What
is WildBlue ? : WildBlue is a High-Speed (Broadband) Internet Service
Provider. They provide internet service via Ka-Band spot-beam satellite.
For complete details click on the "About WildBlue" button on the menu-bar.
When and where will WildBlue be available? : In most of the continental
U.S., WildBlue is available now ! You can sign up at WildBlue's website
to be referred to a WildBlue dealer near you by clicking HERE.
Is
WildBlue available where I live ? : Although WildBlue's spot-beam
map shows near-complete coverage of North America, there are some
places that service currently does not reach. To find out if your
area is serviced, just click on this
link & enter your zip code.
=>HERE<= If service is available you'll be directed to
your local distributor. If not, you'll get this
message : We are sorry
but you happen to be in one of the very few zip codes where we are
not able to offer service due to the reach of our satellite.
Will I
be able to install WildBlue myself ? : No. WildBlue is not currently
offering a 'self-installation' option. Professional installation is
required.
C'Mon .. I can aim a dish! What if I do a really good
job .. Can I install it myself ? : No. Really ! They won't let you
!
WildBlue is still pretty new, so they really want to make sure things
are being installed properly. It's not like with DirecWay, where sometimes
you can get around the "professional installation required" thing.
So, even if you really know your stuff
and promise to do a perfect
job, they won't let you.
How fast is WildBlue? : WildBlue claims downstream
speeds of "up to 1.5Mbps" will be possible with their service. Peak
speed will depend on which 'package' the customer signs up for. Three
packages will be available : Value Pak, with peak downstream speeds
"up to 512Kbps" .. Select Pak, with peak downstream speeds "up to
1.0Mbps .. and Pro Pak, with peak downstream speeds "up to 1.5Mbps".
So far users have reported actual speeds in about that range.
What
computers will WildBlue work on? : WilbBlue is designed to work on
PC's and Mac's. Here are the system requirements : PC/ Windows: 300
MHz or faster processing speed, minimum 128 MB Random Access Memory
(RAM), and Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP operating system. 100 MB
of hard drive space and an ethernet card are required. Macintosh:300 MHz or faster processing speed, 128MB Random Access Memory (RAM),
and OS 9, OS 10.2 or higher operating system. 100 MB of hard drive
space and an ethernet card are required.
How are upload speeds with
WildBlue? : Upload speeds vary depending on which package a
user subscribes to. Value Pak offers speeds "up to 128Kbps, Select
Pak offers speeds "up to 200Kbps, & the Pro Pak offers upload
speeds of "up to 256Kbps. WildBlue users have reported speeds speeds
peaking around the 200kbps area .. which is pretty good for satellite.
Does
WildBlue have unlimited high-speed downloads? : No. Alike other satellite
internet providers, WildBlue limits the amount of data you can recieve
at high speeds. The full details are outlined in their "Fair Access
Policy" (F.A.P.), but here are the general numbers :
UPLOAD THRESHOLD
(MB) :
Value Pak : 3,000 / Select Pak : 4,000
/ Pro Pak : 6,000
DOWNLOAD THRESHOLD (MB) :
Value Pak: 10,000 / Select Pak : 16,000 /
Pro Pak : 22,000
Upload Threshold is the volume of data that can be
uploaded during a calendar month before the Fair Access Policy may
restrict the user’s speeds.
Download Threshold is the volume
of data that can be downloaded during a calendar month before the
Fair Access Policy may restrict the user’s speeds.
You can read
more about the WildBlue Fair Access Policy on our F.A.P. Page by clicking
HERE.
How much does WildBlue Cost ? : For a current listing of
the WildBlue service packages (features & prices) CLICK HERE.
How well do online games play over WildBlue ? : Not very well. Satellite
transmissions have an issue called "latency" , which greatly effects
online real-time game play. The long and short of it is that you have
to wait a much longer time (than your online opponent counterpart)
for your data to get back to you , as it has to be transmitted (by
WildBlue) to a satellite into space … and then beamed back down to
you on Earth. While all that happens pretty fast, it's just
not fast enough for online real-time games. It'll produce much
higher ping times than is usually accepted for online games.
You'll likely find WildBlue totally unacceptable for real-time shoot-'em
ups like CounterStrike / Quake / Halo style games. It can however
be acceptable for some games that arean't quite as split-second fast-paced.
Games like WarCraft, StarCraft, Diablo, etc.. can be ok , provided
you're only playing 1-on-1 . Playing against multiple opponents will
be unacceptable. Online casino / card-games likely would play fine.
Can
I network the WildBlue connection ? : Yes. WildBlue's hardware is
based on the standardized DOCSIS cable-modem technology. As such,
it can be networked using the same type of hardware used to network
a typical cable-modem. This includes both wired & wirelesss networking
devices.
How can one become
a WildBlue dealer or Installer ? : WildBlue has a contact form that
people interested in becoming a dealer and/or installer can fill out.CLICK HERE for that form.
Is WildBlue available for RV's / Motor-homes
? : No. The current WildBlue system was designed for stationary
home/business use.
Can I get UseNet / NewsGroups with WildBlue ? : Yes.
WildBlue does offer usenet access through their service.
Can I do FTP
transfers with WildBlue ? : FTP Downloads should work just fine. Uploads
will be slower, but should work fine too.
Can I use a VPN (Virtual
Private Network) with WildBlue ? : Yes. WildBlue recommends the use
of SSL-based VPNs as they work well on the WildBlue network because
they work efficiently over a satellite connection. Users of IP Sec-based
VPNs will find that their VPN will work over the WildBlue network,
but it may be slower due to the effects of latency.
What does
TRIA stand for ? : Transmit Receive Integrated Assembly (It's that
hardware on the arm of your WB satellite dish that does all the real
work. :-) )
What does NRTC stand for ? : National Rural Telecommunications
Cooperative. NRTC is a non-profit cooperative association comprised
of 550 rural electric cooperatives, 279 rural telephone
systems and several affiliate organizations located throughout 48 states.
NRTC's mission is to assist its members and affiliates in meeting
the advanced telecommunications needs of American consumers living
in rural areas. In short, NRTC seeks to ensure that rural Americans
receive the same benefits of the modern information age as their urban
counterparts.
Should I buy through a dealer ? Directly from WildBlue
? Through a co-op? : To answer that you really have to do a little
homework. Alike any other business, some coop's are staffed by highly
trained, highly motivated people who put their customers first. But
unfortunately .. alike any other business, some are pretty much the
opposite. So first, ask around a bit .. maybe make a call to
them & chat. See how their service is. You should also check
and see what kind of WildBlue contract length they are requiring.
Not all are the same. Some have 1-year .. some have 18 month
.. some have 2-Year. Some offer free installation .. some don't. It's
worth calling and asking.
Will VIOP work over WildBlue ? : Officially,
the folks at WildBlue say "no". So with that said, anything
you try you should consider "not supported" (meaning they won't help
you if you try it and it doesn't work.) With that said though ...
A good hand-
full of people have tried VoIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol)
with WildBlue, and their results have been mixed. Best case scenario
that's been reported is that everything worked great, but that there
was about a 1/2 second delay between people talking due to satellite
latency. Worse case scenario has been that it just plain didn't work.
"Vonage" has had mixed results, but overall has sounded promising.
"Packet8" has had poor results, "Net2Phone" has had mixed, but promising
results, "Skype" has had mixed but adequate results, "GoogleTalk"
has had decent results, "Primus Voip box" has had acceptable results.
If you have any results you'd like to share, please drop me an email
at : info@wildblue.cc !
How do I know what beam I'm on
? : Simply find your location on the chart below. The number in the
circle that covers your location is your beam number !
