Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect in Other Satellite http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r19306148 en Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:31:11 EDT Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:31:11 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20206275 geoffinak3 : Satellite is dead, unless there is nothing else within the next 2 years, I would not invest the estimated $2000 equipment cost and then the $135.00 to 185.00 to get a reported 1.3 mb down, however these speeds are just being posted by Star Bands new Company offering the 1000 and 1500. Satellite is dead. If you can get Cellular you can get just as good coverage, maybe better and if you have a lap top it goes where you go.

I got Verizon $59 a month have hit 1.6 mbs down average about 750 to 800 Kbs down and 600 kbs up. Get the USB modem antenna .

»Product Spotlight: EV-DO Showdown - Verizon vs. Sprint

Check it out, good reports. All the satellites are poor service, high price and low bandwidth usage per month. The speeds may be getting a little faster but that just uses your monthly FAP up. I know Star Band never got it straight, they were charging me for days I did not use it and had no power. I even turned it off for a week and still got hit for 20 mbs.

I hope Cellular will work for you.
G]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20206275 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 06:11:44 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20145737 JDP13 :
said by skywayusa See Profile :

Here is SkyWay's RUP policy »www.skywayusa.com/rup.php
skywayusa have you fixed bronze plan yet?
I see you have been watching this forum for a while.
If you still do not know what I am talking about just do a search for my post.

Regards]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20145737 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:03:13 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20140661 skywayusa : Here is SkyWay's RUP policy »www.skywayusa.com/rup.php]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20140661 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:50:22 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20073002 rokntroll : Sue will help you get setup all I can add is I have better speeds with firefox than iE,also use tcpoptimizer ,try different speed settings till you find the one that works best..Frank]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20073002 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:50:51 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20071247 scopx : I figured the old Primestar lnb to be so old as to ineffective. Also want good noise ratio as not too familiar with the narrow Ku band feeds. Getting to where can't find own butt with one hand.Have read on other forums about the new techsat 2 (red) lnb that has .02 noise and not a bad price either. Will prob go with that.
Do you have any advice concerning software, configuration or add on programs that may save some hair pulling?
Tom]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20071247 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:45:09 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20049211 rokntroll : I have an old direcpc lnb,,it says,,,,,,hughes network systems,fss,lnb sat2,,,that is all I can help you with..Are you sure the primestar lnb won't work?? just use horizontal feed??]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20049211 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:20:42 EDT Re: LNBs http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20047806 scopx :
Thanks for replying.
The Primestar dish I have has the LNB attachment about 1&1/2 inch ID, with the "plastic" holder mounted to the three arms. I do not think the small "angle" type lnb (L shape) would mount up. Does your unit the same type of holder? What type of LNB are you running and how low is noise temp?
Tom
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20047806 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:27:20 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20038802 rokntroll : i have a primestar-like dish and linear lnb,works fine,has to be raining extremely hard to bother signal strength.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20038802 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:28:20 EDT Re:LNB http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20033790 scopx :
I have not found one as yet. As I understand, will need one with "linear" (for data)feed rather than circular. That is my supposition based on reading on various forums.
Also, am deliberating as whether to use 10'(which is up) and buy a positioner for movement-or use same LNB on a 3' primestar dish and just move by hand. Understand some LNBs can be used on both prime feed and offset.
Sue was great help and did provide resolution to my unique situation concerning internet satellite provider packages.
Tom]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20033790 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:57:42 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20032406 rokntroll : Sue is always a great help,has helped a couple of times... did you find an lnb scopx?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20032406 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:02:09 EDT Re: StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20029624 scopx : Just got thru to Sue, she is very helpful and provided all answers and therefore will hookup with Starconnect.
Tom]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20029624 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:57:41 EDT Re: StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20029399 scopx :
Have tried to call Sue at Starconnect to advise of unique situation several times, but get voicemail only.

