, there's
no need for the expense of a separate provider for internet access.
What makes the new DirecWay® DW6000 satellite DSL system so exceptional?
(return)
A: The DW6000 is the next generation DIRECWAY System modem with a
sleek new design. It makes connecting to the Internet easier by incorporating
DIRECWAY software inside the DW6000 unit. So, there’s no DIRECWAY
software to load on your computer, or upgrades to download. The DW6000
automatically updates itself via the satellite. Also, the DW6000 modem
houses both the transmit and receive components in one compact unit,
unlike the DW4000 that has a separate transmit and receive modem stacked
together and linked by a 24-pin serial cord. It also uses a simple
Ethernet connection to connect your computer to your DIRECWAY Service.
Once your satellite dish is installed and connected to the DW6000;
all you need to do is connect your computer by using the provided
Ethernet cable and you’re high-speed surfing (see ‘Can
I run DIRECWAY on a small network?’ for networking capability
requirements).
What if my computer did not come with a Network Interface Card
(NIC)? (return)
Many computers can be upgraded with a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface
Card (NIC). If you are comfortable with opening your computer and
installing hardware, most Ethernet NICs can be self-installed. Check
with your computer manufacturer for more information on the right
Ethernet NIC for your system. Make sure your NIC is configured for
“auto-negotiate“. Also, if you have an available USB port
on your computer, you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter. This may
be easier to install than a PCI card in your computer. For a laptop,
you can purchase a standard PCMCIA card that provides an Ethernet
connection, or you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter, as well. We
recommend that you upgrade your computer to meet all of the requirements
listed above to get the most out of your Internet experience.
Is DirecWay® satellite service mobile? (return)
Not at this time. The installation and directing of the transmit
antenna is tightly controlled by the FCC so that a certified professional
must do any installments or adjustments. Because there would be the
need for constant adjustments on a non stationery object this cannot
be presently supported. However, there is offers of dial up service
for 20 hours or more for free which you can use with your laptop when
you are away from home.
If my system has the older DW4000 modem will it work properly in the
future and can I upgrade? (return)
Yes. If you choose to not upgrade your DirecWay®
modem to the DW6000, your DW4000 transmit and receive modems will
still function and are supported by DirecWay®.
The speed will be the same. The main difference has to do with the
easy of installation, the inbuilt software for automatic upgrades
and the greater capacity to by being able to network to more than
one computer.
What are the advantages of upgrading to the DW6000 modem? (return)
Upgrading from a DW4000 modem to the next generation DW6000 modem
is a good idea if you would like to network more than one home computer
or laptop to your DirecWay®
high-speed connection. By networking more than one computer, your
family will be able to access your DirecWay®
high-speed Internet connection from any computer on the network and
not have to wait in line in order to get online. Please understand
that all computers on this network will be sharing a single connection.
Simultaneous use of high bandwidth applications by multiple users
may result in degradation of speed and are subject to the Fair Access
Policy. Actual speeds may vary. Speed and uninterrupted use of service
are not guaranteed.
Do I need to get a special dish if I already have DirecTV and I get
DirecWay® satellite internet? (return)
You can get a special upgrade kit for your dish with DirecTV or otherwise
you will have to get the special DirecDuo dish which allows for the
use of both DirecTV and DirecWay®
high speed internet.
What is transmission latency? (return)
Latency refers to the time it takes for signals to travel to and
from the satellite. This typically creates a sub-second lag. For this
reason, DirecWay®
may not be ideal for playing some "twitch-games” and time
sensitive “online” trading.
Can I install DirecWay® satellite DSL myself? (return)
No. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that trained
professionals install any two-way satellite system.
Why is there other satellite systems offered in retail stores for
less? (return)
Systems that are cheaper are the older inferior one-way systems.
This means the connection to the internet travels over your telephone
for uploads at the speed of a dial up modem and that information is
only downloaded by satellite. While downloading your phone will be
tied up with a busy signal.
What software and online activities might be incompatible with a DirecWay®
Satellite connection? (return)
There are some time sensitive internet applications that will not
perform much better than a dial up modem because of the 44,000 miles
the signal has to travel up to space and back which produces a slight
time lag. If you spend lots of time using applications like NetMeeting,
NetPhone, or any application that connects to a virtual private network
or online games like Quake, CounterStrike, Diablo, or EverQuest then
your need to speak with a customer service rep about possible options
to solve this problem before you order. On the other hand web pages
that you download will arrive very quickly.
Is DirecWay® Satellite able to accommodate the needs of larger business?
(return)
Yes, indeed, with easy and great proficiency. A large business depending
on its needs may only require the basic consumer package but may want
the business package which offers higher capacity for multiple users,
custom networking solutions, Voice over IP for telephone communications
via satellite and Static IP addresses.
Can I run DirecWay® Satellite DSL on a small network? (return)
Yes, you can connect multiple home computers and laptops to a single
DirecWay®
Internet connection at no additional cost. Home networking equipment
may be required such as Microsoft ICS. a For network setup, support
and configuration, contact your network hardware manufacturer and/or
operating system software developer (HUGHES is not responsible for
home network configuration or management). Please understand that
all computers on this network will be sharing a single connection.
Simultaneous use of high bandwidth applications by multiple users
may result in degradation of download and surfing speeds, and are
subject to the Fair Access Policy. Actual speeds may vary. Speed and
uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed. Companies should
consider DirecWay®
Small Business service to accommodate more demanding needs.
Where can I learn more about the offers of DirecWay® satellite? (return)
See our DirecWay® Satellite
DSL page for detailed information or go strait to DirecTV and
DirecWay®.
The
Author :
David J. Thomson is the author and publisher
of http://www.Satelliite-Tv.info - a one stop information source for
Satellite Internet, DSL Internet and Free Satellite Tv systems.
