Frequently Asked Questions


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  Frequently Asked Questions:

 


  Answers:
 

What is DirecWay ?

DIRECWAY is the world's leading broadband by satellite service for consumer, small business and enterprise markets. Consumers anywhere in the Canada, continental U.S. and Caribbean can get DIRECWAY high-speed Internet service and DIRECTV. 
DirecWay is a satellite-based broadband Internet service for SOHO and commercial users. By "satellite-based," we mean that your connection to the Internet will be via a satellite rather than copper cables like telephone or cable Internet service. By "broadband," we mean connection speeds in excess of 128 kilobits per second peak. More specifically, DirecWay will deliver speeds up to 400 kilobits per second.
Enterprises have access to a wide variety of value-added solutions, all on a single platform, and all backed by comprehensive support from HNS, to give companies the edge they need in today's market. To learn more about DIRECWAY, please visit www.direcway.com .

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What is Hughes ?

Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (HNS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corporation (HUGHES), is the world's leading provider of broadband satellite network solutions for businesses and consumers, with more than 500,000 systems installed in 85 countries. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite Internet access services, which it markets globally under the DirecPC® and DIRECWAY® brands, and is a major supplier of mobile satellite networks, including GSM-enabled portable handsets and Internet devices. For terrestrial access, it offers the comprehensive AIReach® family of broadband wireless, point-to-multipoint products. In addition, HNS is a leading manufacturer of DIRECTV® satellite television receivers, having shipped over 8 million systems to date.
HUGHES is a unit of General Motors Corporation headquartered outside Washington, D.C. in Germantown, Maryland, USA. HNS maintains sales and support offices worldwide. To learn more about HNS, please visit www.hns.com .

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Can I install the new Direcway 2-Way system myself ?

No. DirecWay is a sophisticated piece of satellite equipment and must be installed by a professional. Because this is a transmit antenna, directing power up to the satellite, the installation and pointing is tightly controlled by the FCC and Industry Canada. The FCC and Industry Canada requires a certified installation of this type of transmitter, therefore a certified professional must do the installation. Fortunately, we have a network of satellite installation experts who can install your system and assist you in its use. A certified installation is included with the purchase of a 2-Way system.

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Exactly how fast will this connection be ?

The speed at which data will flow from the Internet to your PC will average 400++kbps, which is roughly 8 times faster than a 56K modem. The speed at which data will flow from your PC to the Internet (e.g., when sending an email) can burst up to 128kbps. Internet use consists mainly of downloading lots of information, and sending very little back to the Internet, so this translates to blazing fast Internet for you. 
Remember the satellite transmission is not restricted by inferior telephone lines or improper modem protocols. The Direcway 2-Way owners have been reporting speeds well in excess of 1000 Kbps ... sometimes even reaching 2000 Kbps ! That's faster than most cable & DSL connections.

To put things in perspective, we invite you to go to  the following link to see what speed your existing connection is offering you:

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What sort of upload speed can I expect ?

Generally consumer grade satellite broadband systems are advertised with upload speeds of "up to" 128kbps. In actual use, at least at this time, none of the consumer grade two-way satellite systems get upload speeds near the 128kbps suggestion. There is a wide variance in actual upload speeds from moment to moment. You can expect that most of the time the upload speed of a two way system will be in the 40kbps-80kbps range. Due to latency issues with satellite connections, most upload speed tests will show speeds lower than actual FTP uploads.

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What does KBps and Kbps mean and how do they reflect transfer speeds ?

Kilobyte (KB or K) = 1024 bytes (2 ^ 10) "binary kilobyte"
kilobyte (kB) = 1000 bytes (10 ^ 3) "decimal kilobyte"

Kilobit (Kb) = 1024 bits (2 ^ 10) "binary kilobit"
kilobit (kb) = 1000 bits (10 ^ 3) "decimal kilobit"

KBps = Kilobytes (1024 bytes) per second (binary)
kBps = kilobytes (1000 bytes) per second (decimal)

Kbps = Kilobits (1024 bits) per second (binary)
kbps = kilobits (1000 bits) per second (decimal)

bps = bits per second

Most browsers and a lot of FTP programs show transfer rates in KBps (kilobytes per second). So in order to get the approximate number of Kbps (kilobits per second) you need to know that there are 8 Kb (kilobits) in every KB (kilobyte). Thus if your browser is showing that you are downloading a file at 176 KBps you would then multiply 176 times 8 which would translate to 1,408 Kbps. The reverse can be used if your transfer rate is in Kbps then you divide that number by 8 to get your rate in KBps. Example:1400 Kbps divided by 8 equals 176 KBps transfer rate.

If you wanted to know how many bps (bits per second) you are transferring, all you need to do is a straight decimal conversion. Example: 1,408 Kbps would translate to 1,408,000 bps.

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How much is the equipment and installation cost for DirecWay ?

Please Click Here to get the pricing information.

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What will be the monthly subscription cost for DirecWay ?

Please Click Here to get the monthly subscription information.

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What do I need to have before getting DirecWay ?