Tom]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20029399 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:22:25 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20028315 anon : I have been trying to decide between these choices for months...and after "googling" reviews and checking BB reports..I think I will keep looking! One post mentioned a contract....and after looking at this contract...i noticed that if you don't get it hooked up orare simply unhappy...you pay BIG $$$$ for early termination...and I also saw where ( 1 ) was under investagation for fraud ( credit card charges / 14 counts ). Hey....I hate dial up as much as the next guy...but?? Just do your homework folks! There are LOTS of reviews and info on both of these online! Goodluck!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20028315 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:16:07 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19985016 scopx : I just ordered the PCI Skystar 2 and have several dishes to choose for the incoming signal. Prop will use the old 3' primestar which has the 2 cable lnb (H&V). Will build a moveable mount as It will be easier to move around the trees.
But want to use new lnb as sure this one is shot or obsolete.
Of course this is for 1-way feed and I already have dial-up.

I think I can hit 101 degree sat and have 1@ 110 @ 119. There are lots of trees 100+ feet tall and have cut several. The 51 degree elevation is close but does clear the leaves.
Would be proud to receive 256KPBS as max now 44KPBS. Stangely enough, have found an dial-up uplink that "shows" and consistently tests above300+KBPS.
I do not wish to commit to long term contract or go with "majors"-Hughes and Wild Blue.
Can anyone provide any direction to the following questions.
What lnb would you recommend for above mentioned dish?
Which service provider would you recommend based on above info?

I did contact the company in Kentucky (think it was Skyway)that wanted to go contract and whole 9 yards, even if unable to hit sat. They would not sell me modem to try and hit sat first.
Thanks
Tom]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19985016 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:49:14 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19962542 papawjim : I have been using skyfx/starconnect since March 2007, and have essentially had no problem with the system. Currently using the PCI card and have had no problems with the system. Download speeds are more than adequate, download speed of up to 1800, normal average is 700-900. which is a lot better than my old dial up.

Found my contact with their tech support to be great, folks were friendly and more than willing to help me out. They even would take my number and call back if they were busy with someone else. Sue is a tremendous asset to their tech support.

The system is usual on from morning to night, connected thru a wireless router with normally only 1 disconnect per day from the dial up connection. Current using ICS with 2 wired desk tops, 2 laptops via wireless and one wireless desktop computer from the basement with no problem. Had the router and wireless up and running in less than 10 minutes.

I have found starconnect to be more than satisfactory for our use and with no contract it was a no brainer. Just my observation]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19962542 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:39:51 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19961154 anon : Hello...

I just dropped by to find some intewresting stuff about satellite internet.

I currently have the Starconnect's one-way satellite internet system. I've had it since 12/06. I started out under the Skyfx service provider, until they sold it to Brightstar around 3/07.

to sum it up, it's been a nightmare!!! Both isp's service has been utterly disappointing! The speeds from both providers has been up and down. At least Skyfx had real people to talk to. (and I must say...they were very nice to work with...but no results) I have contacted the new Brightstar service 5-6 times, only to get a voicemail. (AAAAHHHH!!!!) Speeds during the day may hit 60kbs/down. (if you pray hard enough) From around 7p.m.to 11p.m. the speed is almost non-existant!!! The BRIGHT spot...after midnight, the speed is much better. I can download at around 200kbs. It starts to slow down, (almost to a screeching halt,) after 9a.m. Yes indeed, their RUP policy is very good at 3gbs./month. But the connection speeds that I have been getting from this isp, I have absolutely no fear in getting even remotely close to it!!!

Thanks everyone for these posts. I've learned a lot about the different satellite isps. Looks like I'll try Skyway next. (no choice really, other than dialup...and I won't even get into that!!!)

p.s. I also had direct pc (now direcway) back in 2000 for around 6 months. (one-way) If the service now is the same as it was back then, (which I kind of gather it is) you'd be better off with a string and a couple tin cans!!!

Skyway definitely sounds like a better option! (after all, it's too cold here in Indiana tonight, to go get a ball of string and tin cans)

aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!

good nite!!!

