just curious if anyone here has had it, or is familiar with it....

is it reliable ? cost ? fast ? etc. thanks

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"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

I haven't heard of it in years, but back in the day, you still required a phone line for all outbound traffic....you know...because most of us don't have satellite transmitters in our back yards.
From what I remember from probably 10 years ago, it's only worth it if your only options are 56k modem or satellite and you have to download faster than 56k.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I have a relative that uses it.

You don't a phone line anymore, the dishes are two-way and actually transmit to the satellite.

If you're used to real broadband, you'll hate it, but it's still better than dial up if that's your only other option.

The latency is pretty high, around a full second usually, but that's a limitation of the technology itself, it takes something like 700 ms minimum for the signal to bounce up to the satellite and back down.

Speeds aren't anything lovely - anywhere from 512k at about $50/month to 1.5 mbps at something like $80 a month. And bandwidth is capped too - HughesNet uses daily caps, Wildblue uses monthly caps. I know Wildblue's cap is 17 gb/month for the most expensive (1.5 mbps) package.

It's also subject to inconsistencies due to weather - it's going to go out in bad weather. Seems to be a lot worse than satellite TV - it'll slow down at first, but if it's heavy rain or thunderstorms it won't work at all.

Basically, it sucks, but sucks a lot less than dial up.

If it's you're only option then get it, but if you can get a hardline get that over Satellite.

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I would opt for a phone card first....

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I try to think, but nuttin happens.......Curley Howard
There is no past as it exists merely as a slippery bond tying the memories of the past to the dreams of the future.............Me
If we started life as an old person and lived until we were young, we would eventually finish off fucked as an orgasm.......George Carlin

What do you mean a phone card?

This is is Satellite Internet he was talking about, not a Satellite phone.

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Plug.....a......card....into.....the......slot.....in....the.....computer.........
use.....your.....cell........phone.....
an......alternative.........to.......satellite .....if......there...is....nothing....else......available.......like......cable......
plus....its.....a...bit...cheaper....and...faster................................................

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I try to think, but nuttin happens.......Curley Howard
There is no past as it exists merely as a slippery bond tying the memories of the past to the dreams of the future.............Me
If we started life as an old person and lived until we were young, we would eventually finish off fucked as an orgasm.......George Carlin

Yes, but you would need a media package on your phone in order to not get charged outrageous charges.

and don't be a douche with the periods like that.

I just never heard as it being called a Phone Card, I always heard phone card as a long distance type of thing, never for internet.

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Dont be a douche calling me a douche.......nah-nah

Dont be so condescending and you wont get periods.........

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I try to think, but nuttin happens.......Curley Howard
There is no past as it exists merely as a slippery bond tying the memories of the past to the dreams of the future.............Me
If we started life as an old person and lived until we were young, we would eventually finish off fucked as an orgasm.......George Carlin

I asked a simple question about what a phone card was, and figured you meant a phone card for that.

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At first I thought this thread was about a way to get online with a laptop anywhere on the planet, no wireless modem necessary... That was weird.

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Miles to go before I sleep

‎"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Khalil Gibran

The latency point was already hit on, so I won't rehash that.

Sat internet also has the same weather concerns as TV. Rain fade, snow/ice on your dish, misalignment, etc.

If you can get a broadband card from a wireless provider, and have sufficient signal where you want to use it, you'll be better off.

ugh...thanks for the info everyone....i'm looking to buy a house and there may be a good chance that i won't be able to get cable or dsl internet...

this is bad news b/c i play poker online....i would be really pissed if i lost 400 bucks in one hand b/c of a bad internet connection.....

i guess i will have to look into the card for my laptop, or be a little patient and just move some place where there is cable internet

_________________
"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

Personally I don't like satellite internet at all. I don't trust it, and I don't trust the companies (like that isn't a front for the federal government) that run it to not spy on our homes. I like cable because I can tinfoil my TV and be just fine and then unplug it when I go to bed.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I used to think that way, but all I do in my living room is eat, drink and have sex once in a while. I figure if they want to spy on those activities, have at it. Plus if they did, they would figure that my life sucks and they would have to shoot me. So they say fuck him, and move to other houses.

_________________
I try to think, but nuttin happens.......Curley Howard
There is no past as it exists merely as a slippery bond tying the memories of the past to the dreams of the future.............Me
If we started life as an old person and lived until we were young, we would eventually finish off fucked as an orgasm.......George Carlin