Dianne-TX Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 We just recently moved out to the country. Uverse, dsl are not options. We've tried the hotspot on my husband's phone, but it didn't last long at all. Our only other option is satellite Internet. We've not heard good things about it. Just wondering if anyone could share their experience. The main option in our area is Hughes Net. If anyone can offer other options I would appreciate that, too. Tia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 We are in the Texas boonies too--- have you looked into wireless broadband? We found it a beter option than Hughes Net. I'm SW of Austin and we are currently using txwinet.com (Texas Wireless)-- there are other similar providers as well. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 We don't have DSL options here either, only satellite. Hughes Net is an option here but we go with a smaller local company. We have a bandwidth limit (20gbs a month) but the service is okay. It doesn't often go out and while it is slower it is faster than using our hotspot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 We have used Hughes Net two different times. The first time was when we lived in a very remote area on a mountain - it worked okay but never well enough to stream anything and even downloading stuff was slow. The second time (now :) ) it seems to work pretty well. I can browse and watch youtube videos with no problem. Streaming a movie works okay but it eats up a LOT of my allowed usage so we use netflix dvds more often now. We are in a rural pocket of a large suburban area and this was the best option for us. hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Sorry to high jack but what is wireless broadband? What companies offer it? I can't even get satellite internet (too many trees). Right now I just use my phone as a hotspot for my netbook as needed. Hurray I can get wireless broadband :) $50.00 a month unlimited, I have been looking for about 2 years for something else besides what we have on our phones. It always been they either don't have service out here or too many trees. As you can tell I'm stoked :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 The downside of satellite internet is uploading content. It is soooo sllloooowww. We live out of cell phone service, but we do have a private, community broadband service. It reminds me of the old community phone service where everyone share a single phone line, but in our case it is a single broadband signal that bounces hither and yon. However, If one person in the system decides to download volumes of information or watch a movie the whole system suffers and loads nothing. For us, there is no alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Satellite is your absolute LAST option!! Don't sign up unless you're positive you've exhausted every other avenue. (You'll be locked in to a contract, like everything else). The service itself will be sufficient for almost anything, unless you're in a high-traffic area, in which case the demand on the system in that one spot can really drag down speeds. What is cumbersome with satellite, though, is the bandwidth limits. You really won't be able to stream anything as it'll use up a daily allowance in less than an hour... -Have you talked to your neighbors yet, to see what they're using? That's step one. -Another suggestion is trying to max out the cell signal on your husband's hotspot. Look into Wilson boosters. We have one that brings us up from no bars to a solid three. -As well as local wireless providers, you might also look into local cell carriers. Rural carriers are subsidized for rural communications and often offer great deals. (Our internet comes via my cell carrier to a router that ties into the antenna on top of my roof. $60/month for 100gigs of service, 3-6meg download. Plenty fast enough to stream, btw) Also look for a smaller, local land-line phone carrier. When we lived just north of here, on the Nebraska side of the state line, we had excellent DSL service, even 12 miles from pavement, in a county of 1000 people, from the local 3-exchange phone carrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Type into google wireless broadband your county your state, that's how I finally found service for us. We have looked for 2 years, the website for my state had not just wireless broadband but all services available in my county (though most are hit and miss since I'm rural) I will find out by Monday how fast our speed will be :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Slow, slow, slow. And out every time it rained. Of course, our DSL option that is on right now is actually slightly worse.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwallowTail Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My mom has it, and they can't get signal half the time when they travel, and it is so slow that they cannot watch any videos or Netflix or anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 We have satellite internet. It is very expensive, it sucks. A lot. Frontier sucks. A lot. They were given the money to install DSL line here and pocketed it. Did I say Frontier is not a good company? LOL. You can use up $250 of internet if your computer or Kindle makes an update. All updates must be turned off on EVERY device, at all times with satellite internet. Twice all out $250 a month internet was gone the first day of the month because of an accidental update. GRRRR. Your kids must be monitored at all times because videos use too much internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 You can use up $250 of internet if your computer or Kindle makes an update. All updates must be turned off on EVERY device, at all times with satellite internet. Twice all out $250 a month internet was gone the first day of the month because of an accidental update. GRRRR. Your kids must be monitored at all times because videos use too much internet. Quoting just to repeat this! Seriously. You have to be SUPER diligent about having your devices' connections all shut off when not in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 Excited to update that we didn't have to go with satellite. We got a strong hotspot wireless thing to use and it works great! I'm not going to be able to stream Netflix or anything, but that's okay. We got Direct TV dvr and that will work for now. Yay! So glad to finally get it figured out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 We are in the Texas boonies too--- have you looked into wireless broadband? We found it a beter option than Hughes Net. I'm SW of Austin and we are currently using txwinet.com (Texas Wireless)-- there are other similar providers as well. Good luck! We lived SE of Austin with Hughes Net for a year and it scared us into buying a house of our own right in the suburbs where we have options. Hughes net was horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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