Greg



]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19961154 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:06:54 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19901298 central1ny : So there is no throttling down of the speed like SkyWay? It looks like they throttle you to 75% once you hit 1GB and then down from there. But they do have the midnight madness. I am just looking at my options as I have been on dialup for years and can't get anything at my house. Satellite is the only option.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19901298 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:52:25 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19897569 rokntroll : I have the regular plan,my downloads are in the 800-1200 range.no contract,I have old direcpc dish and skystar2 pci card off ebay all told about $120 in equipment,I know I have gone over fap and nothing has happened but they say they will slow you down,so far I guess I have been lucky there.Had it over year and have zero complaints,,support is great namely Sue ......only problem was getting router to work but it was my first experience now works fine.....Frank]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19897569 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:38:18 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19896754 central1ny : I was wondering what flavor of StarConnect you have, home or business? Do they allow you to purchase your own equipment or do you have to get theirs? They advertise a 3GB RUP per month for home plan but what happens when you go over the rup? Do they have a contract? Thanks for your help.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19896754 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:24:47 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19687445 danielhays : I have had StarConnect for over a year now and I am very happy with it. It is more stable than my old Adelphia, now Comcast, connection!!! With StarConnect I have seen download speeds of almost 4,000kbps and usually no lower than 1200kbps. My latency usually hovers around 450-510 m/s and on clear days a little lower.

Here are my ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 for different uses of the StarConnect system, with 10 being the BEST:

Typical downloading (browsing, email, etc): 10+
Medium downloading (YouTube, Mp3's, etc): 9
Heavy downloading (Large updates, 15MB and above size files: 7

Gaming: 8

I have really been satisfied above and beyond what most people would be with a one way satellite connection. I have only had the connection to be interupted ONCE by the rain back in the summer which knocked it out for maybe 5 minutes or less. There will be times when it is raining or snowing so bad that out DirecTV system will go completely out of signal and stay out for up to 30-45 minutes and here my kids are on the internet watching Youtube or just eBaying!!

All in all, I give the system a strong 8, just because of the fact that it is a one way system and uploading is still done through the phone line and is a bit of a pain when sending pics to friends and family and because of the difficulty of routing the connection to other household pc's.

I did have the F11 but I sold it because I was to frustrated with it to fool with it anymore. HAHA ...oh well, the person I sold it too got it to work the first time!!

JMO

Daniel]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19687445 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:09:10 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19668766 mwarney : Thanks firefly. I know exactly what you are talking about with Wild Blue and Hughesnet. That's what prompted me to join this forum to begin with. I've always had cable for my internet so this is my first experience with satellite. I thought it would be a simple matter of choosing a reputable company and I'd be "back in business" on the internet. Boy was I wrong! I quickly found out that there ARE NO reputable companies. At least not among the two dominant players. It seems they have rural America "over a barrel" and feel as though they can promise everything but not deliver. Then they want your credit card and a one or two year contract so that when they don't provide the service they promise, they can still snatch money from your bank account as long as they choose. Skyway may be the exception... It sounds like they at least try to provide good service and support. Obviously I'm not speaking from experience, but I've done my research here and on other forums. I would say a good 70% of WB and HN subscribers will tell you they do not get what they were promised.

This is really getting to be a frustrating... I called Verizon to see if I can get an ISDN line installed. I think it may turn out to be to expensive, but I need to exhaust all options before succumbing to the satellite Oligopoly.

Skyway sounds like it may be an option though.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19668766 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:28:54 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19665241 firefly : Hi mwarney,

I have the Gold plan and it costs $59.95 a month. I would not touch WildBlue or Hughesnet with a ten foot pole. I've read countless negative posts on both companies to fill a novel. From what I've read both WildBlue and Hughesnet have oversold their services to the max. WildBlue does have a RUP with no free time zone as well. Hughesnet has a RUP and they give a free 3 hour time from 3am-6am I think. I reviewed all of these services alot before going with Skyway. With Skyway you can get an American on the phone in probably less than 5 minutes wait time who is very nice and helpful. With WildBlue and Hughesnet you'll be lucky to get a poor English speaking person on the phone in less than an hour who is NOT nice or helpful.

