If you’ve ever wondered what VSAT means, or wanted to know how reliable satellite Internet connections can be, we’ve created our own Knowledge Base with a wealth of information for you to access.
For convenience, we’ve organized the information into category pages, containing answers to the various questions that may occur in relation to them.
Here are our present categories, and a small portion of the questions and answers they contain:
- Customer Questions
Are satellites more unreliable than other connection types?
No. Over the past 30 years, satellite technology has proven that it has very high service availability and low outages. They generally have better performance and availability than terrestrial circuits, especially in rural areas.
Can satellite Internet be used for online gaming?
Yes! Although satellite Internet connections do have a higher latency than wired connections, they can still be used with almost any type of online game today.An article was written online by Ezine @rticles about this, and they have the following to say:
“Latency is an expression of how much time it takes for a packet of data to get from one designated point to another. This is direly important when it come to on-line gaming in that latency translates into the time that it takes from the moment that a button is pushed to when the action is performed in the game. Often this can mean the difference between life and death. With DSL and Cable the response time is almost immediate, being between 50milliseconds-150milliseconds. The latency for satellite internet is between 600milliseconds-800milliseconds. This may sound like the end of online gaming for someone who has just made the switch to satellite internet but it is not.”For the full article, visit their page Satellite Internet and Online Gaming: Does It Work?
Can I use Voice over IP (VoIP)?
Our LinkStar & iDirect modem services offer the ability to implement VoIP. However, due to the long distance between satellites and Earth, there is a noticeable round loop delay of typically 1 or 2 seconds. This needs the telephone conversation to be rather simplex, i.e. only one person speaks at a time. Nevertheless, VoIP based on LinkStar & iDirect can be an attractive alternative in geographical regions with non-exist or poor telephone infrastructure.
What is a contention ratio?
With most broadband technologies, some of the bandwidth is shared between users as it’s needed. For example, if the service is contended or oversubscribed at 20:1, it means that you share the bandwidth with up to 19 other users, but are guaranteed 1/20th of your selected bandwidth at all times. - Desktop Questions
How do I connect to the terminal directly or over a Local Area Network (LAN)?
The indoor unit of the terminal provides a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Interface which allows you to directly connect a single computer (via a crossover Ethernet cable) as well as a network hub, switch, router or proxy server.
Can I connect to my terminal through a wireless connection?
Yes, through the Ethernet interface it is possible to connect directly a wireless access point or wireless bridge. Many routers have these functions built-in as well. No directly connected PC or workstation is needed.
Can I use Linux for my primary operating system?
The VSAT terminal is an independent station, with no PC needed for operation. Thus the operation system of the computers connected to the LAN port of the terminal does not matter, as long as it supports the Internet Protocol (IP) and Network Interface Card (NIC) of your computer. This is the case of most modern operating systems, including Linux and MAC OS.
How do I check my Internet IP address?
An easy way to check your internet IP address is using Google. Search “what is my ip” and it will display it for you under the search bar.
- General Business Knowledge
What is a CEO?
A Chief Executive Officer, is the individual who manages operation of a whole organization. They are also referred to as Managing Director, or Executive Director in other countries. A CEO will face and decide on all major decisions that may occur in their organization.
What is a COO?
A Chief Operations Officer, is the individual who manages daily operation of an organization, they are responsible for generating routinely reports to the CEO, and ensure overall improvement on a day-by-day basis. The COO will often interact with employees directly, to boost morale and motivation in the company, while also aiding in any decisions they need made.
What is a CTO?
The Chief Technology Officer handles all scientific and technical focuses of an organization. They will often be directly involved in the delivery of any technical services offered to client and customer bases in their organization, and will develop technical strategies for future development.
What is price fixing?
Price fixing is when a collection of companies will work together to decide the price at which a product or service will sell for. This allows the large organization collective to undercut smaller vendors, or charge extortionate prices when they have no direct competition. Although consumers may enjoy a lower price when the corporations involved commit to price fixing, the prices generally rise much higher than they were before the competing companies left the market.Due to the direct harm price fixing causes both to industry competition and the end consumer, it is an illegal practice that can be brought to court if evidence is presented to show organizations have been participating in price fixing. However, it is generally hard to prove that price fixing has occurred until it has already damaged the other companies in its respective market. As such, it is generally has the intended effect before it can be stopped.
Price fixing can occur in almost any market and at any time. Some notable accusations have occured in the Gasoline market, toward technology giant Apple’s E-book market, and were even proven true in court in the case of the Lysine industry, an animal feed additive.
Read information on price fixing law from its Wikipedia page.
Relevant links:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/35353
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/technology/13iht-13panel.17777580.html
- General VSAT Questions
What is VSAT?
VSAT stands for Very Small Aperture Terminal – it’s a catchy acronym and as such it has been adopted by all for every type of satellite product from small components of a system to complete systems. Because the term really hinges around the small size of the antenna it has been used to describe both one-way and interactive systems. Typically, interactive Ku-band antenna sizes range from 75 centimetres to 1.8 metres. One way systems can use antennas as small as 45 centimetres.
Who uses VSAT?
VSAT is used by anyone in rural and remote areas. Car dealerships, gas stations, lottery systems, banks, insurance companies, pharmacies, general stores, supermarkets, healthcare companies, manufacturers, couriers, hotel chains, car rental businesses, food manufacturers, heavy industries, mines, electrical utilities, oil and gas pipelines, energy production and exploration, timber companies, plantations, various government departments and agencies… and any others you can think of. Satellite internet can reach nearly any place on Earth!
What are the site requirements for a VSAT installation?
Depending on site location within the satellite’s footprint, a dish will normally be between 1.2m and 4.5m diameter and mounted on a flat roof or solid base. Suitable space and strength will be required to hold the dish, and line of sight with the satellite is necessary.An external mains power source is required for the ODU. The Indoor Unit requires a stable mains power supply and suitable dry location. The customer will be fully advised to the exact requirements upon successful survey.
Who can install VSAT system?
The terminal has to be installed by a certified installer. Indeed special skills for installing and commissioning are needed, which go well beyond the installation of a satellite reception-only system.
- Satellite Terms
What does availability mean?
Space segment availability refers to the expected time that the Bit Error Rate will exceed the maximum amount, taking into account the predicted rain fade and performance of the receiver equipment in relation to the received signal.
What is the full names of TDM/TDMA and SCPC?
These are two different technologies used by satellite networks. TDM / TDMA stands for Time Division Multiplexed / Time Division Multiple Access. SCPC stands for Single Channel Per Carrier.
What is a BUC?
Block Up Converter, it up converts and amplifies modem information for transmission to the satellite.
What is an LNB?
Low Noise Block Down Converter, it down converts and amplifies signals received from the satellite for transfer to a receiver
Visit their Knowledge Base pages to read the answers, and find even more information!
