Satelite Internet

M_a_t_t_h_e_w

<div class="IPBDescription">Good?</div> I doubt any of you remember me, but a while back I moved out of the city (not my choice). Used to have Cable internet, no I'm stuck with crap dial-up. We've been considering getting satelite internet, but I've hear that there is still lag ingames. Is it true? Is it noticible? Is it gamebreaking? I really miss playing Halflife (NS and CS mostly) and want to get back into the game without waiting years for a broadband connection to be brought out here.

Maus

This is from a couple of years back, but afaik it's still the same:

Satellite internet gives high download speeds, but suffers from bad "lag" (from the signal being sent up to space and back).

Alcapwn

Yup, do to the law of physics and all, theres no way to reduce the lag either...i think its almost a constand 2000ms of pingtime from you to the sattelite...


Noticible? Yes.

Gamebreaker? Yes.

Sucks? Yup.

Thaldarin

Get yourself 56k on the side. Satellite for downloads, 56k for gaming. It may be poor but its the best option there is.

Alcapwn

That could get expensive, though...especially for the sattelite equipment.

CommunistWithAGun

Its not worth it, 2000-3000ms constant. That and its extremely expensive

lolfighter

Well, 2000ms can't be from the distance alone. Those sattelites are NOT in a lunar orbit.

Thaldarin

Just a thought, can you not subscribe to wireless broadband?

Maus

Also, I played NS and CS on dialup for years (finally got broadband in Jan) - it's not too bad, really.

sheena_yanai

depends if you have a expensive "sat-downlink 56k-uplink" (thats where the lag comes from) or a superexpensive sat uplink and downlink (so expensive only news television , telecom providers and goverment use it, and maybe some high funded expeditions at the arse of our planet) . our local cable provider sky perfect tv in colloboration with J:COM Broadband offers cable or fiber optical connection to their huge satelite transceiver station, this connection is expensive, and mainly meant for companys. but the plus is that you dont need your own sat transceiver equipment, and its really fast

Cyndane

... Ok, while not to sound mean or anything, but really you guys don't know what you are even talking about.

Satellite internet is slow for games, because it is not a constant connection, they have to send the data at intervels which is why it is not constantly uploading/downloading.

One would have spikes in download and upload speeds.

Not to mention the equipment for personal use is around $600 US dollars, and the service runs around 50 to 60 a month, depending upon which company you refer to.

A little more technical specs would be about 5-400Kb DL, and the same for upload, but it will VARY. As I have stated above.

I have installed DirectWay (US satellite internet provider) and thus have had direct dealings with them since they were offered back in 99-00. (They were quite a bit more expensive then, but it hasn't changed that much).

lolfighter

And here I thought interleaving was as bad as it gets for gaming. Sattelite has that beat hands down, though.