Also, WildBlue seems to have very poor LNB's on their dishes that cost alot to replace and very often as well. Hughesnet will cut your connection to sub-dial-up speeds if you dare download more than 165MB in a 24hr period. They call it the FAP or some garbage. Both WildBlue and Hughesnet will cost you alot more money to buy the equipment around $300 or so compared to $99 for Skyway equipment. Also, if for some reason the satellite link goes down with the 2-way systems then you're screwed, and don't have any internet access. With Skyway, if the satellite connection does go down, then I just use the dial-up portion of my connection to continue surfing and wait for the bad weather, or whatever to pass and then start using the satellite connection again. At least with Skyway you have that kind of backup option.

Sure you have a faster uplink connection with WildBlue or Hughesnet but that's about it. Do you upload data to the internet alot? If not, then this won't matter. And given all the negative junk I've read about WildBlue and Hughesnet this uplink portion just isn't a good enough reason to go with these two crappy companies. Plus you have to have an installer come and install the WildBlue or Hughesnet system, you're not suppose to do it yourself. And the installer could install the thing like crap from everything I've read (which happens alot) so you might get screwed at this point as well. With Skyway, you get to install it yourself, instead of some random guy, and it's fairly easy to install. You install it on your schedule instead of hoping a installer shows up. If you can install a Dish Network or Directv dish, you can install Skyway.

Overall, Skyway is a great value for the money and with alot less headaches than you would get with WildBlue or Hughesnet. Just read around and you'll see what I'm talking about. I just laugh when I read all these WildBlue and Hughesnet guys putting in all this time trying to figure out what transponder or satellite their on, etc., in order to try to get a better connection. With Skyway, you just turn it on and it works. Simple and easy. That's my two cents.
--
Ron Paul 2008 For President
www.ronpaul2008.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19665241 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:26:01 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662547 mwarney :
said by firefly See Profile :

I think you're mistaken about your dial-up speeds being 80-90kbps up and down. There is no way dial-up can perform at that speed. Dial-up at best is 4-5kbps. Your numbers would indicate a broadband connection like DSL. Are you sure you're not talking about DSL running through the phone jack? Even a 64Kbps connection would be better than dial-up, since a dial-up connection can't be higher than 53Kbps due to FCC regulations.
Well I'm using that "Speakeasy" for the speed test. I thought it seemed kinda high, although we do get an extremely good dial up connection. My modem always connects at 50,600 bps. I also subscribe to "Propel" web accelerator so maybe the compression is fooling the speed test I dunno. In any case, I really don't have much of a problem web surfing on my dial up. It is only when I open a video file (or any kind of streaming media) that I get bogged down.

Did you say you had the "Gold Plan?" I think it was 79.95... Do yo feel this is a better deal than 79.95 for a "2 way" connection (like Wild Blue at 1.5 mbps)? It looks like, for the same price, you can get 17000 mb/month from WB and not be throttled down at all. I'm just trying to decide which way to go and am wondering what made you ultimately decide on Skyway.

Thanks]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662547 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:29:00 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662540 u2builder : Hi Firefly, I think I have the scheduler, just haven't figured out how to get things to work. I probably will if I dub around with it.

You are absolutely right that the speed seems to be regulated and the more you download the quicker it gets. The interesting thing is that I have asked the tech people at Skyway if this was the case, and both times they said it wasn't. Maybe they did not understand what I was talking about. If I download a "file" in Windows, I can see the kBps increase since they show the speed as it progress. If I run several speed tests I see the same thing. And it makes sense to do that. Mostly my Skway connection is very fast, but sometimes during the evenings if bogs down every once in a while and then recovers. I am suspecting every once in a while several big downloads occurr at the same instant in time. Definitely though, the more flash intense the site you are trying to view, the bigger the improvement over dial up. There are some sites I could basically not open before that I can view now. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662540 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:27:16 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662164 firefly : Hi u2builder,

I rarely boot into Windows since I use Linux like 99.9% of the time. It's been a long time since I used Leechget, I just remembered it had a scheduler in it and thought that it would help people who didn't want to stay up all night downloading stuff.

