[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> People,
>
> I know a couple of you had mentioned using Starband,
> (If you haven't left due to flamewars).
> I was wondering if it uses internal PIC(?) boards, or an
> external box, similar to a cable modem.
Depends on who you get it from.
If you get it from Rat Shack then it's internal; works with windoze
only. If you get it from the Dish people then you get a box that's
a bit bigger than the average VCR. The box contains the sattelite
transceiver; out the other end it's USB (!). Also on the back
of the box is a TP Ethernet connector, but it's dormant. Their
software package also works only with windoze. But there's
a glimmer of hope.
Now...the trick is that if you open the box (thus voiding the
warranty) you'll quickly discover that the USB connection is
actually a little daughter card that can be removed. Removing
the daughtercard re-activates the previously dormant TP connector,
which you then hook to your Linux box.
Having said all that... The problem with Starband is latency. Where
this nails you big-time is precisely with bursty, itinerant stuff
like web/http traffic. Latencies via sattelite run at best around
250ms (not counting latencies through the 'net itself.) That adds
up real fast, so part of the software package from Starband is
a elaborate proxy, part of which runs on your PC and the other
part at their NOC. The proxy has the effect of squashing multiple
requests/connections so you don't take as much of a beating going
through the sattelite.
Anyway, there's a lot more interesting info out there. I'd suggest
taking a look at http://www.starbandusers.com. They just posted
some instructions on how to make Starband work with Linux (Mandrake 8)
Dunno if this includes anything on the caching proxy software...
Starbandusers also has instructions on how to remove the USB
card and reactivate the RJ45 jack.
FYI I'm not a Starband user myself but I've been looking at it
as an alternative to Adelphia or DSL (Dark Side Link) after my
house is built.
Hth,
-- Farrell
**********************************************************
To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the following text in the
*body* (*not* the subject line) of the letter:
unsubscribe gnhlug
**********************************************************