- PC with 333 MHz Pentium-class processor or better
- Dedicated USB Port Interface.
- Operating System: 
  Windows 98 SE, Windows ME,Windows 2000, Windows XP - with DW 4000
  Unix, Linux, Mac, Windows NT, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME,Windows 2000, Windows XP - with DW 4020.
- 64 MB RAM Win98/128MB RAM ME/2000/XP, 20 MB hard disk space.
- 28.8 kbps modem or higher (needed for commissioning of system).
- Clear view of sky 35 degrees above horizon at 208-228 degrees on a compass.

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Can I use my Macintosh with DirecWay 2-way high-speed internet ?

Yes. If your computer is running a Mac® or UNIX operating systems, you will need a HNS DW4020 system. DW4020 terminal is a self-hosted, stand-alone unit that requires no software to be loaded on any user machines. DW4020 provides an integrated LAN solution to Windows, Unix, Linux, MAC and other platforms running IP over the Internet and offers and easy plug-and-play solution through its four Ethernet ports. This state-of-the-art accessory, which won an innovations award at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, can network all types of computers, peripherals, and operating systems.

  

Small Office/Home Office DW4020 installation in Terra Cotta - Southwestern Ontario and another happy iMac user with 2-Way High-Speed satellite Internet access

Using the DW4020 satellite terminal, which performs many of the functions of a typical IP router, we are able to connect anyone with a networked setup, regardless of the type of operation system they are using. To learn more about DW4020 system, please Click Here.

With HNS DW4000 platform you need computer running the Windows® operating system, in order to access the DirecWay 2-Way High Speed Internet service. The computer running Windows® will act as a gateway between your Mac® or UNIX OS and the DiRECWAY 2-Way system.

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Will DirecWay work with RVs, motorhomes, and watercraft ?

Because this is a transmit antenna, directing power up to the satellite, the installation and pointing is tightly controlled by Industry Canada, therefore a certified professional must do the installation. Also, DirecWay does not provide connectivity for non-stationary environments at this time. The dish that is utilized for the DirecWay product is significantly larger than that for DBS. As such it would be difficult to mount and remove as the subscriber traveled.

          

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I already have TV dish(Bell ExpressVu, Starchoice, DirecTV). Do I need to get a new dish for Direcway ?

The Direcway system requires a unique dish in order to send and receive information via satellite. Internet access is bi-directional type of connection and Direcway system contains the transmiter/low noise block amplifier (LNB).

You can add the ability to access Bell ExpressVu or DirecTV programming to the Direcway dish by purchasing a simple  upgrade kit. It is your decision whether to keep your existing TV dish on your home, or to utilize the one-dish solution from Direcway.

 

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What exactly will I get when I buy DirecWay ?

You will receive hardware, a software CD and documentation.
The hardware will consist of:
- A dish roughly 24" x 36"
- mounting hardware
- 2 modem-sized boxes that will connect to your PC via a dedicated USB cable
- various cables and accessories
The CD will include all the software the installer will need to connect your PC to the Internet via DiRECWAY. Additional software on the CD will allow you to take full advantage of your always-on, broadband Internet connection. The documentation will include an installers manual for the system.

   

You must provide a mounting point with a clear view of the southern sky. The satellite dish can be mounted to a wooden post, concrete/brick wall, or on a steel post. See the installation guide lines below:

     Wood Post     Concrete/Brick Wall    Steel Post

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Where do I have to live to receive the signal from the satellite ?

This service is available in almost all of North America, Mexico and Caribbean. Ideally, you should be below the 55th parallel, if you are above you probably need larger dish. Our standard 0.74m antenna performs properly in most populated areas of Canada, however we have also tested 1.2m, 1.8m (see the picture) and 2.4m size dishes, which are able to cover the rest of Canada.
As an example this is a dish size rule for BC coast: 0.74m dish will work from Port Hardy South. 1.2m dish will work from Prince George south. 1.8m dish required for north of Prince George. 
To maximize dish uptime you may have to increase your dish size, depending on area and uptime requirements. Dish upgrades are available upon request.

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What is the largest dish size available ? I live in a remote area and was told I would need a larger size than the standard unit.

The largest dish size available is 2.4m ! If you live in a remote area and require further information about dish size for your area, please contact us.

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Why do I need a clear line of sight to the south ?

The Hughes satellite that delivers the service is in Geostationary orbit around the Equator. If your line of sight to the south is obstructed, it may inhibit your signal.

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I presume it would also work the same as satellite TV, bad weather no
reception! Is this the case ?

Bad weather is a relative term.  The small 18 inch dishes used for DirecTV, Bell ExpressVu etc. get knocked down all the time in rain, snow and not so bad weather.  If you are tired of losing your satellite TV signal and if you want to decrease signal outages due to rain and snow to 1% or less please Click Here.
It's the size of the dish and the poor installation  that makes it vulnerable to the weather.  The Direcway dish being a 0.74m (2.5 foot) has a larger receive signal footprint and thus takes a lot more to knock down in bad weather. We monitor both and when it is extremely hard rain, or a blizzard the TV signal will be knocked off line. The performance of the Direcway dish receiving capabilites are 60% better than the small dish. 
Since 2-way Direcway satellite dishes are already bigger than DirecTV and Bell ExpressVu dishes, rain fade and signal degradation periods are extremely rare (couple times a year) and  very short in duration (only last a few minutes or less). A lot less down time than any telephone company will have.

