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Fixed & Mobile Satellite Internet Frequently Asked Questions1) What is StarBand service
and where is it available? 1. What is
StarBand service and where is it available? You should take the foot print coverage maps with a grain of salt since the map is meant to give you a general idea. It reads just like a topo map especially where the lines are close together. At these points the cliff effect comes into play and the signal will drop off very rapidly. As you approach the outer limits of your antennas performance in a particular location you will notice that at night you will stay connected fine but as soon as 10AM to about 6 PM roll around you will lose receive lock because the satellites signal will not be strong enough to over come the background solar noise. 2. What operating
systems are compatible with StarBand satellite modems? 3. Why do
I need to be certified to install and use the StarBand service?
TV satellites transmitting their signal to the earth have a large
footprint. As long as you are in that footprint it is a relatively
easy task to aim towards the satellite and acquire that signal.
Transmitting a signal back is a much more precise task. Satellites
in geostationary orbit (like StarBand's satellites) are spaced approximately
45-50 miles apart. If you draw a straight line between your dish and the satellite
it will be about 22,300 miles long, move your dish even one degree
off peak and the other end of your line has wandered off target
by approximately 389 miles. There is the very real possibility that if your antenna is not
pointed correctly you would be causing interference to your satellite
or an adjacent satellite. This is a very serious issue to satellite operators and is why
it is so critical that your dish is correctly pointed, locked down
tight and stabilized properly. StarBand randomly monitors its earth stations and will shut down
your system if it detects any problems with your antenna alignment.
If this happens too often your system will be permanently turned
off and your certification will be revoked. In the certification class you will learn how to adjust and check your antenna alignment. Getting certified to do a self-install can save you hundreds of dollars. If you are handy with tools, comfortable around computers, like following detailed user manuals and willing to invest some time taking a free online course you can get certified. It takes about 3-5 hours and involves several free tests. Please check our services page for detailed instructions on how to get certified 4. What kind
of speed can I expect? The Nova Sky Edge 1000 modem is advertised as “up to” 128Kbps up
and 1024Kbps down. Realistically during peak periods you will see
around 70 to 80 Kbps up and 600 to 800Kbps down. The Nova Sky Edge 1500 modem is advertised as “up to” 256Kbps up
and 1512Kbps down. Realistically during peak periods you will see
around 150 to 180 Kbps up and 900 to 1100Kbps down. During the late evening speeds will approach and sometimes even
exceed advertised speeds (both have VPN at dial-up speeds). 6. How do
VOIP applications work over the StarBand connection? Keep in mind that VOIP over satellite has virtually nothing to
do with the speed of the connection. It has a lot more to do with
consistent and predictable ping times (latency)and available bandwidth.
When ping times are all over the place and ranging from 600 Milliseconds
to as high as 3 seconds the connection is referred to as having
a lot of jitter. VoIP compression algorithms that try to compensate
for high ping times have a very difficult time dealing with highly
variable and unpredictable jitter in a consumer class VSAT connection.
This new Starband VOIP service seems to tolerate
it better than most VOIP services and it can run on as little as
8Kbps and still give fairly decent quality to the call. Starband and HughesNet are a consumer class VSAT service. They are
not designed, to deliver consistent business quality VoIP services. If you are a commercial customer or individual that must have carrier grade VoIP quality over satellite please keep in mind that the service must support:
Without these features, it is hard to get VoIP to work reliably and consistently over a consumer class
satellite service. We do also sell commercial enterprise class satellite VOIP services that
will do a very good job of supporting VoIP, but as with most things
in life, you tend to get what you pay for, and you will pay more
for a VSAT system that supports good VoIP quality. If you want consistent, quality, guaranteed VOIP service over a satellite connection, be prepared to purchase a commercial grade enterprise system with equipment pricing starting at around $1,599 and monthly fees of $299 to $399.99 minimum. Only those systems come with guaranteed VOIP service level agreements (QOS), consistent predictable ping times between 600 - 800 milliseconds and SAR. Orbital Enterprises sells a Commercial Grade 1024Kbps X 512 Kbps
service that includes dedicated VOIP bandwidth and packet prioritization.
We use Gilat VSAT equipment exclusively for carrier grade VOIP over satellite because they are the leader
in VoIP over satellite with over 90% of the VoIP VSAT world market
share. Rather than Use CIR like others do as a work around to VOIP Over
satellite Gilat modems have committed channels that we can program
to provide either random access or dedicated access. On a dedicated
channel you get VOIP prioritization and built in SAR. They don’t
take a slice of your existing bandwidth. In addition, the call terminates
at Spacenets soft-switch at their HUB and then goes out over the
Public Switched Telephone Network. No part of the call goes out
over the internet where they cannot control QoS and SAR. You are
provided with a USA Telephone # in the Area code of your choice.
Calls are as low as 5 cents per min if purchased in 1000 min bundles
or 12 cents per min a la cart. Spacenets VoIP solution is also already 9-1-1 certified as per US law. Your site is identified in the system and if you dial 911 it goes to a special call center that will instantly dispatch the proper authorities. If your VSAT is mobile it is flagged in the system as Mobile so the 911 call center can help you get help wherever you are. Including dispatching the Coast Guard if you are on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf or the proper authorities if you are in another country. Please check the commercial satellite internet services section of our site for more information 7. Can I
turn my present home StarBand system into a Mobile Satellite Internet system? 8. What is
the difference between certification and training? 9. What is
the difference between a commercial service plan and a consumer
service plan? 10. What
are Starbands bandwidth limitations, can I use the service as much
as I want? To help ensure that all members have fair and equal use of the benefits of the service and to protect the integrity of the service, StarBand reserves the right, and will take necessary steps, to prevent excessive consumption of bandwidth. By regulating this excessive consumption, StarBand can improve upload and download speeds, congestion and VSAT capacity for all of our customers. Please note that the FAP thresholds are only monitored between the hours of 6:00am and 12:00am.
Customers who are close to exceeding their assigned bandwidth usage
for a rolling period of seven days will be sent a warning message
via a web message and via their StarBand email account. Customers
who exceed their assigned bandwidth usage for a rolling period of
seven days will again be notified via a web message and via their
StarBand email account. The web message will specify that the customers’
speeds will be temporarily reduced until the customers’ seven day
rolling average drops below the ‘exit limit’. The customer's normal
high-speed access (as specified in the customer’s contract) will
be restored after that time period. Because there is a seven-day
monitoring period, customers are not penalized for one-time or occasional
bandwidth bumps unless the total for the entire seven days is very
high. In addition, customers get one free pass to remove the restriction
by calling StarBand customer service and requesting a restriction
removal. Customers who repeatedly use excessive bandwidth and have
received multiple warnings may be suspended from using StarBand
services for a specified period of time. For more details about Starbands acceptable use policy click here
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