Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
StarBand
InApril2000,StarBand—thefirstconsumer-orientedtwo-waysatellitenetwork—wasin-
troduced after being tested as Gilat-At-Home. In 2005, StarBand was acquired by Spa-
cenet, which also provides business satellite services under the Connexstar name.
StarBand offers satellite service to the 48 contiguous states as well as Hawaii, Alaska,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. StarBand uses the Ku band and covers the target
area with a single broad beam.
TheStarBandhardwarenormallyconsistsofa24-inch×36-inchelliptical-shapeddishplus
anexternalsatellitemodem.Themodemhasabuilt-inrouterwithanEthernetconnection.
Alargeroptional1.2m(47-inch)rounddishalongwithahigherperformanceradioisused
for coverage in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. StarBand offers
three plans with the following download/upload speeds:
•
Nova 500
—.512Mbps/.1Mbps
•
Nova 1000
—1Mbps/0.128Mbps
•
Nova 1500
—1.5Mbps/0.256Mbps
Note
StarBand's FAP is based on a rolling 7-day period that does not apply to downloads between
midnight and 6:00AM. For details, see
http://www.starband.com/aup.html
There are equipment costs in addition to the monthly fees.
Satellite Performance Issues
Benchmark addicts will find that satellite Internet access performs poorly on ping tests.
The complex pathway the data must travel (ground to space and back again) results in
pings taking at least 400ms-600ms. Interactive benchmarks are also disappointing. The
delays caused by communicating with a geosynchronous satellite over 22,500 miles in
space make satellite a poor choice for these applications, although download speeds are
significantlyfasterthandial-upmodems.Althoughtheyvarywidely,speedsof1,000Kbps
are common, and some can reach download speeds of more than 2,000Kbps. To achieve
results like this, use the tips available on the various forums and sites covering satellite
connections to adjust your system's configuration.
Weather can be a problem for satellite connections, but not in the way you might think.
Clouds and storms don't generally affect the signal, unless the storm is so severe you
should probably be taking shelter anyway. What can be a problem, however, is snow and
ice accumulation on the dish. If you live in an area where it snows, you can have signal