I went to the official Leechget website and they have the free version and a Premium version. I'm wondering if you have to pay for the Premium version in order to get the scheduler?
--
Ron Paul 2008 For President
www.ronpaul2008.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19662164 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:28:11 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19661982 firefly : Hi mwarney,

I think you're mistaken about your dial-up speeds being 80-90kbps up and down. There is no way dial-up can perform at that speed. Dial-up at best is 4-5kbps. Your numbers would indicate a broadband connection like DSL. Are you sure you're not talking about DSL running through the phone jack? Even a 64Kbps connection would be better than dial-up, since a dial-up connection can't be higher than 53Kbps due to FCC regulations.

Anyway, u2builder is correct, you can use a router with the Skyway modem. I use a Linksys wireless router and it works great. Take u2builder's suggestion and visit the Skyway website and use the zip code satellite finder page to locate your elevation information for your area. You'll need a clear view of the southern sky region. My dish is mounted on the side of a chimney on top of the house.

As far as going through 2.5GB in a week, you would have to be watching alot of videos, downloading alot during the day, before Midnight Madness zone, to use that up. I've used more than 100MB, before the free time zone, several times and not noticed any throttling. Normal web surfing without watching videos doesn't really take that much data. You could watch a few Youtube videos, and still surf the web during the day, but if you're going to be watching alot of videos and downloading alot, save that for the 12am Midnight Madness zone and you should be ok. Since having my Skyway since September and uses it almost everyday and downloading stuff at night, I have never seen or even approached the 64Kbps only speeds that is stated in the RUP. Strange I know, but it's true. I'm thinking that the traffic shaping actually helps alot with this. From what I've noticed, Skyway's systems regulate your connection all the time. If you have the Gold plan, you're not being served webpages at the full 768Kbps speed. You don't need 768Kbps to just surf so the system serves the pages at 300-400Kbps and regulates the left over speed to other users. When you request more data than a webpage, lets say a 200MB video file, then the system notices that you need more speed and will ramp up your speed to your top speed of your Gold plan of 768Kbps until the download is complete. This speed regulation or traffic shaping helps everyone on the Skyway network. Skyway needs to offer alot more detailed explanation on their website along with the RUP to help people understand how the system performs. That's my two cents.
--
Ron Paul 2008 For President
www.ronpaul2008.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19661982 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:15:03 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19659525 mwarney : Thanks... I think I'll gove them a call]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19659525 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:41:13 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19659372 u2builder : Firefly, I have a question. I downloaded Leechget which you mentioned, but can't figure out how to schedule the download. I find the schedule icon, but I set it and then it changes back to current time. This may be impossible to explain, but if you have used this and know, please give me a hint.

Mwarney, I think the Skyway Sat is higher than Wild Blue. I didn't want to try Wild Blue because it was marginal and the installer wanted $100 just to tell me if I could actually get it. Skyway and Direct TV seem to have exactly the same coordinates. I think Skyway is on AMC 4. Somewhere on the Skyway site you can punch in your zip and get the azimuth and elevation. Or if you email them they will tell you. Or call them. Real people answer the phone which also helped sell me. I have always gotten a real person without listening to any messages, pushing any numbers, or waiting.

I have my computer connected to a Linksys G router, which connects to the Skyway modem. It works great. My son and I can both be on our separate computers at the same time. This is a huge advantage over dialup. Years ago I bought a router, only to find out they didn't work with dialup.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19659372 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:16:34 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19652500 mwarney : I guess I don't really have a good handle on what my usage would be. I've always had cable for my internet so I've never had to keep track. 500mb just seems like a very small number these days. I mean, just about every web page I open has some sort of streaming media coming at me. I'm guessing I would hit that 2500mb withing the first week or so which means that most of the time I would be running slower than dial up (I'm actually getting between 80 and 90 kbps both up and down on my dial up). I do like the pricing, and the easy installation. I guess I should run some kind of monitoring software to see what my traffic is like now for basic email and web surfing. I can always do the software downloads after midnight.

Do you know if I can connect this system directly to a router for a shared connection on my network? How about the satellite... How high is it above the horizon? How would I know if I can "see" it? I have Dish Network for my TV and that is no problem but I've heard some of these satellites are very low on the horizon.

