I struggled with dial-up for a long time. At one time I tried a Sprint card
(via a 3rd-party provider, whose name escapes me). According to Sprint's
coverage maps I should have had good service, but they lied.
My electric coop---one of the Touchstone Energy group---offers services from
Transworld Network (TWN) and they offer Wi-Power, a Wi-Max system, but a
mountain ridge between me and their access point blocked coverage.
I finally wrote to the CEO of the co-op and the next thing I know I got a call
from Milt, N5IA. Milt worked for another co-op for years in Eastern AZ and had
built his own Wi-Max system in his community. Wi-Power bought his business and
hired him so he was now in charge of new services. He found another existing
250' tower, 8 miles line-of-sight from me, (already owned by the co-op) and had
an access point installed there.
Because of the construction of my house, flat roof, no attic, no basement,
running new cable was out of the question. I had one empty 1/2" conduit from
the roof to a utility closet. The Wi-Max receiver output (Ethernet) comes in
through the conduit to a Iinksys Wireless-G router.
This has been nearly flawless for over a year.
So John, I think that you are on a co-op. If I'm right, you might approach
them to see if they can, or have given thought, to providing Internet service.
To your original question I can say that I don't foresee any issues, although
I'm not familiar with Belkin modems.
I already had a wireless modem but opted to pay the few bucks extra for the one
offered by TWN just to avoid finger pointing if there were any problems. I
suggest that you do the same if you go to WB.
BTW, I have at least 3 neighbors that I know of who had WB and went to Wi-Power
once I got us service :-)
Wes N7WS
> From: "Dave Harmon" <k6xyz@sbcglobal.net>
>
> My experience is that WB is far too expensive....and far
> too slow to be of
> much use.
> Can you get 3G in your area?
> I got it and it's the only way to go unless you can't get
> good cell tower
> reception at your location.
> Then....WB is likely the only thing else you can do.
> I have Sprint.
>
> Dave Harmon
> K6XYZ[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
> Sperry, Ok.
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> I will soon be dumping dial-up at the ranch for Wildblue
> satellite system.
> Will
> be going wireless throughout the house. The local Wildblue
> dealer stocks a
> Bekin
> wireless modem. Not many choices out here in my rural area
> unless I order
> something online. You guys that moved into the 21st century
> long ago help me
> out. Any wireless modems that I need to avoid? Anything
> else that I need to
> know
> to avoid problems?
>
> John
> AE5B
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