How many of you are having trouble with the internet.

[oldandslow]

My service blew up late day before yesterday. On and off yesterday and today. Tech support told me the problem was caused by their provider having problems due to the hurricane. What is weird is Internet Explorer will work once in a while but I can switch to Firefox and most everything works but slows down now and then. There are a couple of websites that I can't access with it either but I don't know where their servers were located. Had some pictures posted on two websites linked to Photobucket and they have all disappeared too.

Just tried Photobucket and it looks like they are down too.

[Graybeard]

I have Hughes.net satellite connection. I ALWAYS have trouble with the internet. 

[oldandslow]

I understand. My only reasonably priced provider is a Telephone co-op. Lots of problem. The only other DSL option is Wild Blue or whatever it is that Dish Net Work has. Ain't gonna pay 50 bucks a month for internet service. Besides, every time we have a thunderstorm Dish is gone until the big clouds go away.

[Graybeard]

Dish is owned by Hughes same as Direct TV. Same service I have. I pay a LOT more than $50 a month for my internet service and it's clearly NOT worth it. Cable is supposed to be here eventually.

[deltecs]

Unless I'm mistaken, Dish network TV was a subsiderary EchoStar and changed its name to Dish Network Corporation and created Echostar Corporation on Jan 1, 2008.  Hughesnet is a wholly owned subsiderary of Hughes Communications Inc.  Starband the other satellite Internet provider is a wholly owned subsiderary of Gilat Satellite Networks, Ltd.  These are not the same companies though services are comparable.  I use Starband Internet and Dish Network TV here in Alaska.  My neighbor uses Hughesnet for Internet that I installed for him.  I'm a certified satellite installer and have done a couple of installations without trouble.  Hughesnet uses different satellites than Starband and Dish Network.  Some areas of the country can use Starband and Dish TV from the same dish and satellite.  That doesn't happen in Alaska due the larger required dish for Internet.  I use a 2 meter dish for Internet and a 3' dish for TV, each on different satellites.  So does my neighbor, who lives about 12 miles NE of me with the Internet satellite different than either of the 2 satellites I use.  And I agree with Graybeard, it is a lot more expensive than $50 a month for Internet at DSL speeds.  I agree with his comment about service too.  Satellite Internet, though reliable, does have data packet losses that one must refresh pages, terrible voice over IP, limited broadband usage and slow upload speeds.  However, it is the only means of Internet available to me in the bush and I'm now very dependent on it for much of my communications needs.   

[Matt]

Dish and DTV are both on the Hughes Satellite but are seperate compaines.

Matt

[deltecs]

Dish and DTV are both on the Hughes Satellite but are seperate compaines.

Matt

You are probably correct that both Direct and Dish use the same satellite.  I'm not sure in Alaska and think that when I reviewed the differences, each used a different satellite up here.  It sure makes sense for the satellite owners to provide service to both using the same equipment.

[Will Bison]

My options are dial up at 24k or Hughes. The results with Hughes are variable to say the least. 

[Graybeard]

Both Dish and Direct TV are owned by Hughes. The merely operate as separate companies. No one other than Hughes offers satellite internet so far as I know.

[oldandslow]

Windstream is my telephone provider and I am 5000' to far to use their hi-speed service. They are also the local marketer for Dish Network and give a $5 monthly discount if they handle your Dish billing. They are the ones that quoted me $49.99 a month for Wild Blue or whatever Dish's internet service is called. That quote was about a month ago. The only other option available to me is dial-up and it it so slow that it isn't worth even considering. Plus my phone would be tied up when on the internet. I wouldn't want all those telemarketers to be getting busy signals all the time.

[deltecs]

Both Dish and Direct TV are owned by Hughes. The merely operate as separate companies. No one other than Hughes offers satellite internet so far as I know.

I can assure you that I am and have used Starband for the last 5 years.  Hughes was not available in Alaska until the last 3.  Starband is available in the lower 48 and can use the same satellite dish as Dish Network.  When I looked up ownership of Dish, it is owned by Echostar, which in Jan 1, 2008 divided into 2 subsidiaries, Dish Network and Echostar.  Hughes Communications was not inferred parent ownership, though it could be.  And I'm not in disagreement, just curious.  My Starband satellite Internet costs the same as Hughes and with slightly higher bandwidth usage at slightly higher speeds, but not enough to really tell the difference.