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Rural internet options?

T

theleastofthese

Member
Female
Curious what rural internet service everyone uses and how well it works? We're moving to a semi-rural area with no standard internet service options. We're considering hot spots devices, Starlink, and other satellite companies. We'll be using it for streaming and work.
 
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We use an unlimited cellular ipad data plan for $20 a month. Just as good if not better than DSL which we had prior. Considering Starlink but it's expensive.
 
We have an unlimited 4G connection, coming through a directional roof-mounted aerial pointed towards a cellphone tower, through a rural broadband provider, which works well and has plenty of speed. Cheaper and less latency than satellite. But obviously it depends entirely on what is available where you are.
 
NickF said:
We use an unlimited cellular ipad data plan for $20 a month. Just as good if not better than DSL which we had prior. Considering Starlink but it's expensive.
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Thanks! We're looking into Homefi and Starlink, Starlink is expensive, but from what I've gathered, it's unlimited data until a certain point, then they will slow your speeds. I don't think data usage from 11pm to 7am counts towards your data usage. Homefi is about $130 for 800gb but it seems an easier install than Starlink. Homefi is only about $150 to get started, and Starlink is over $600 :oops:
MeganC said:
Starlink is expensive but it's also reliable even in most weather conditions (except big thunderstorms).
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Thank you, ma'am :)
 
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We are very much off-grid here on a mesa in the southern Colorado Rockies. Even cell phone coverage (there are no landlines or cables of any kinds within miles) requires a local repeater (I have a ham tower up 60' - and a Wilson yagi for 4G on that, pointed to towers on the highway about 30 miles away).

What was once Wilson Electronics has been re-branded WeBoost, and we have some of their repeater/amplifier equipment. It can be used for 4G, and is. (Don't believe the "unlimited" bandwidth BS - it's not, and they will and did lie on the contract and ads. Maybe they're changed the language - I had words several years ago with a bunch of upper management at Verizon.)

We have had satellite internet service for well over a decade now via Hughes. It was horrible, and (after new launches) has moved up to 'meets minimum tolerable' levels, and their "customer service" is still not worthy of the title. But it does do what I need (most of my daily downloads can be done "off-shift" where the limits don't get exceeded if I'm careful, and the "FAP'd" reduced speeds are now better than the old generation service was on-shift. But we watch it. (and do NOT ever stream anything.)

I also have a wifi-link about 3/8 of a mile to the remote building we use for Sabbath teachings and worship services, from which I can audio stream live. There are links for both the 4G and sat connections. I'd like to have 'failover' capability to auto-switch on issues, to maintain service, but have not been able to get that to work. (And am not willing to pay ridiculous commercial rates to get it.)

We find that storms are actually more likely to affect the 4G (approx. 800 MHz) signals than the satellite, simply because a thunderstorm has to be right in-line with the satellite, and that is less common than a widespread shower which would cut the 4G signal. (But I'd be willing to have ANY of that moisture right now!)

Lastly - as an EE, let me suggest that WHATEVER you do - don't fall for a 5G sales pitch. I won't have or EVER allow any of that damnable millimeter-wavelength poison anywhere near our property. Most of the neighbors are clued-in as well. And we'll eventually put up signs (once satellite tracking of their 'pings' becomes a problem) that the cellphones are NOT welcome anywhere on our land either. They're essentially targets.
 
Your options are data connection to cellular network. Just like mobile phone does, but imstead it uses router.

Second option is satellite network.
 
Mark C said:
We are very much off-grid here on a mesa in the southern Colorado Rockies. Even cell phone coverage (there are no landlines or cables of any kinds within miles) requires a local repeater (I have a ham tower up 60' - and a Wilson yagi for 4G on that, pointed to towers on the highway about 30 miles away).

What was once Wilson Electronics has been re-branded WeBoost, and we have some of their repeater/amplifier equipment. It can be used for 4G, and is. (Don't believe the "unlimited" bandwidth BS - it's not, and they will and did lie on the contract and ads. Maybe they're changed the language - I had words several years ago with a bunch of upper management at Verizon.)

We have had satellite internet service for well over a decade now via Hughes. It was horrible, and (after new launches) has moved up to 'meets minimum tolerable' levels, and their "customer service" is still not worthy of the title. But it does do what I need (most of my daily downloads can be done "off-shift" where the limits don't get exceeded if I'm careful, and the "FAP'd" reduced speeds are now better than the old generation service was on-shift. But we watch it. (and do NOT ever stream anything.)

I also have a wifi-link about 3/8 of a mile to the remote building we use for Sabbath teachings and worship services, from which I can audio stream live. There are links for both the 4G and sat connections. I'd like to have 'failover' capability to auto-switch on issues, to maintain service, but have not been able to get that to work. (And am not willing to pay ridiculous commercial rates to get it.)

We find that storms are actually more likely to affect the 4G (approx. 800 MHz) signals than the satellite, simply because a thunderstorm has to be right in-line with the satellite, and that is less common than a widespread shower which would cut the 4G signal. (But I'd be willing to have ANY of that moisture right now!)

