Dish Internet Access

Well, before we answer the question, how to get satellite dish Internet access to your PC, or even more precisely, how does satellite Internet work, we need to understand a few other things. Questions like, why do we need dish Internet access and how is it better than the broadband or DSL connections. Let us try dealing with all these aspects one by one.

Need for Satellite Dish Internet Access
The question can rather be put down as what are the advantages of dish Internet access. Satellite dish Internet connection can be available at the most remote locations, as it does not require a phone line as in the case of dial-up Internet connection, and neither does it require cables as in the case of broadband connection. Hence, it becomes an easy way and perhaps the most feasible way for accessing high speed Internet for people staying at places which do not have any dial-up connection or broadband connection service providers.

Just like satellite television, dish Internet access is received through the satellite. Another important factor about dish Internet access is that it is almost 50 times faster than the dial-up connections. Operating systems like Windows and Macintosh are compatible with dish Internet access. Since we are done with the importance and advantages of satellite dish Internet access, let us try to understand the working of satellite dish Internet access.

How to Get Satellite Dish Internet Access to your PC?
If you have a clear view of the southern sky, a simple dish antenna connected to your computer can provide you with high speed Internet. Though the dish Internet access that you get is significantly faster than dial-up connections, but the download speed may not be as high as in the case of broadband Internet connection. Specially designed broadband satellites that had been launched in the years 2004 are used for providing this service. A single satellite can simultaneously serve around 5000 channels of communication. This technology is referred to as the Internet protocol multicasting technology. The satellite sends data to all the receptors in the form of packets (compressed) at the same instant. Dial-up connections and broadband connections have bandwidth limitations which do not allow multicasting of this magnitude.

Let's take a look at the minimum set of requirements that you need for satellite dish Internet connection. You will need a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card or PCMCIA adapter with an Ethernet connector. If you want to go for the wireless medium, you will require a wireless router and 802.11g or 802.11b wireless devices. Two modems solve the purpose of uplink and downlink respectively. The dish that is used for the purpose of transmission and reception of data should be approximately 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Coaxial cables are used for connecting the dish to the modem connected to your computer. The installation of the satellite dish Internet connection system, as demanded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), should be done by trained professionals. Until recently the satellite dish Internet connection required the use of dial-up modem and telephone lines for sending data. But this has now been eliminated and two way connection to the Internet can be provided directly through dish Internet access. Now all that you need to do is connect your computer with the Ethernet cable provided by the technician.

Dish Internet: Prices and Speed
I cannot give you the exact figure of the Dish Internet prices as it varies from one service provider to another. However, what I can safely say is that the prices are comparatively lower than that of the dial-up connections. Download speed is somewhere in the range of 200 to 400 Kbps. It may also reach as high as 500 Kbps. The upload speed is however, around 50 Kbps, which is one tenth of the download speed.

Drawbacks of Dish Internet Access
The first major drawback of dish Internet access is its latency which can cause problems if you are using dish Internet phone. In other words, problems may arise in Voice over IP (VoIP) or while playing games or listening to music on the Internet. The latency when the computer receives and transfers data to the Internet using satellite dish Internet connection is around 500-600 ms. In case of dial-up or broadband connection, it is somewhere in between 50-150 ms. The next important drawback of satellite dish Internet access is that it requires a clear view of the southern sky. If there are any trees on the way, or if it is a rainy day, the Internet connection speed will probably decrease.

This was all the information, that I could provide you about getting Internet access through the satellite or dish Internet access. Many organizations are also opting for this technology and it seems to be one of the most booming technologies round the corner. There are already various service providers working in this field and a look at any of their websites can provide you with a lot more information regarding this technology and most importantly the price of getting this connection.