Reliability
The DiRECWAY Internet service is a dependable shared service with historic reliability in the range of 99.44% exclusive of weather related or scheduled maintenance outages. 

This puts the DiRECWAY service reliability rating in-line with leading terrestrial solutions such as DSL or Cable internet. Interesting to note, is that in the event of a network outage, the DiRECWAY average MTR (Mean Time to Repair) is under 30 minutes, easily surpassing the average MTR intervals of terrestrial services that rely on complicated networks of interconnected routers and many miles of copper, fiber or COAX cables distributed throughout a geographic region. 

Some Facts Regarding Satellite Reliability
There are fewer points of potential failure or congestion, as we offer a direct connection to the US Internet backbone from everywhere that we provide service. 

Satellite avoids the obvious vulnerability of the "local loop" used to provide traditional wired services like Cable, DSL or T-1. To illustrate, consider that a satellite connection cannot possibly be interrupted by a backhoe, bridge or tunnel incident, fire, ice storm, earthquake, downed telephone pole, etc. 

Because it is difficult to make repairs in outer space, the satellite spacecraft are designed with multiple layers of redundancy and multiple backup systems, resulting in .999999 uptime. There are spare satellites already in orbit which are immediately available in the unlikely case of a catastrophic failure of a satellite. 

All of our underlying providers, Hughes, PanAmSat and others, operate their networks to the absolute highest level of redundancy and reliability, equaling or exceeding military specifications in the manufacturing, launching and operation of their satellite spacecraft. Also, the main ground station (network operations center) uses multiple diverse antenna facilities, redundant routers and power supplies, and is connected directly into multiple Tier I Internet backbone providers via diverse physical paths.For these and other reasons, many companies who have a mission-critical need for data communications use satellite as either a primary, alternate or backup connection. 

For government organizations or any larger, multi-location enterprise with locations nationwide, Hughes offers a private network peering arrangement with the added convenience of a single vendor relationship to eliminate finger-pointing among vendors during any trouble resolution processes.

Rain Fade
Rain Fade is a short duration (usually <5 Minutes) period during which a loss of satellite service occurs when intense storm cells are located directly between the satellite and the satellite dish. Rain fade is an interruption of satellite signals as a result of water droplets whose separation approximates the signal wavelength. Different areas of the country receive more rain, of the type that can cause problems, than other areas. On the east coast of the US for example, rain fade accounts for approximately 8-10 satellite internet outages per year with an average duration of 5 minutes each. Other parts of the country may have different results. 

A good way to determine the rain fade potential in your location would be to look at the performance of satellite television such as DirecTV or DISH in your area. In general, the satellite internet service is 50% less susceptible to rain fade than satellite TV service because the antenna is more than 2x the power (dish size). Also, when a rain fade outage does occur, the duration is about half as long for satellite internet as it is for satellite TV for the same reason. It is typical in a side-by-side installation of satellite internet and satellite television to find that in extremely heavy rain, the TV signal is lost but the internet signal is still available. For areas where rain fade may be an issue, we can provide a slightly larger (and more powerful) antenna as an option.

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Not unlike DSL, Cable, or Wireless Broadband, Direcway offers their services to anyone that needs a faster Internet connection. There is just one catch... Direcway can be used anywhere in the Canada, in any location, even if you aren't "On The Grid". In other words if you use Solar Power, instead of paying for your electricity.

Device Rated
Voltage
Rated
Current
Rated
Power
Assume 80%
efficiency
DirecWay (Receiver) 6.5v 1.3 A  8.45W 10.56W
DirecWay (Transmitter) 19.5v 2.37A 46.22W 57 W
Total     54.67W 67.56W
 


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What are security features and how does DirecWay Security work ?

Direcway knows how important your privacy is. That's why Direcway service uses conditional access and triple encryption (3DES) to protect both your incoming and outgoing information. This makes Direcway broadband access as secure as you can get.
Conditional access uses encryption technology to secure Direcway Service against unauthorized access. It protects multimedia and digital files from being intercepted by any site except those designated. Information you send is inherently secure because of the complexity of satellite transmission.

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Can I run DIRECWAY on a VPN?

Running a VPN client over a satellite network is not an ideal configuration. Although most VPN clients will work, your speeds will be affected significantly. While average download speeds are slightly better than dial-up, they will be reduced from typical DIRECWAY speeds by as much as 50 to 75 percent. Average upload speeds are comparable to dial-up performance. It is recommended that those accessing secure information over a VPN via DIRECWAY Professional do so on a limited basis. To optimize your performance, simply disable your VPN client while surfing the Internet, and enjoy the full speed of DIRECWAY. When you need to access information from your corporate LAN, you can enable your VPN client, keeping in mind that you will see a reduction in throughput. At this time, HUGHES does not endorse or support any VPN products. Customers that run VPN products do so at their own risk and will not receive any support from HUGHES regarding troubleshooting, configuring, optimizing, or maintaining a VPN connection.

Why does the service slow down when used in conjunction with a VPN?

