Multiplayer: using satellite 2-way

[Storm_Chaser 0]

Anyone played Flashpoint with a two-way satellite connection like DirecPC? How'd it work? Good? Bad? Woo?

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

I've heard satelite sucks , that is when playing games, and i have heard that when playing online thru satelite, it really gets slow or as slow as 56k.But when used just to browse, its fine.

[Mister Frag 0]

SKULLS_Viper is correct, the latency (ping, lag, whatever you want to call it) of satellite connections is much too high for enjoyable gaming where milliseconds count.

I haven't used a satellite connection myself for gaming, but I'm familiar with the technology, and I have a friend who has tried it for a month. He's now on DSL and much less frustrated.

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

Thats because, satelites have to send data all the way to space, then the satelite in space, has to send the data back.What could also lower it even more is weather, clouds, snow etc.

[Placebo 29]

Moving to MP

[Storm_Chaser 0]

So I hear. Everyone says they've heard it sucks for gaming, but I've yet to come accross someone who's actually -used- it. I tried it the other day with a quick 2 way game of rainbow six and it seemed to work good, compared to the wonderful 26.8K I've got now. Oh well, stupid Verizon.

[Mister Frag 0]

As I said earlier, one of my friends (and someone who plays OFP now) used to have a satellite connection for about one month, and was quite unhappy with it. That was about two years ago when we were playing Rogue Spear / Urban Ops several nights a week.

He actually had the service for more than one month, but it wasn't working most of the time for the first two or so, so he wasn't billed then. Once the service worked most of the time, he still found the performance lacking, and when DSL became available shortly thereafter, he switched.

No it isn't a first-hand account, but it comes close enough for me to not want to recommend it to anyone, lest I get blamed for the results.

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So I hear. Everyone says they've heard it sucks for gaming, but I've yet to come accross someone who's actually -used- it.<span id='postcolor'>

I said i have heard of it being bad, which means when i heard, it means some one tryed it.

[Storm_Chaser 0]

Oh well. It can't be any worse then 20 year old Verizon-owned phone lines with more patches then whores in New York City during Fleet Week...

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Storm_Chaser @ May 23 2002,20:32)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Oh well. It can't be any worse then 20 year old Verizon-owned phone lines with more patches then whores in New York City during Fleet Week... <span id='postcolor'>

Bandwidth is a problem with analog dial-up, but latency is rarely an issue. Thus, satellite could be worse for some things...

See if the satellite guys will give you a performance guarrantee or 30-day trial period where you can return the equipment and cancel the contract if you aren't satisfied. Make them win you as a customer, if they believe in their product and it is as great as they say, they should have no problem doing that.

[Psycho1 0]

I just bought a 1-way satellite internet system........I have no need for the upload speed since I don't do large uploads to websites, send huge e-mail attachments, etc. The 2 way system costs way more since you must have someone install it for you, and the equipment costs hundreds more as well if I recall correctly.

Like Frag said, satellite internet will not work well for internet games, you definitely should not buy a satellite system if all you do is play internet games, because 56k works better than satellite internet for games. The latency of satellite internet is just too high for it.

If you do a lot of downloading and you don't have access to DSL, cable, etc., than satellite internet is the way to go. That's why I got it, now I don't have to wait hours and hours for downloads to complete:)

[Psycho1 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">See if the satellite guys will give you a performance guarrantee or 30-day trial period where you can return the equipment and cancel the contract if you aren't satisfied. Make them win you as a customer, if they believe in their product and it is as great as they say, they should have no problem doing that.<span id='postcolor'>

They definitely will not do that, I can tell you that as a fact. DirecPC aka DirecWay is horrible when it comes to customer service. I haven't had to deal with them, but when I was researching my decision to buy a satellite system, most newsgroups about satellite internet have horror stories about their customer service. That didn't deter me since I was really sick of waiting forever for downloads to complete, and their service rarely goes down except for in heavy rains(at least that's what I read from several people).

I have heard similiar stories from other companies offering satellite internet, like Starband. It's pretty much a monopoly since it's all owned by the Hughes network, but don't quote me on that:)

I don't know if BestBuy still does it, but when I bought mine I got the installation free of charge with my 1-way system. You should only get satellite internet if you do not and will not have access to DSL or cable in the near future.

