WIRELESS Modems

I know wireless modems have been around for some time but I still remain ignorant about them.

The most basic understanding I have is that you do not need a phone line connection to connect to the internet which is required with the normal modem connections.
Therefore one could do away with line rental costs.

I would like to open a discussion on this that will broaden information.

Hop on and help.

Thanks
Roy66

 

I assume you are talking about WISP, Wireless Internet Service Providers. I recently hooked up with one, enabling me to get broadband living in the country. DSL or cable service will never be an option where I live. Satellite never looked appealing to me with considering the high costs and high ping times. The WISP connection I have is approximately 300K kbps and pings consistently around 50 with a cost of $30/month. One provider in our area offers very high speeds equal to that of T1 lines but with much higher costs. What they do is put a little antenna on your roof, similar to a television antenna but much smaller, and you pick the signal up from a tower less than 5 miles away. 5 miles is about the maximum the signal can be transmitted currently. Here's a list of USA service providers, click on your state and scroll down to your city/county for a list of providers in your area.

http://www.onelasvegas.com/wireless/compare.html

Here's one I found for Australia:

http://www.bbwexchange.com/wisps/australia-wisps.asp

 

Skipslot,

Well it seems my topic was just too ordinary to raise comment so thanks for your posting.

This...... http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?g=a991f8e1-1503-4528-a5f4-8db608e239e6&f=39&fg=email is the first introduction I have had and wanted to build on that.

Wireless internet it seems is relatively new here in OZ so with limited coverage at the moment.

The telephone line rental really bugs me and as soon as I can opt out of that the better.

Thanks
roy

 

I have a friend in New Zealand who checked into it and got the same lose end. He said there was a telecom company working on it there but it will be some time before its complete. I assume when the technology is enhance better that the distance can be broadened so they could make better use of each tower and include more people. Currently with the 5 mile limit they have to concentrate on heavier population areas.
I had the original intention of finally getting rid of ma bell or our land line phone system. I use cell phones and with my wisp connection the land line is actually obsolete in reality. There are people with cable connections that employ voip service and have gotten rid of their land lines. But I have heard negative things about that.
But other than that, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before someone their realizes the value of such a service and it would be quite a money maker. Especially in an area where dial up is a common place. Wisp service has a slogan that is common among its carriers which is essentially "Bringing broadband to the country ".
Not sure how that WiMax service is coming along. That might be an option for you eventually. Also cell phone companies have broadband service but that is more expensive.
Any other questions about wisp that I haven't touched on that you would be interested in just let me know.
Ah, just played your video. One the wisp companies here has that kind of modem. My system is set up a bit different. Like I said in my other post, I have an antenna connected to my roof that points toward the tower and the signal is brought through a converter box. From there I have a router and it goes to my computers. The modem you seen in the video is more portable. But I couldn't connect to that wisp company because I was out of range of their towers so I had to go with another company. I was almost out of range there. Because they stated that it only goes between 4 and 4.5 miles, I live 5 miles out. Since it was a clear signal and no ground clutter, like trees and buildings, I was able to connect.

 

I believe this is the article my friend was talking about one day, it sounds on key to what he was explaining to me. I know its not your country, but alot of times if they see one of their neighbors doing it, they usually follow with their own plan.
http://www.netstumbler.com/2006/07/26/nz-spectrum-debate-highlights-wimax-regulatory-dilemma/

 

Thanks Skipslot,


Comparitavely speaking it seems we are a bit undernumbered and sparsely populated to be a highly competitive market at this stage so can aniticipate a long and protracted roleout of wireless services.

USA stats suggest a population of 298million for a 9,631 sq/kl ground surface.
AUS stats suggest a population of 20.264million for a 7,687sq/kl ground surface.
Herein lies our problem.

 

But what I was getting at was where I live, the population base per square is very low and they still realized an opportunity for profit. I have no neighbors for miles around me, very secluded. They normally do not put these towers where conventional DSL or cable lines are typically installed. So there is hope, eventually.

 

In America we have a good service through Verizon. It is 60.00 usd per month and uses cell towers. Coverage is great with slower speeds in rual areas. We will finaly get broadband competition here. Verizon is a company to watch. They hav sold all their other interests and are concentrating on wireless and fiber optics. Something that has been promised in the usa for 15 years !!!!

 

Welcome aboard JOE,

How did you find this site?

Trust you will have years of enjoyment as you become part of this Fabulous worldwide family.

What really annoys me with the telecommunications industry is the privileged position they have to rip us off.
The product they sell is "time" but we have to pay an entry fee before we even get to pay for the time we use.
Line rental ***** as the line is the essential commodity or infrastructure necessary to utilize the product they sell.....which is "time "

Sure glad we don't have to pay an entry fee to get onto the ramp at the gas station before we pump gas and sure glad we don't have to pay an entry fee into Walmart before we purchase the products they sell.

Telecommunications should, like all other commercial entities, factor in their overheads to the end product, but oh no they can hit us with a double whammy.

No wonder I want to see wireless......

roy66

 

IMO, $60 for any internet connection (unless its a business with very high speeds) is quite high. I looked into satellite for along time and approached many carriers and all of them seemed to offer their service for that price. They even wanted a $600 install fee. With the very high pings on satellite it just didn't seem worth it.
I also approached Cingular and Verison in my area for wireless cellular connections, both offered very high monthly fees for their limited services. Even though they offered unlimited air time, their coverage was limited in certain geographic areas and couldn't guarantee broadband speeds but could guarantee the very high monthly fees. With wireless broadband, not cellular, I pay $30/month for unlimited air time, always on and the pings are around 50 ms. Cellular broadband has along way to go before they are competitive enough to make a difference. If you are a business man always traveling though, I doubt anything could compete with the service. But I recently went on vacation to the South East states and brought my laptop that has a wireless card. For the price of nothing I accessed hotspots everywhere. Even McDonald's has them now and they are very fast too. Many large cities in the states are getting ready to offer city wide WiFi coverage for free. Not sure what the catch is but nothing is ever completely free, I'm sure they will have some nasties attached to their services somewhere.