The thread on somebody’s connection speed issues reminds me …
I currently have a DSL connection - 1500/384 ADSL. Cable is a non-starter as far as I’m concerned because of their “though shalt not run a server on your machine” rules, and no static IP. I used to be happy as a clam with my ADSL - I actually was getting about 4500/500 consistently for quite some time. It’s been degrading over the last several months, though, and SBC (which isn’t my ISP, just my CLEC) has responded by telling me I’m actually 9000 feet from the CO, not 6000 as it said in their database, so I can’t expect that kind of speed, and they just capped me lower rather than attempting to restore stability at the higher speed. Uh huh. What happened - did 3000 feet of copper wire magically grow between my house and the CO? It’s a pity - I really like my ISP (sonic.net), but SBC is a pain in the butt.
Anyway, as I look around for alternatives, it looks like fixed wireless might actually be the most attractive residential service these days. Slightly pricey, but you get symettric service (I’m looking at 1500/1500, with burst to 6 mb), and I like the idea of not relying on data transport via the phone line or cable.
A few questions for anybody that actually has experience with this type of broadband:
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How is the reliability? My worry is having the connection go kerflooey every time a bird flies between me and the radio tower. Well, that’s an exageration, but I DO wonder about how well it stays up, and assurances by the provider that it’s solid as a rock are somewhat suspect.
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Most of these WISPs seem to have a setup where they offer “residential” service and “SOHO service” at a higher rate, and if you exceed residential usage patterns, you will get bumped up to SOHO. They seem to be fuzzy about exactly what those patterns are. Specifically, I’m not that worried about the caps, but I wonder if operating very low volume ftp/http servers on my machine will trigger them. The sales rep for the company I’m considering (Etheric Networks) was a little unsure about whether I was allowed to, and eventually concluded I could, but I note they advertise “you can run a server” as a feature of their SOHO service, not residential.
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Is there going to be consolidation in this business, making my expensive receiver / antenna installation obsolete in the near future? I’m somewhat worried that the WISPs all seem to be independent little operations right now, using competing standards and serving line of sight to their particular towers and repeaters.