If you ask me, the 400 kb/s download ability makes it all worth it:)

[Storm_Chaser 0]

Welp, after trying it with Rainbow Six and Counter-Strike, I can say it works pretty good. I'm not horridly concerned with it being 'stable', as it can't be any worse then what they offer now. After speaking with a Verizon person, and seeing their plans, they don't plan to offer DSL/Cable in my area until 2025. Haha. Screw that, I say. And they will not lay new phone cable until 2010. If it breaks, they patch it. As they've done for the last 10 years.

Since I don't play multiplayer games now, it won't be -too- big a difference, except in the speed of me downloading patches and files.

As for costing more, it doesn't. It was 500 to set up, regardless of type. For one way, it was something like $50 a month for the service, I needed an ISP to go 'out' on for dialup, I needed to pay for the phone line itself, and I'm relying on two methods of data transfer, one of which in my area is highly unstable (phone).

The two way was 500 for set up, and is 50 a month. Tough choice.

[Psycho1 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As for costing more, it doesn't. It was 500 to set up, regardless of type. For one way, it was something like $50 a month for the service, I needed an ISP to go 'out' on for dialup, I needed to pay for the phone line itself, and I'm relying on two methods of data transfer, one of which in my area is highly unstable (phone).

<span id='postcolor'>

Okay, I'd really love to see where you got that information, because it is wrong, plain and simple.

1-way satellite internet costs $150 for the equipment, and $40/month for unlimited access.  For 2-way satellite internet, it costs $60/month for unlimited access, and the equipment costs $399.  With the 2-way, you also have to have someone install it, which costs roughly $200.  Since I already had a phone line and don't do much uploading, I saved a lot of money going with 1-way.

Those prices are the same at most websites you go to....here are some links:

link 1

link2

link3

Once again, I'd really like to know where you got that information. We are talking about DirecPC aka DirecWay systems right? The prices don't vary much for Starband either though.

[Psycho1 0]

Here is a good read about satellite internet: What is satellite internet?

Here is a quote about pings and such: </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The net effect is that it adds about a minimum of 240ms to the round trip. This is from an ideal position as close to the satellite as possible, which is probably in the ocean at the equator. And remember, that if you send for a web page both the request and the response have to travel these distances in addition to any ground distance. A more realistic expectation is a response of about 500-1000ms.<span id='postcolor'>

For me, the lowest ping server on ASE when I use satellite internet is in the 600ms. You will get over 500ms ping, and that is unacceptable for online games. If you don't mind it, the people playing with you will definitely mind......

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If you ask me, the 400 kb/s download ability makes it all worth it:)<span id='postcolor'>

haha, 3000kbps download is worth it, and i get cable internet service for $5 a month, all though thats cause i get a employe discount with AT&T.

(normal price is $50 for AT&T cable internet)

[Psycho1 0]

56k was $10/month......the highest constant rate on downloads was around 5.5 kb/s. Now I can get downlads of over 600 kb/s at 3am:) Paying $40/month for that much of a change is well worth it:)

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

ugggh, 56k, dont tell me bout that.

When i had AOL, man, when my area was ready for AT&T cable internet i pounced on it.When i first went on, man did i nearly pass out, cause the speed was so fast.God, my i never go back to 56k.

Man downloading at 5k per sec with 56k, 100MB dowloads took 10 hours.With cable,3-4 mins.

Now i can play online with more then 30 players and my ping it around 70ms, with 56k i could only play against 4 players, and it lagged like hell.

[Psycho1 0]

I forgot to quote this paragraph in that article....

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As an aside there are some Low Earth Orbit/Observable satellites called "LEO's" which promise to offer all the current systems do, and more. Including MUCH lower delay times in the 10 to 20ms range. These systems, however, aren't slated to come online until about 2005 if they ever do. So for the time being, you'll just have to accept the delay inherent in the system.

<span id='postcolor'>

I really hope I can get my hands on that:)

[Mister Frag 0]

I'm not sure who finally wound up buying the assets of Irridium, but my understanding is that the people who bought it wanted to use it to provide Internet access in hard-to-wire locations, as well as services to the trucking/transportation industry.

I wonder if the Low-Earth Orbit satellites mentioned in the article are the Irridium birds -- they certainly quality.