So if you spread this out evenly over 30 days, (83 mb per day) wouldn't you be running at 64kbps all the time? In any case, it looks to me like you will be getting reduced bandwidth the majority of the time.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19652500 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:38:07 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19652295 firefly : Hi mwarney,

No, your not totally reading that correctly, there's more to it that needs explanation. I have the Gold plan and can do over 500MB in one night easily without affecting my speed or monthly limit. I've had my Skyway since September and use it all the time and I don't think I've ever been throttled. On the Gold plan, what Skyway is telling you is that, you get up to 768Kpbs speed for the first 500MB of usuage without counting the Midnight Madness usage. Then after using between 500 to 1GB of usage your speed is then up to 576Kpbs and so on. In other words you could use 2.5GB of data and then be dropped down to 64Kpbs, which works out to be around 83MB per day of usage "before Midnight Madness usage." Midnight Madness is every night between 12am to 6am your local time and you can download as much as you want without it affecting your speed or monthly limit. That's 6 hours every night! Hughesnet and Wildblue don't give that much free time. You could surf the net for some time each day with that 83MB during the day, and save your major downloads for the nightly Midnight Madness time zone. Sometimes, I get burst rates near 1Mbps during downloads.

Even after surfing the web for several hours a day and then downloading alot of stuff at Midnight Madness night time I've never noticed Skyway throttling my speed. From what I've noticed Skyway uses traffic shaping on your connection which helps manage your speed alot better. I can download a couple of gigabytes of stuff in a couple of nights or so without any problem. Youtube videos play great, etc. And from my experience with them, it would seem that the RUP is more of a loose guideline than a "set-in-stone" policy. I'm very happy with the service, it works great, very nice customer support, easy to install. Click on my Skyway review link under my username for more information. That's my two cents.
--
Ron Paul 2008 For President
www.ronpaul2008.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19652295 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:04:21 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19650077 mwarney : I called Skyway and someone emailed the FAP to me. In my opinion, it is totally unacceptable. Am I reading this right? Good grief! If you go over 500mb per month they throttle you down??? Here is what they sent me:

"The current RUP is based on cumulative usage over the previous 30 day period. Please see the chart below for maximum throughputs that can be achieved at each level. The RUP operates on a rolling 30 day basis. The total number of megabytes downloaded in the last thirty days for any given Subscriber is the figure used to calculate the maximum allowed throughput.
The "Kbps" throughput figures listed for each RUP level below are the maximum."

RESIDENTIAL "RUP"
SKYWAY BRONZE PLAN*
0 to 500 MB 256 Kbps
500 to 1000 MB 192 Kbps
1000 to 1500 MB 128 Kbps
1500 to 2500 MB 64 Kbps
2500 + MB 41 Kbps


HOME OFFICE "RUP"
SKYWAY SILVER PLAN*
0 to 500 MB 512 Kbps
500 to 1000 MB 384 Kbps
1000 to 1500 MB 256 Kbps
1500 to 2500 MB 128 Kbps
2500 + MB 64 Kpbs


BUSINESS "RUP"
SKYWAY GOLD PLAN*
0 to 500 MB 768 Kpbs
500 to 1000 MB 576 Kpbs
1000 to 1500 MB 384 Kpbs
1500 to 2500 MB 192 Kpbs
2500 + MB 64 Kpbs]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19650077 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:09:34 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19649579 mwarney :
said by Bamaboy :

Nevermind, I did some looking and found it myself.
Where did you find it?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19649579 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:37:41 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19340660 anon : Nevermind, I did some looking and found it myself. I've placed an order, so we'll see if it is good. I had hugenet till August, and they really screwed us one-way users. So, I told them where they could put their system. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19340660 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:37:20 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19338272 anon : I too am interested in Skyway. Where can I find their RUP? I've looked all over their website and no luck.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19338272 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:16:42 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19315864 patrick1853 : Well I have decided to sign up with Skyway. The two services seem to both be pretty comparable but the lower equipment cost pushed me over to Skyway.