Our communication satellite is located over 22,000 miles from Earth. Each data packet must be sent down separately and acknowledged by the remote site. This process takes time. In order to expedite the delivery of data packets to our end-users, HUGHES has developed a patented technology for aggregating those packets and sending all of them down simultaneously. VPNs encrypt each data packet, which prevents our technology from aggregating the data packets and reduces the throughput significantly.

I noticed a similar system being offered at another company for less. Why ?

Actually the system you probably saw is referred to a "one-way" Internet satellite system. What that means is your connection to the Internet must still travel over telephone lines, and only the return information from the Internet to you is delivered over the satellite. Since roughly one-half of the communications path is provided by your local telephone company, that system does not require the same hardware and software as the faster, more reliable two-way systems.

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How does that compare with DSL and cable modems ?

These speeds are similar to what you would get from a competitively priced DSL or cable modem service. Most SOHO DSL is rated for 640kbps down, 64kbps up, but this is the maximum and the numbers drop the farther you are from your telephone company's central office. Cable modem speeds can burst up to 1,000 or 2,000kbps, but their speed varies depending on how many people are online at the same time.

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Will I need a phone line and a regular modem to connect to the Internet ?

You will need a phone line and a modem for only a brief time during the initial installation of the product. DirecWay makes a call to the Operations Center to set up your account. After that, you will need neither phone line nor modem. 
Some of our installers are able to set up your account even if you don't have a phone at your location. Please contact us.

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Can I run multiple computers on the Satellite Internet connection ?

Of course. Just connect them together using Windows Networking, a network card in each computer and each computer can access the Internet for the same price. You can also connect this into your existing network.

Actually it is very easy to share the satellite connection across your local area network. With DW4000 you won't be able to use a hardware router like you might use for a cable modem or dsl modem. Mainly, this because there is software that must be running on a "host" computer directly connected to the satellite modem for the system to work at all. So you will need to have a computer connected to the satellite modem that is on whenever anyone on the network wants to access the Internet. You will also need some kind of Internet connection sharing software. The Internet Connections Sharing (ICS) software built into all Microsoft Windows platforms from Windows 98SE up, works just fine. There are also various third party software solutions available.

For an in depth look at sharing your Satellite connection using Internet Connection Sharing,
Click here.

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Can I use a NIC card with DirecWay ?

DirecWay DW4000 uses a USB modem (included in the installation hardware) to permit your PC to access the internet via satellite. You may use a NIC card in the installation PC to provide satellite internet access to other computers in your household through a local area network. A NIC card in the installation PC cannot replace the USB satellite modem. 



Click on the thumbnail to see the large picture


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Can you use any browser with DirecWay ?

All of the major browsers function properly in the DirecWay environment.
Can you use any e-mail program with DirecWay? (Outlook, Eudora, OPERA, etc.) Yes! All of the e-mail programs we've tested work with DirecWay.

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DirecWay uses a dedicated USB interface - wouldn't Ethernet direct or Ethernet be superior ?

Actually the dedicated USB interface is better and it's standard on most PCs. It will remain standard in the DirecWay system, and we wait and pray for an appliance that will integrate a NIC option.

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Will DirecWay offer a PCI card with an Ethernet port ?

Because of the USB connection the Ethernet/PCI option isn't necessary.

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Will the ping times be quick enough for online multi-player games ?

You will be able to play the online games, but since the signal travels over 44,000 miles to the Internet, there probably won't be dramatic improvements in response times.

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What will the limits be, if any, for the size and speed on FTP downloads ?

As with any "pipe" and the medium being "pushed" through it, the limitations will vary depending upon the content type format used.

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What is DirecWay 2-Way High Speed Internet fair access policy (FAP) ?


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Why do you have a Fair Access Policy ?

DirecWayTM is a shared bandwidth service. Because it has been found that a small number of users (5%) were consuming a disproportionate share of the available bandwidth, to ensure that each subscriber experiences the benefits of that bandwidth, it became necessary to ensure the integrity of the service to all our customers. In order to make the DirecPC experience good for all of DiRECWAY users  the Fair Access Policy has been initiated. DirecWayTM reserves the right to throttle the speed of an individual user if they are using too much bandwidth. This is called the Fair-Access Policy and is explained in the Subscriber Agreement.

DirecWay® system usage data indicate that approximately 5% of DirecWay subscribers are responsible for a disproportionate share - often as much as half - of the total DirecWay service traffic. Unfortunately, many of those subscribers are not using DirecWay for its intended purpose. In fact, some of them have generated excessive usage by improperly reselling the DirecWay service to others or by using DirecWay's single-user service plans to provide Internet access to an entire network.

To ensure that all DirecWay subscribers have fair and equal access to the benefits of the service, DirecWay has enacted a Fair Access Policy (FAP) to prevent abusive consumption of bandwidth by a handful of users.

FAP is straightforward: based on an analysis of usage data, Hughes Network Systems has established a DirecWay usage threshold well above the maximum typical usage rates. When a customer exhibits patterns of system usage which exceed that threshold for an extended period of time, the FAP may temporarily limit that subscriber's throughput to ensure the integrity of the system for all DirecWay subscribers.

Typically, the restrictions will be lifted within 8-12 hours of the original application of the FAP if the customer's usage in this period stays below the FAP threshold.

