Satellite Internet Connections?

[Cerise]

Im not the most computer savvy type out there, and Ive wanted to get off of dial-up for years, but have had limited success due to my area. Ive called various broadband providers, only to have them tell me that their service isnt available where I live, or that there's a problem with my existing lines that make it impossible to give me service.

Just recently, I saw a TV ad for satellite broadband, which stated that any area could get service, as long as they had a place for the satellite and all that. In particular, the ad was for HughesNet, but I'd never heard of satellite internet, let alone this provider. So, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the satellite stuff, could give a list of pros and cons, or other recommendations for something better and faster than dial-up thats reliable and wouldnt require moving to another town for. I really cant afford $100+ a month either.

Also, HughesNet mentioned something called a Ethernet Network Interface Card that should be installed for network capability. Honestly, I dont know what that is, if I have it, how much it costs, who can install it, or where to go to find any of that out. Is there a way to know if I have the Ethernet thing, or is my only choice to take it to a computer pro? If I dont have it, how much does it cost, on average, to get? Is the card necessary for any broadband connection, or just connections via satellite?

Sorry if these questions are really obvious. I sort of feel like a 90 year old woman trying to discover computers for the first time.

[ryan.riverside]

Don't feel like a stupid old woman. Depending on which satellite provider you go with, and how fast you want your internet to be, it costs about 500 bucks for initial set-up, including installation, network cards, router, and the lot. About the network card: It should be in the back of your computer. The hole looks like a really big phone jack, basically. That's how high-speed internet goes into your computer usually. Comes standard on most computers nowadays.

Pros:
MUCH faster than dialup
If you are using dialup on an extra phone line, like I used to, it's actually cheaper to have broadband. That would have been low end, but it was still about half the cost of dial-up, and with dial-up our fastest speed was 20kb/s
No need to 'dial up,' since you are constantly connected

Cons:
If you want it to be fast, it takes a chunk out of your wallet
Unreliable in the rain, as with all satellite technology

Any more questions, feel free to ask.

[Paul]

Rain fade would only occur if you had a tiny satellite dish, and unless it was a severe monsoon season, it wouldn't effect it that much, anyway. Once a page is loaded, it's loaded. If at all, it'd only effect large downloads.

Meh, you shouldn't be using electronics like TVs and computers in stormy weather anyway.

[ryan.riverside]

true, true, but she did ask for the cons, and that is one of them

[Cerise]

Thank you both. Im sorry for not responding back earlier...the page timed out when I submitted this thread, and when I checked to see if it had posted anyway, nothing had shown up. So I figured it never got posted. When I came back today, I was pretty surprised to see that I had a thread o_o

That information is pretty useful. At least it gives me something to start with. Its so hard to google information when you're not even sure what to look for. The only computer related business in my area is run by a bunch of morons. I had them try to fix viruses and freezing problems on my old computer, and they ended up wiping my entire hard drive. They hadnt warned me that it would happen, and they didnt even tell me it happened. I thought everything was fine until I got home and realized I had nothing left, except the same problems they'd claimed to have fixed. I'd rather trust PPTers for info

[ryan.riverside]

It's no problem! Glad to be of help!