OT - Wireless ISP

Andy

Are you sure about the $600.00 per month from DirecWay? I recently looked at their site and thought they could provide fast downlink and slow (telephone line modem) uplink for $100.00 per month with a 15 month commitment. The price drops to about $60.00 per month after that.

Jerry

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He said the $600.00/month was for a T1 feed -- 1.54 mb/s both ways at the same time. That is about what mine is costing me, with a Class-C IP block (254 usable IP addresses) and a partial news feed.

That sounds like an ADSL connection -- and for that you have to be within a certain minimum distance from the exchange. It does not sound as though he is anywhere close to near enough, so the (A)DSL feed is not an option for him. The T1 winds up with the phone company hanging a repeater every so many thousand feet, so they will be earning their $600/month fee with him. :-)

Good Luck, DoN.

Andy Asberry wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I had the same problem with lack of broadband options. The WISP provider usually will come out for free and do a check to see if you have a direct line of sight. Unfortunately in my case there was something between my house and the tower. There is a tower I can see from my backyard, but they only accept commercial accounts, and they were expensive. I did a bit of research into WISP's and most everyone I talked to about theirs was happy with it. That being said, the three that are available in my area are small companies so If you're expecting 24 hour support, ain't happening. Recently I noticed that Comcast was doing a lot of work around where I live. So I called them again to see if broadband cable was now available in my area. It is! So if all goes well on Monday I'll be able to remove the virus er ISP "software" from my computers once and for all. AOl used to be a secondary account for me. My then young son wanted to get online and it's really a pretty good deal for that. Plus I travel a lot, and I can get online anywhere with the virus. Little did I know that when I moved here, AOL would end up being my only ISP, it just sort of worked out that way. Well my kid is old enough now that he really doesn't need a net nanny anymore, and we're getting bradband in Podunk. Anyway back to your questions. I couldn't find any groups for WISPS. I did a Google search on the newsgroups and most folks inquiries were met with confusion.

Equipment - All of the WISPS in my area are using Motorola equipment, so if you're thinking of putting up a tower and hitchin' into the T1, I would start with them.

Links - (they have a pretty good explanation on their site)

The big downside is the need to have direct line of sight. This is not at all like a wireless network. A tree can block the signal. Good luck.

Dan

DoN

I read it wrong. I thought Andy figured he was restricted to either Dial Up or Direct Way (which was quite expensive) and I thought the satellite TV guys might provide an affordable high speed downlink almost everywhere. I wasnt even aware the DirecWay satellite "broadband" was restricted to where special phone lines are available.

Jerry

I think you're right, the slow uplink is just a modem.

Some base station and subscriber equipment here:

Which prairie are you on and who is offering the $600 T1? If you have access at "A" and line of sight to "B", you can set up your own link using very effective consumer grade equipment for around $200 - $400.

Are you interested in starting a WISP or just want to get the internet from point A to point B? If you are near me, there is no other WISP currently in operation, and a couple other minor requirements, I'll start one. If I can get enough subscribers I'll give you a free account for as long as I have them.

C

Andy Asberry wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

A friend of mine lives in N. MN and has service through .

Wiktel is virtually _all_ wireless and covers a pretty big area through piggy-backing on cell and utility towers.

His biggest problem was resolved when the installer [WiFi antenna on a mast] discovered that there was a 50+ volt "charge" on his metal roof!

Once THAT was grounded, he's had excellent service in all weather conditions.

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I don't know DirecWay (or is that DirectWay?), so I never even thought of a satellite downlink. And your description sort of sounded like an ASDL, which is typically a lot faster in the download than the upload direction (thus the 'A' for asymmetric).

Yes -- a satellite downlink and a modem for outgoing might work, if it is still offered, and he doesn't need much for uploading speed.

And the original mention of "wireless" sounded as though he was looking for a RF link to a tower -- which will call for a fairly high-gain directional antenna, and a local tower to get it over the foliage to eliminate the absorbtion of the RF by the trees and such.

And the T1 link is one thing with which I am familiar, and the price is in the ballpark (actually a bit less than I am paying.) But a T1 link is nice -- as long as you don't have virus magnets hung on it, as the virus writers and spammers are always looking to compromise something with high bandwidth -- more spam copies per hour, after all. :-)

Enjoy, DoN.

The prairie doesn't have a name. I was simply stating the terrain is pretty flat. 35 miles from Fort Worth. I can see an airport beacon 10 miles away. It is on a 30 foot tower. Airport elevation is 55 feet higher than me.