For example, a subscriber may experience FAP if the cumulative requested downloads in a particular session exceeds 225 MB (megabytes). An example of what can be downloaded within 225 MB would be a software application such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Windows 98. Normal Internet surfing, on the other hand, generates small downloads for each Web page viewed. For example, an hour of surfing can generate 1-10 MB of download activity depending on the content being surfed - well below the amount required to trigger FAP.

Subscribers are likely to avoid the limitations imposed by the FAP if their use is typical of the majority of Internet users and consists of Web surfing and a reasonable amount of downloading or webcasting.


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I subscribe to the "Family Surfer Unlimited" or "Office Surfer Unlimited" plans. What does "Unlimited" mean ?

The DirecPC Unlimited Surfer plans allow for "Unlimited Connection Time to the Internet (Subject to the Fair Access Policy) - NOT unlimited bandwidth usage". The current Consumer "Surfer" plans are designed to allow DirecPC users to surf the Web at high speeds as long and as often as they like.

These plans are not available in Canada but serve as an example of how the FAP is applied.

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What triggers a FAP restriction to be activated on my account ?

Users should be able to download a fairly large amount of data every evening without activating the FAP. The DirecPC system is not designed to handle users that require heavy downloading over extended periods of time. The DirecPC Surfer plans are not intended to handle heavy downloading activities such as lengthy streaming videos, DVD downloads, and large files such as those typically downloaded with applications such as Napster. FAP is straightforward: based on an analysis of usage data, Hughes Network Systems has established a DirecPC usage threshold well above the maximum typical usage rates.   When a customer exhibits patterns of system usage which exceeds that threshold for an extended period of time, the FAP may temporarily limit that subscriber's throughput to ensure the integrity of the system for all DirecPC subscribers.

Here's the "Bucket" analogy that fits the FAP to the best of our knowledge:
For the Consumer Edition, think of a bucket full of 169 MB of data, no matter how fast you drain it, once the 169 MB is gone, it's empty. Period.
It fills at a trickle rate, 47 kbps for the Consumer Edition so it takes approx. 8 hours to refill if you "empty" it.
If it fills for an hour or so, you can download another few megs until it's empty again. The Business Edition refills at a slightly higher rate of 56 kbps and is a bigger "bucket" of 500 megs but the same analogy applies.

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How can I tell if my account is being subjected to the FAP ?

Complete information concerning your usage patterns and FAP status can be found by checking http://usageweb.direcpc.com/.

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If FAP is activated on my account, how long do I have to wait for it to be lifted completely ?

Typically, FAP restrictions will be lifted within 8-12 hours. While customers can download prior to that time, they may experience less than optimal download speeds or be subject to additional FAP restrictions.

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Will logging off DirecPC's satellite network and using accessing through a dial-up ISP remove the FAP from my account ?

Although logging off of the DirecPC's satellite network does not remove the FAP from your account, it should cause it to be lifted sooner. Leaving your computer off for 8-12 hours will ensure that the FAP has been completely lifted from your account at the beginning of the your next Internet session.

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Can I receive a credit for the time I am experiencing the FAP ?

No, the FAP is part of the "Subscriber Agreement", which all customers must agree to prior tho continuing through the loading of the DirecPCTurbo Internet software. All DiRECWAY consumers are governed under the same "Subscriber Agreement" without exception.

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Is there a FAP free service plan available or is there a service plan that allows me to download more before being subjected to FAP ?

At this time the FAP is applied to all DirecPC service plans, DirecPC offers various service plans that may suite your needs. Please refer to the table below. Please refer to the table below.

Example of how the FAP is applied
Personal Edition Service Plans Peak FAP Threshold Off-Peak FAP Threshold* Connection Limits
Executive Surfer 90 MB 120 MB 22
Family Surfer Unlimited 169 MB 225 MB 22
Office Surfer Unlimited 360 MB 480 MB 22

* 2:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
   Tehese plans are not available in Canada but serve as an example of how the FAP is applied

For example, a Family Surfer Unlimited subscriber may experience FAP if the cumulative requested downloads in a particular session exceeds 225 MB (Megabytes). An example of what can be downloaded within 225 MB would be a software application such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Windows 98. Normal Internet surfing, on the other hand, generates small downloads for each web page viewed. For example, an hour of surfing can generate 1-10 MB of download activity depending on the content being surfed - well below the amount required to trigger FAP.

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What is Throughput ?

You can see from the graphic below that each level of service has throughput levels from 300 up to 1000 Megabytes. You can think of these "throughput levels" as working like batteries, they have a certain amount of download power in them. The recovery rate is the rate at which the "battery" is recharged.

For example, a customer on the Business Basic service has a throughput reserve of 500 MB. This "battery" is recharging 24x7 at the rate of 56Kbps but it cannot be charged past the point of being full (500MB). As files are downloaded, they will download at approximately 400 kbps and this reduces the reserve amount. If the "battery" is fully emptied, the bandwidth speed will then be reduced to the recharge or recovery rate of 56kbps. The next morning the reserve will be full again and it all starts over.

If a customer is consistently running out of reserve before the end of the day, he needs to consider a larger reserve or if possible, spreading out some of the downloads with the use of a task scheduler.

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What is the latency of the connection ?