Lastly - as an EE, let me suggest that WHATEVER you do - don't fall for a 5G sales pitch. I won't have or EVER allow any of that damnable millimeter-wavelength poison anywhere near our property. Most of the neighbors are clued-in as well. And we'll eventually put up signs (once satellite tracking of their 'pings' becomes a problem) that the cellphones are NOT welcome anywhere on our land either. They're essentially targets.
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Off-grid in the Rockies with no cell phones? Sounds like a dream come true :)
 
We had Hughes satellite net years ago. Now a hot spot on a couple phones is all we need.

We can connect to the printer to print wireless, or connect a lap top if needed. My sw is having to go into town to take a test because there isn't fast enough internet down here.
 
Joleneakamama said:
We had Hughes satellite net years ago. Now a hot spot on a couple phones is all we need.

We can connect to the printer to print wireless, or connect a lap top if needed. My sw is having to go into town to take a test because there isn't fast enough internet down here.
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The salesmen kept attempting to pressure us into HughesNet, I looked into it; the reviews were terrible, and it's costly. We're going to try Homefi, it's sort of like a hot spot device, if that isn't strong enough for what we need, we'll have to go to Starlink it seems.
 
I had two different cellular hotspots with different providers. I had to have external antennas on a tower to get signal. We're quite remote here and they always barely worked at best. Some days, I'd just have to go to town to get internet. I was spending around $500/month.

I've been using Starlink for over a year now and it's a game changer. It is the only way to go IMO if you have no normal internet options.

$120/mo vs $500/mo. Extremely reliable for truly rural internet. If you're lucky enough to have full signal on cell phone with a provider that gives you unlimited data, that might be a better option. Outside of that, Starlink is the only player that provides serious internet for professional use. We can have 3 devices streaming something plus I can be in a zoom call. It's consistently faster than the DSL we had when we lived in the exurbs.
 
MeganC said:
Here's our current speeds:

View attachment 6116
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Thanks, Megan. I looked when it first came out (we have several neighbors that now have it) and saw what looked like a 'show-stopper' for our use:

Much like Apple, it seemed to be a "captive" application. I.e., they made it as difficult as possible (I won't say "impossible," but I just don't have the time to hack it anyway) to attach an RF modem ('range extender', router, or etc) to set up a remote site, as I use for our Sabbath services.

Do you know if that is still true? (I haven't tried, nobody here has that I know of.)
 
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phaedrus said:
I've been using Starlink for over a year now and it's a game changer. It is the only way to go IMO if you have no normal internet options.

$120/mo vs $500/mo. Extremely reliable for truly rural internet. If you're lucky enough to have full signal on cell phone with a provider that gives you unlimited data, that might be a better option.
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I mentioned this above, but the 'fine print' is the killer. Unless that has changed, 'unlimited' does NOT really mean that, in major part because it does NOT apply to a 'hot spot' that amounts to a modem, for distribution. In other words, 'unlimited' only on a single cell phone, where they know you can't download that much total data anyway.

phaedrus said:
Outside of that, Starlink is the only player that provides serious internet for professional use. We can have 3 devices streaming something plus I can be in a zoom call.
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Have you attached that system to a router or modem for distribution then?
 
Mark C said:
Thanks, Megan. I looked when it first came out (we have several neighbors that now have it) and saw what looked like a 'show-stopper' for our use:

Much like Apple, it seemed to be a "captive" application. I.e., they made it as difficult as possible (I won't say "impossible," but I just don't have the time to hack it anyway) to attach an RF modem ('range extender', router, or etc) to set up a remote site, as I use for our Sabbath services.

Do you know if that is still true? (I haven't tried, nobody here has that I know of.)
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I wouldn't know. Sorry!
 
You want to find a provider that doesn't offer installation discounts or other gimmicks to hook you in, and doesn't lock you into a fixed-term contract (that's an indication that you didn't pay the full price up-front and they have to charge you extra to pay it off and guarantee they'll get the rest of it out of you by locking you in). Because when that lock-in period ends and the install price is paid off, you'll still keep paying the same higher rate that includes an allowance for installation prices. The longer you're with them the more you'll be ripped off. Even worse if they heavily advertise, which you pay for also - if they can afford to drop glossy brochures in everyone's letterbox, they're overcharging their customers.

If possible, find a smaller provider that simply expects you to pay the full installation fee up-front, and then charges fair monthly prices that cover the actual cost of your service. That's the sort of provider we use and have been with for over a decade at two different properties and through three generations of wireless technology.
 
Mark C said:
I mentioned this above, but the 'fine print' is the killer. Unless that has changed, 'unlimited' does NOT really mean that, in major part because it does NOT apply to a 'hot spot' that amounts to a modem, for distribution. In other words, 'unlimited' only on a single cell phone, where they know you can't download that much total data anyway.



Have you attached that system to a router or modem for distribution then?
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Starlink comes with a router/wap. You have to pay for the dish and the router but it all comes baked in.
 
phaedrus said:
Starlink comes with a router/wap. You have to pay for the dish and the router but it all comes baked in.
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Yes, but the one I saw didn't appear to be able to be connected to an RF (intermediate) link. You either get the signal directly, or you can't repeat it.
 
Mark C said:
Yes, but the one I saw didn't appear to be able to be connected to an RF (intermediate) link. You either get the signal directly, or you can't repeat it.
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Provided the router has ethernet ports, which it almost certainly will, you can easily add whatever you like.
 
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