StarConnect's RUP policy looks better, but Skyway's midnight madness time balances that out somewhat. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19315864 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:05:18 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19315616 anon : just thought I would correct my email you posted :-) stakoy@starconnect.com also the number to reach me at is 800.610.0174

Thanks :-)

Sue]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19315616 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:13:55 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19307032 phil209 : I bought my modem from another user who had gone to EVDO. If you search you may find someone who will sell you one. But I had a dish too. Without a dish, a modem is not a good deal.

Although it is the same modem on the outside maybe, do not assume it will work for both. They are completely different systems. I used the PCI card for starconnect.

Being able to get hold of someone when you call might be a big factor. Give Skyway a call and say you are thinking about it and do they have any specials or anything see what they say. See if they seem OK to you. Ask them if they have any used modems or anything, try saying phil from CA sent you and instead of his referral he wants you (Patrick) to have the month free. IM me if they need my full name they may not remember me.

Phil]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19307032 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:13:39 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19306148 rokntroll : You could try Sue---- stacoy@starconnect.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19306148 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:00:14 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19305417 patrick1853 : Double post, but I will add something new.

I just tried contacting Brighstar and only got voicemail. Out of three calls to Skyway over the last few days, I have gotten through to polite, helpful staff everytime. I think that may tip the scales...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19305417 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:51:32 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19305398 patrick1853 : Phil,

Did you buy a modem for each, or can the same modem be used for both services? I'm almost tempted to order the equipment from Skyway and then sign up with Starconnect, but I doubt that will work.

My big fear is that 4 months after I sign up, Cable will be installed on our road. Thats the main reason I'm tempted by Starconnect's lack of contracts.

Comparing the two, this is what I see so far.

Skyway has better equipment pricing (100 w/ contract, 150 w/o), but they seem to be a little more expensive for regular use when comparing equivalent plans (their unlimited 12:00 - 6:00 usage does help this though). As well as their modem (right now I'm sharing a dial-up connection wirelessly and you lose some functionality by rigging the router that way).

Starconnect's RUP policy seems better as well as no contracts.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19305398 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:48:04 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19298742 phil209 : I have used both in the last 12 months. I am back with skyway again (I used them before StarConnect and went back to them this summer). The fact I switched form one to the other and not regret it one little bit shows what works best for me, but it is all what works for you, there is no better and worse.

For me the clincher was that Skyway USA supports the self contained modem as their one and only platform. It is not clear whether Starconnect supports the self contained modem and it is not their focus. The modem makes life so much easier if you have more than one computer or want to be wireless within your house. It just works! It does not take long to conect, maybe 20 seconds. Starconnect took 20+ seconds to dial and connect and then another 20 or so to connect the VPN. If the VPN hung up, as it does, it could take a minute to get it up again.

Skyway has a $29.99 plan too, which StarConnect does not have.

If you have trees near you, you could make sure you can hit the respective satellites before you choose.

If you make a mistake, the dishes are the same, so you could switch. Check the commitment part of the contract though.

Phil]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19298742 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:35:27 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19292383 rokntroll : I only have used starconnect but am happy,Ping about 550,downloads run over advertised at 700-1000,they have no contract,I used a primestar dish and picked up a pci card from ebay,ended up with about $120 in system,installed myself.Only thing I am unhappy about is disconnects from landline? I pay $40/mo as was with skyfx,don't really know what brightstar charges..$45 maybe...anything else just ask..... Frank
ps,,They allow 3gb/mo and do allow most p2p]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19292383 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 08:55:07 EDT Re: Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19288845 firefly : Well I've only used Skyway and still use it. Have had it for one month and I'm very happy with it. I posted my review of it in this forum. The only issue I had was the modem firmware seemed to be a little flaky, but that's it. I downloaded the new 700MB Ubuntu 7.10 Linux install cd last night and it went great. Just my two cents...
--
Ron Paul 2008 For President
www.ronpaul2008.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19288845 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:24:42 EDT Skyway vs. StarConnect http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19288765 patrick1853 : I'd like to hear from anyone here who has possibly used both. I think a one-way connection may be my best choice and these two seem to be the main ones.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,19288765 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:14:09 EDT