The way a satellite stays in orbit, without using any type of engine or rocket to correct its orbit, is to gain a balance between gravity and centrifugal force. The closer to earth, the greater the gravity pulling the bird toward earth. The faster it moves, the greater the force pulling it away from the earth. It turns out that there is a spot, about 22,300 miles above the equator, where the speed an object must travel to gain equilibrium against gravity is exactly the same as the speed the earth is turning. By placing a satellite in this spot, its relative position above the earth stays constant. Satellites used for broadband internet and TV must stay in one place in the sky so that you can point your dish in one spot and get the signal. The only other alternative would be to have a constellation of satellites in a lower orbit, that would rise and fall like the sun and stars. There would need to be enough of these flying that there was always one overhead, which requires a lot of satellites, a lot of infrastructure ,and therefore a lot of money.

In the case of a two-way satellite system, when you request something by clicking on a link, or any other way, that message travels 44,600 miles just to get to the NOC. The stuff coming back to you must travel the reverse route, so the round trip is 89,200 miles. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second in a vacuum,
slower through the atmosphere. But even if you assumed 186,000 mps then the total time taken in space travel is about 480ms. Given the atmosphere problem, it is actually more like 500ms. Add to that the terrestrial internet latency, which should be about 100ms. Also you can add delays through transponders, gateways, proxies, etc.

Software and protocols can reduce the effect of latency for certain applications, but they can't change the physics...the latency remains. For instance, by increasing the number of simultaneous TCP connections, web pages can load faster after they get started, but they will always take the same amount of time to get started. Better yet, by replacing the protocol between the NOC and the user from TCP/IP - which doesn't handle high latency well at all - to another protocol designed for long fat pipes, even more could be done to reduce the effects of high latency. No doubt, that is the future of these systems. But still, there will be a delay of somewhere around 625+ms between any interactive activities.

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How much latency should I expect ?

Round trip ping times will be 550-650 milliseconds. Any satellite Internet service that uses GEO satellites will be about the same. Data packets travel about 2 x 44,600 miles to and from the satellite, plus the distance to their Internet destination and back. Average trip length is around 100,000 miles. These packets travel roughly at the speed of light (176,000 miles per second), so the expected travel time is 100,000/176,000=568 milliseconds, plus processing time by routers and switches.
Most of the time y
our average ping times stay below 700 ms. Satellite can have high ping times during heavy traffic periods throughout the day - could be up in the 1400 ms (milliseconds) range.
The nature of the satellite connection is good for Web browsing and for downloading of files. Because of long latency compared with purely land-based systems, interactive applications such as online gaming are not compatible with satellite networks.

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Can I test the latency ?

You can test the latency using the "ping" command. Go to Start, then Run, then in the box that comes up type in command and press Enter. This will open a black DOS window that you can type in. Type ping 64.0.97.2 and press Enter. Make sure you are online when you try this.
You will see your computer communicating with our Gateway and telling you how long the return trip took to get back to your computer. At the end you will see a summary of the results. Look for an average below 1000 ms. You should try this a few times and at different times of the day to see what happens during periods of heavier Internet traffic.


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Are any ports blocked ?

No.

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Who provides the ISP service ?

C-COM DirecWay is the ISP. For more information please visit their website at www.c-comsat.com

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Is there a ISP usage limit ?

No! unlike many of the ISPs, the DirecWay system doesn't place limitations on usage. Your system is always on.

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Does the DiRECWAY system work in a Windows XP environment ?

Yes, and it will operate with Windows 98 SE (clean install), Windows ME,Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Unfortunately, Windows 95 and NT do not support USB connections.

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What if I don't have a USB port on my computer ?

There are a variety of "aftermarket" products that will allow you to add a USB card to your computer. Check with either your computer manufacturer or with one of the manufacturers of USB cards.

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What video compression and transmission software does DirecWay use ?

DirecWay's software is proprietary and is designed to provide the maximum performance available.

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Do the two modem sized boxes that will connect to my computer (DW4000)  require two separate USB ports ?

No. The two units, an IRU (Indoor Receiving Unit) and the ITU (Indoor Transmitting Unit) are connected via a separate cable, and only one USB connection is required.


 

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How fast will you be able to install my DirecWay 2-Way High Speed Internet service one I purchase it ?

 How's 24-48 hours???

When you order your system, we will contact our Industry Canada Certified C-COM Satellite installer in your area to schedule the installation. If this system is not installed properly, it may interfere with other satellites. This would immediately trigger a system shutdown, which would cut off your access to the internet.

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Where do you install and service these systems ?

Our team of more than 200 installers are fully qualified and licensed to install the Two way Satellite system anywhere in Canada, US and Caribbean. From remote islands in resort areas to business offices in major cities, we are ready and able to service your company. Please contact us for a quote. You will see just how simple we make it for you.

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Remote Fly-in or Boat-in Locations ?

Yes! You fly our installer in to your lodge or business and he will do the rest.

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I live at my cottage/resort for 6 months, and at my winter home for 6 months. Can I use this in both places ?