SBC offers the T1. I'm 53,000 feet from switch. Engineer guarantees

99.9% up time.

Yes, I'm interested in setting up a WISP. How many subscribers justify investment? What is the cost of equipment excluding tower? Currently, they peter out about 2 miles from me. Half mile away is a 600 acre development of 1 to 5 ac lots, 75% sold. Another 800 acres have been platted.

Direct TV and Dish have the tv covered. There is no cable out here.

Thanks for all comments.

$600 is for T1.

I tried DirectWay. $99/mo for 2,200K download, 168K up. When it worked, it was great. They gave me a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. It worked THREE times in 30 days. I grew tired of talking with tech support in India. They offered another 30 days with a new installer and new equipment. The installers had trouble staying online long enough to orient the dish. Connected TEN times in 30 days. I boxed it up and sent it back. The satisfaction guarantee doesn't include refund of monthly fee. It cost me $198 for 13 hookups.

Also watch out for "fair use limitations". If you plan on downloading big files, you may get knocked offline until tomorrow if you exceed their daily use limits. Those limits are a moving target. Changes every day. This wasn't my problem, by the way.

They are big on promises and short on delivery.

Andy

I recently tried to get some information on the TV Satellite suppliers broadband provisions. I *think* Dish doesnt actually send broadband via satellite. They will point their subscribers to phone company DSL providers. I *think* DirecTV does supply a broadband internet download to their subscribers via their satellite. The DirecTV requires their subscribers to upload via telephone lines. Since satellite TV is available to every location in the USA, I'd consider that "fast download+slow upload" an acceptable system compared with "dial up". But, I have never tried the DirecTV system, nor have I heard of anyone using it. The price seems reasonable for the truely interested web browser who cant get DSL.

I get the impression that your needs for broadband might not be satisfied by this DirecTV system

Jerry

Welcome to your gold mine. I'm on the KS praire and they hate all technology born after the 18th century.

How many subscribers justify

With my model, a $600 T1, a dozen or two subscribers willing to pay $50 or more for 128k, although price may have to drop due to competition. I give away installation and $300 worth of equipment, some pass the cost to the customer. Profit starts in 6 months. People seem to like a local ISP, you can do everything inhouse or send it out, email accounts, web space, newsgroups, billing, tech support.

Could get your first subscriber lit up for under $2000 in the 2.4Ghz unlicensed band. Each additional subscriber will run $300-$500. On the other end of the spectrum startup could easily hit $20,000 in gear. New subdivisions are gold, you could set things up so subscribers could access your system with their laptops anywhere in the neighborhood. The FCC is pushing rural WISPs right now, big grants are available if you have RF, engineering or ISP background.

Currently,

Sounds like a WISP dream, start your own DSL Broadband too. Thinking to myself, 600acre/5acre=120residents*$50=$6000-(T1*2)=$4800 per month spare time profit.

I can give you lots more info, but it's like helping Bill Gates, you'd like to get a percent or five of the gross billion dollar profit he'll be getting.

Good luck and keep me posted!

C, (wishin he was in Texas about now.)

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 07:53:19 GMT, the inscrutable Andy Asberry spake:

That's why I went with Starband through Dish when I got up here 3 years ago. I heard the horror stories about DirecTV. So far, Starband has gone down once, bigtime for a week through a snafu, and only about

15 minutes at a time during the heaviest cells of storms either here or over Hotlanta, where their uplink is. I think I've noticed that about half a dozen times in 3 years. Download is 684k+, upload is 55k always. Not too bad for $60/mo. But the sat modem died and they had absolutely no fracking warranty on it. I was LIVID, and ended up buying another 3-year lease package to get the new modem, though I could have purchased one for $400 outright. Fracking PIRACY, that.

But cable doesn't come out here, DSL isn't available, and the WISP carrier is around the corner from my section of the valley. Sat is my only option.

--- After they make styrofoam, what do they ship it in? --Steven Wright

Comprehensive Website Development

I have direcway (dw6000) and it is two way satellite transmission and high speed (I get 650kb on my bench mark tests). You are thinking about the older dw4000 system that was telephone up sat down. Mine works good.

Jim

Jerry Martes wrote:

Been doing this for a year or two. 1.1 miles line of sight. Linksys WAP11 on each end, coupled to a 24 dB directional antenna on each end.

- reasonable prices, good advice, good speed of delivery.