Another point is that due to the distance satellite internet has absolutely horrible ping times, on the order of a 1/2 SECOND, not a couple of dozen milliseconds with other high speed technologies. It’s OK for watching Youtube, not OK at all for playing first person shooter games.
Just ran the test again:
Ping 25ms
Download 3.37 Mbps
Upload 1.07 Mbps
And it’s raining pretty hard.
Those numbers are similar to DSL. This is satellite right? How are they getting a 25ms ping? I thought satellite always had a 250ms or so ping.
Just ran another one:
Ping 24ms
Download 18.55 Mbps!
Upload 1.79Mbps
The clouds have parted, but I haven’t got anywhere close to 18.55. Yes, it’s satellite. Maybe someone more technically saavy can explain.
Now, right after I post, I do it again:
Ping: 822 ms
Download: 21.66Mbps
Upload: 2.01 Mbps
I can’t figure it out either.
And (not to bore anyone, but this thread is about rural performance) I wait five minutes, re-run the test and get:
Ping: 922 ms
Download: 20.61 Mbps
Upload: 1.99 Mbps
Something is getting pulled from your local cache to get times like that, or there is a caching proxy in between you and the speedtest server that is what is actually being tested, and you are just seeing the results page as delivered by the proxy. IE, the speedtest is either going through your own computer, or it is going speedtest<->proxy, and then result page in proxy cache->you
I’m not bored.
Just to clarify: this is Exede? What does it cost-- installation and monthly. Are their data download limits?
Lightning outside…Raining and wind.
Ping: 851ms
Download: 3.93Mbps
Upload: 1.33Mbps
Hasn’t missed a beat.
What’s the monthly cost? What are their data download limits?
Update: During one storm this last month, I was out of internet service for 17 minutes. The Directv was also out for about 10 minutes. Very happy so far.
ThelmaLou: I pay $49.99 ($62.50 with tax and modem rental) for 7.5 GB per month. They have tiered plans for higher download limits. Streaming video is pretty much a no-no for that limit, but everything else is fine.
I’ve solved my problem, sort of. Thanks to a nudge from a Doper on another thread, I got out the router I bought last year and hadn’t set up because I was feeling cranky, found the manual online, and mirabile dictu, I have wifi in my house. 
I’m able to use my laptop and my BlackBerry Playbook, and tomorrow I’ll be able to use my new Kindle Fire! Yay! I even hooked my TV up to it… not so sure about that. I feel like I’m piling anvils on top of a very small donkey. The card DOES get quite warm after a while.
I get 1.5-2 mbps with my aircard, which is at least as fast as what Hughes Net promises, and-- big plus-- I already own the card. AND I’m already paying the monthly charges.
This is the router I got, and apparently, although I bought it in innocent ignorance, it’s a pretty kick-ass instrument and does everything except make coffee (and that’s coming soon).
Don’t need to move to no stinkin’ city. I can web surf in my underwear while picking my teeth and spitting off the porch.