Yes, options are available:
Option 1: That for a reasonable price, you can install the second dish at your home. Then all you have to do is move the modems and you can enjoy the high speed connection from the other location. Contact us for the details.
Option 2: You can activate the dish for 4 or 6 months only. This way you do not pay during the winter months. You will however be required to pay a reasonable fee for this service. Contact us for the details.

Click on the thumbnail to download
 4 months End User Seasonal Agreement 
(PDF, 32K)

Click here
if you need to download free Acrobat Reader® software
Click on the thumbnail to download
 6 months End User Seasonal Agreement 
(PDF, 32K)

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Why is 2-Way high speed internet more expensive than residential cable or DSL ?

This is in part due to the fact that a satellite is much more expensive than a local cable or DSL hub and also because there are only a few dozen satellites over the North American skies, as opposed to tens of thousands of cable or DSL hubs in each city served by cable or DSL. The cost of a broadband channel in Canada is $110/month, plus taxes.

There are many differences between these systems besides price and it is wise to consider them all before deciding on DSL, cable or satellite.  Too many, satellite is the only option because DSL nor cable is available.  As always, competition is expected to bring down prices in the future as well.  Often, a second line in the home for the computer is no longer required and that money is applied (along with the monthly cost you paid to have an ISP) is transferred to the satellite system.  Now take the difference and realize you are now getting high speed access and the total seems quite reasonable!
These speeds are similar to what you would get from a competitively priced DSL or cable modem service. Most residential DSL is rated for 640 Kbps download, 64 Kbps upload, but this is the maximum and the numbers drop the farther you are from your telephone company's central office. Cable modem speeds can burst up to 1,000 or 2,000 Kbps, but their speeds vary depending on how many people are online at the same time


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Will the subscription cost of 2-way high speed internet via satellite always remain above the subscription cost of cable or DSL ?

The answer is yes, because cable or DSL will never be available in the middle of the desert, the prairies or even some places not far away from Toronto. The DirecWay 2-Way High Speed internet service via satellite is available almost anywhere and in any time. This may not matter to you if you live in the city, but it matters a lot to anyone where internet access is limited!

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Why is satellite television cheaper than cable television and why is it the opposite for internet via satellite ?

This is due to the fact that television and internet access are two completely different things:
- A single television signal, sent via satellite, can be received by an infinite number of users (within the coverage area of the satellite). As more people subscribe to that service, the cost per subscriber to transmit the signal goes down. 
- An internet connection on the other hand, is only intended for one user. The cost of that particular connection (download or upload) can not be divided among multiple users. 
- As an example, if only ten thousand users can log on to a given satellite at the same time, the cost of operating that satellite can only be divided by ten thousand. In the case of television broadcast, this limit would not exists.

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Will DiRECWAY require a credit card or will you deal with bank checking account options ?

Initially DirecWay will honor VISA®, MasterCard® and American Express®. If a bank offers a VISA® or MasterCard® checking account debit card, a subscriber can use that as well. 

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What is an LNB ?

LNB is short for Low Noise Block-converter, it contains the LNA and a Block down-converter, it amplifies the very weak satellite signal and converts it to a lower frequency so it can be processed by the Satellite receiver. 

Like an LNA, LNB's are also rated in degrees Kelvin except for Ku band LNB's which are rated in db noise factor. No matter which rating is used, the lower the rating the better the LNB.

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What is a feed-horn ?

A feed-horn serves 2 major purposes, the first is to accept the satellite signal that is reflected by the dish antenna and the second is to select the polarity of the signal that is to be sent on to the LNA.

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Satellite Internet beam coverage patterns

Downlink beam:

The satellite downlink beam coverage maps show contour lines where each line refers to a particular power level from the satellite. The lines are marked with EIRP values like 45 dBW, 44 dBW, 43 dBW, 42dBW etc in decending order from the maximum.

The highest number, towards the middle of the coverage map shows where the downlink beam is strongest and most easy to receive. In the centre of the beam a smaller receive dish on the ground is required. As you move further away from the beam peak the beam becomes less powerful and a larger dish is required. A 3 dB reduction in power level (like going down from 45 dBW to 42 dBW) means you need a receive dish of 2 times the area. A 6 dB reduction requires a receive dish with 4 times the area.

The expression dBW refers to the power radiated from the satellite in the direction towards the contour line.

EIRP means Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power. 45 dBW is the same as 10^(45/10) = 31622 watt transmitter feeding an omni-directional antenna.

In practuce, an EIRP contour of 43 dBW could be produced by a satellite using a 200 watt transmitter (200W = 10log(200) dBW = 23 dBW) plus a satellite transmit down antenna with a gain of 22 dBi (maximum) but on the -2 dB beam contour.

Uplink beam:

Sometimes you may see satellite coverage maps marked with G/T and PFDsat contours. These are uplink maps and refer to the sensitivity of the satellite receive system to signals sent up from the ground. This is of particular importance to satellite internet access services since it is desirable to keep the personal satellite earth station as low size and with as low power transmitter as possible, yet powerful enough to get a good signal into the satellite. If the satellite uplink is very good (high G/T) then it can pick up weaker signals from your little transmit dish.

G/T contours are typically +4 dBK +3 dBK +2 dBK etc. The beam peak number varies a good deal according to the size of the coverage beam. Small spot beams receiving from just the area of one country have much higer G/T than larger regional zone or hemi or global beams.

