|
Frequently
Asked Questions: |
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
.
back to top
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
.
back to top
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.
back to top
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:
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
How much is the equipment and installation cost for DirecWay
?
Please Click
Here to get the pricing information.
back to top
What will be the monthly subscription cost for DirecWay ?
Please Click
Here to get the monthly subscription information.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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 |
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
Will DirecWay offer a PCI card with an Ethernet port ?
Because of the USB connection the Ethernet/PCI option isn't
necessary.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
What is DirecWay 2-Way High Speed Internet
fair access policy (FAP) ?
back to top
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.
|
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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/.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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 your 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.
back to top
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.
back to top
Are any ports blocked ?
No.
back to top
Who provides the ISP service ?
C-COM DirecWay is the ISP. For more information please visit their
website at www.c-comsat.com
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
What video compression and transmission software does DirecWay
use ?
DirecWay's software is proprietary and is designed to provide the
maximum performance available.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
Remote Fly-in or Boat-in Locations ?
Yes! You fly our installer in to your lodge or business and he
will do the rest.
back to top
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) |
|
back to top
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.
back to top
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!
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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."
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
|