Directway

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 25 Jun 2005 2:15 am

Does anyone use this for broadband. It's the only thing avilable here, but I have misgivings about it, due to high cost and disconnects during storms. Any opinions, please?

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Bill Bosler · Post by **Bill Bosler** » 26 Jun 2005 6:03 pm

Howard - I wouldn't let disconnects during storms affect your decision on Directway. I have DSL service and I always disconnect the phone lines during a thunder storm. Modems can get blitzed very easily.

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 27 Jun 2005 5:02 am

Modems can get blitzed very easily

I'm leery about electrical storms too. In addition to the modem, the whole system is full of components that can be destroyed by quite small amounts of stray electrical charges (ICs, etc).

Same concerns apply to the control board for my home security system, which is also connected to the phone line, and has been destroyed by lightning once already.

Gary Shepherd · Post by **Gary Shepherd** » 27 Jun 2005 5:24 am

I have DirectWay. When it's stormy, you won't be able to connect but it's not normally an issue any other time.

One thing that surprised me was the limit on downloads. When you reach a certain "average usage" they slap you with a "limiter" for a few hours. So it runs about the same speed as dialup. But to be affected by that, you have to average around 80mb per hour for about 8 hours.

The other irk I have with DirectWay is the slow upload speed. Otherwise, no problems really. $100/month for the first year is pretty high though. $60 when then system is paid for.

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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10

www.16tracks.com

Sidney Malone · Post by **Sidney Malone** » 27 Jun 2005 11:54 am

Howard,

Check this link out http://www.exp.net/EXPress_Sat.html It's what I use. It works the same way as Directway but much cheaper to install!! It's got to be a pretty bad storm to lose the signal.....similar to sattelite TV.

These folks are located in Beaumont, Tx but there might be someone closer to you that offers the same service. You would have to take your computer in and let them install a PCI card/reciever the coax hooks to.

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 27 Jun 2005 12:25 pm

Oh no!!! Run and hide!

Well, I had a very bad experience with them that cost me a bunch of money:

see here: http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum12/HTML/001923.html

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 27 Jun 2005 2:28 pm

*[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 13 November 2005 at 12:53 PM.]

Michael McGee · Post by **Michael McGee** » 27 Jun 2005 5:44 pm

Howard, my employer pays for mine, since I live in the boondocks and can't get anything else.

Downloads are incredibly fast. Uploads are about the same as a 35k-45k phone line. So, I can download a song in the blink of an eye, but will wait awhile for it to send a big picture attached to an email.

I also have directv. When thunderstorms interupt directv, directway keeps on ticking. I don't know how bad it would have to be to disrupt it, and don't want to, because I think we're talking tornado!

DSL is better, but directway is much better than phone dialup.

By the way, I couldn't afford it if it came out of my personal budget. I think it's a bit expensive. While it's true that if you download songs and movies 24x7, at some point they will throttle you back, I've never even come close to activating their 'fair use' policy.

Lou[NE] · Post by **Lou[NE]** » 27 Jun 2005 7:39 pm

I have no personal experience with satellite broadband, but I've been told that it's not a good choice if you are playing "real-time" shooter-type games, due to the lag time involved with bouncing your signal between the satellite and the ground. I was once a telco network tech, and satellite links played hell with fax transmissions because of the lag - too much delay and the fax machine thinks the connection is lost.

I do have DirectTV and am satisfied with it. It does sometimes wash out during a severe storm, but if it's that bad my wife is watching the local channels for storm warnings anyhow.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 27 Jun 2005 8:19 pm

Thank's every one. I'm still kicking it around, I would really like broadband because I like to hear all the clips from the forum. I don't play games so thats not a consideration, but it's pretty expensive. I have Directv and can't get the local channels, that's exasperating. I'll probably just wait, maybe some day we'll get dsl out here.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 28 Jun 2005 6:30 am

I have Directv and can't get the local channels, that's exasperating

Sorry to ask the obvious question, but, you've asked them if local channels are available, right?

We are getting our local channels from DirecTV.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 28 Jun 2005 6:47 am

Yes, I've checked Dave, locals are available in some areas but not all. We were getting the locals at an extra cost when we first came here but our wise legislators decided to make that illegal for some reason, now some can get them but not us.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 28 Jun 2005 8:59 am

We were getting the locals at an extra cost when we first came here but our wise legislators decided to make that illegal for some reason, now some can get them but not us

Ouch. Bummer.

I suppose there's a money trail there somewhere - usually is. I'd be curious as to who might have a financial interest in preventing DirecTV from providing locals to you. I'm not very knowleageable about how all that sort of thing works.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Jun 2005 10:21 am

locals should be available, but at a small added fee per month. I believe due to FCC Congressional rulings for local syndications and advertising.

We had them for free early on, then there was a $5/month fee..it was 4 channels...we shut them off and got universal basic lifeline cable, 12 channels, $8 month. This is a package which is available by law for but never advertised. It is intended to provide citizens with only the basic local channels. It is NOT called Basic cable.

DSS or DTV or any SATELLITE SYSTEM does blank out during severe dark cloud and heavy rain storms for a brief time..but recovers fairly quickly...

If you can't go without the Internet or TV for this brief time you may have a bigger issue to deal with !

happy downloading
t
[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 28 June 2005 at 11:22 AM.]

Ben Slaughter · Post by **Ben Slaughter** » 28 Jun 2005 2:14 pm

Snow in the dish will also mess up reception.

Lou[NE] · Post by **Lou[NE]** » 28 Jun 2005 2:51 pm

They told us the local channels were unavailable to us since we live too close to them - 35 miles or so. We use rabbit ears for the locals

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 29 Jun 2005 5:44 am

They told us the local channels were unavailable to us since we live too close to them - 35 miles or so.

We live only 20 miles or so from the local stations, and get them from DirecTV.

We're in hills, and even with an outside antenna, reception is poor to unusable.

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 29 Jun 2005 10:13 am

We're 45 miles from the NBC station, and over 100 miles from the rest, but they say it's too close and we should get them with an antenna????? NBC is very snowy, and the rest we can't get.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com