G/T means gain to noise temperature ratio. Gain is simply the gain (in dBi) of the satellite receive (uplink) antenna with consideration of what contour you are on. The temperature is the system noise temperature of the satellite receive system. This will primarily be the satellite LNA noise temperature plus the earth surface temperature (approx) which, of course, is fully visible to the beam from the satellite.

PFDsat contours follow the G/T contours exactly. PFDsat is the uplink power flux density required at the satellite to saturate a transponder. So if you put up sufficient power to achieve that PFD you will just saturate the transponder. Note the PFDsat is altered to suit the use of the transponder by selecting on board gain step settings using telcommand.

For the satellite internet outlink DVB-S carrier, a high PFDsat is better since this forces the large hub dish to transmit a more powerful uplink signal, thus maximising the uplink C/N and reducing the potential for interference.

For the satellite internet return links you need a low PFDsat to keep the customer dishes small and transmitter costs down but you can't go too far otherwise you pick up too much noise and interference from the ground

 

What are Sun Outages ?

During certain times of the year for several minutes every day, energy from the sun can overpower a satellite's signal. This is called a sun fade, sun transit or sun outage. Use PanAmSat sun outage calculator to estimate the times that your signal may be potentially degraded. 

Commercial communications satellites are geostationary and therefore have orbits that lie in the equatorial plane. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun also passes through this plane. As seen from the ground, the sun seems to pass behind the satellites once per day. During the time when both the satellite and the sun are in the ground station's field of view, the energy from the sun can overpower the signal from the satellite. It is this loss or degradation of communications traffic from the satellite that is referred to as sun fade, sun transit or sun outage. The duration of the sun outage depends on several things: the beam width of the field of view of the receiving ground antenna, the apparent radius of the sun as seen from the Earth (about 0.25°), the RF energy given off by the sun, the transmitter power of the satellite, the gain and S/N performance of the ground station receive equipment, and other factors. All this can be used to determine the outage angle of the receive antenna. Outage angle is defined as the separation angle (measured from the ground station antenna) between the satellite and sun at the time when sun outage or signal degradation begins or ends (see diagram).
The exact point at which sun outage begins and ends is difficult to determine as it is a gradual transition. Also, due to the many differences in ground station equipment, some stations may experience a complete loss of signal while others may only experience a tolerable degradation of signal. This makes the determination of antenna outage angles difficult without complete information about the ground station equipment. For this reason, the following approximations were used to generate the antenna outage angles attached later:

OutageAngle =
       11        
                     

(Freq)(Diam)
+ 0.25°

where:   Freq = Downlink Frequency in GHz (11.95 for Ku)
             Diam = Dish diameter of ground station receive antenna in meters.

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What are the cable specification minimums and do I need line amplifiers ?

The latest specifications from Hughes state: 
Coaxial cable with copper CLAD steel center conductor is not recommended.
Cables should be RG-6 with SOLID COPPER center conductors for both Receive and Transmit cables under 300 feet.  For 300-420 feet, the cable for Transmit should be solid copper center conductor with Quad Shielding.
A higher grade can be used on short runs but do not use lower grade on longer lengths.

Line Amplifiers should be employed when the distance is over 150 feet and less than 300 feet but placed only on the Receive cable.  Hughes say's "The line amplifier should be located approximately 25 feet from the LNB on the dish" but Channel Master which produces line amps says, "Care should be taken not to overload the amplifier (see specifications). Depending upon LNB gain, this will usually involve leaving a minimum distance of 100 feet of RG6U between the LNB and the line amplifier."


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Can I host a Web site on a PC connected to a satellite system ?

Technically possible, not recommended at the satellite terminal location. The nature of a Web server is to get hits from the World Wide Web. The connection speeds using the satellite platform are essentially asymmetric (i.e., they are much faster coming into the PC than going out from it). It is best practice to host a Web Site on a "BIG" commercial pipe where the amount of monthly throughput is not measured.
As well, the user experience will suffer at both ends as the satellite users will have contention with the Web server for the available bandwidth, the outside users will find the website speed reduced compared to terrestrial links. This comes down to efficient use of bandwidth.
You may have a personal Web site hosted by an outside provider. However, most of our dealers would gladly host your E-mail and Web server at their locations.

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Can I upgrade from my Dial Return system (1-way) to Satellite Return (2-way) ?

This is an often asked question and is also vendor dependent.  Older dishes (anything other than the new white 26"x39" oval dishes will need replacement.  If you have one of the newer dishes, you will still need a transmitter assembly for it and a transmit modem with cabling.  We recommend a complete system from one of the vendors rather than trying to upgrade as the cost is about the same.  In addition, professional installation is mandated to comply with FCC restrictions regarding transmitter implementation.

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What does "two-way" service mean ?

"Two-way" service means that data is both downloaded and uploaded via satellite. Some satellite systems, one-way systems, download via satellite, but upload via your telephone line through a dial-up modem. This is a slower uploading process, and it ties up your phone line when you're on the Internet. Two-way service means faster uploads and much faster downloads and no busy telephone signals.


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Do you have more questions? E-mail to: info@highspeedsat.com ©2002-2004 HighSpeedSat