# Internet in rural areas



## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Well some are already set up, my house in waco was about 8 miles away from any close to main road. The highspeed internet equipment stops about a mile away it is depressing. BUt for when I'm there I went through my phone carrier to have a USB high speed internet. IT just plugs in and there you go, as long as you have a phone signal.


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## DarkChylde (Nov 13, 2008)

Yeah, I have an 'air card' that attaches to my laptop and I can get internet anywere I can get bars (which I am so far out THAT can be a problem sometimes) myself. It was that or satellite....


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

It's been the biggest problem for us with finding a nice country farm since I work from home. The best way I've found is high speed broadband from the cell phone companies, IF there is a tower supporting high speed data close enough. If you have a GPS and get the longitude/latitude of the place(s) you are looking at, the cell companies can tell you if you can get a signal at that location.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

There is a commercial on TV that offers high speed internet via a small dish similar to Direct TV or Dish Network. I can't remember the name off hand but I see the commercial all the time and I'll get it to you. They claim to be able to get you coverage no matter where you are.

Aside from that, I get mine through my telephone provider. I'm looking into wireless cards for my computer too but, in my case that is only good for traveling since we have 3 computers and a wireless printer in the house.

The only two options I can think of that is non-wireless or non-satellite would be cable or telephone and that is up to your local region.

Why not satellite?


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

You can but you need to verify that with your local carriers first. I lived at the top of a hill in our last house but a house just up the road had a full sized 30f antenna for the web which took the juice out of every other house in that immediate area, us included. You can sometimes get away with a simple antenna (which costs around 1,200) to get but that might not enough. Depending on the area you are in some companies wont even come install anything because there is nothing set or your area so unless you have $30,000-50,000 to spend to get everything set up from the town to your house, you are out of luck (again a problem we ran into).

One of the main reasons we moved to our new house is because of the bad wireless connection we had.


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

this is a good topic. my husband and i are moving from the city to the country next weekend and we cant get broadband, cable or anything other than dial up where we are going. im originally from the country but have spent the broadband/cable years in the city so this is a new ball game for me.

so far we have found (but this is in australia) that there are some companies that provide cable there but the cost is usually much higher than in the city. 

we have been told so far that wireless is the way to go but even then some places are just too far out of range and unfortunately our place is. looks like dial up is the way to go for us which is a total bummer. 

ring around though. you just never know. we are going somewhere very remote. i guess it depends on just how far out you are going


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

CacheDawnTaxes said:


> a house just up the road had a full sized 30f antenna for the web which took the juice out of every other house in that immediate area, us included.


What do you mean by 'took the juice out of every other house in that immediate area'? In the case of something being transmitted and then picked up by an antenna or dish, one can't suck away the transmission from other antennae unless you're directly blocking the line of sight from the transmitter.


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

Claire to the rescue! . We missed you Claire! 

Well he must have been downloading the stuff from Stallite and as far as taking the juice out is concern I agree with Claire, unless it has so strong strength that other's signal is squeezed, it is nearly impossible to take everyone's internet.

Oh and if he was the ISP then he has the control over all of your internet 

Regards


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

Well, I always like to correct scientific misconceptions.

Many things are transmitted over the electromagnetic spectrum. This ranges from radio waves (TV, radio, home wireless networking, satellite links), microwaves (cooking and mobile phones), infrared (remote controls, heating), visible light (what we can see), ultraviolet (tanning), x-rays (medical imaging) to gamma rays (emitted by some radioactive isotopes, used to sterilise food).

Basically, the transmitter is a big long strip of metal, and electricity races up and down it to produce the radio wave (or microwave, for mobile phone masts). This radio wave spreads outwards from the mast in all directions. When your receiver (antenna, dish, etc) gets in the way, the radio wave induces an electrical current in the antenna, thereby creating the signal for your TV, radio or computer.

The radio waves aren't actually broadcast direct to you, in the way that, say, your phone line is directly connected to your house. They're broadcast out to everyone, only they're encoded so only people authorised to use them can. So no one can siphon off your share unless they're directly, physically blocking the way.


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

Wow cool. One question, what if the wave is interrupted by a stronger signal? would it cut off that connection and encryption?

Regards


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

What do you mean interrupted by a stronger signal? Some transmitting nearby?

I've only really thought about passive receivers before - e.g. like your TV reception, where you don't transmit any data back. Obviously the internet access is two-way. I can see that it might be possible that a strong signal transmitted by someone nearby could disrupt your reception of the satellite signal, but I'm sure engineers have considered this in their designs!

You can't 'cut off encryption', as I'm sure you know. Encryption just means that the signal is coded: anyone can receive it but not everyone can decipher it. It's just part of the signal being transmitted. You can, however, block, interfere with or interrupt someone else's reception of the signal.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I tried the dial up, Fios and cable is not available to me, I tried the air card but I'm in a no coverage area, so my only choice was sattelite. I have hughesnet. It's not bad really....


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## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

Copper mesh will block a satellite signal all day long. 

I've a degree in nanoscience, a large part of it I did work with lasers.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I always found it really cool to learn that you could make a dish or shield out of a mesh as long as the holes were smaller in diameter than the wavelength of the wave you want to reflect.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Sorry my first post was unclear but yes his stronger signal was interferring with our internet. Also the other issue is make you that you do secure your wireless if you are able to set it up as it will help prevent hackers from also connecting to your wireless which in turn will weaken your signal.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I don't see why it would weaken your signal, but not securing your wireless is stupid as others can use your connection without your permission. That means your internet speeds may be slower (as they are using up some of the space available on the connection) and you are responsible for, and have to pay for, anything they download or use. So if you have a download limit, it's a really, really bad idea to leave your wireless unsecured.

Using someone else's wireless network is theft, but there are simple precautions one can take against it. Would you leave the keys in your car when you went to the shops?


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I am in rural Kansas and lucky enough to have dsl available thru my landline phone company.. This is very good because there is no other landline phone service available to me. Previous to the DSL being available I had dialup available via the same company. I could do Satellite here but really am happy with my DSL.


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## DarkChylde (Nov 13, 2008)

This has been a VERY educational and informative thread, kudos.

I am a little in awe, but glad I have the air card. I will hafta upgrade to satellite in the future, I think, for cable and phone and internet and all of it, but not yet.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

This house is out in the country. There's no larger town close enough. Apparently, to get DSL, you have to be within 3 miles or so from a phone substation. Of course, no phone substation in the little town nearby. 

My job requires that I have high speed internet. There's no DSL and no cable. Any other ideas? Work does not like satellite due to reliability and security. Now, I have heard that some supervisors who live in my state have used satellite and just not told work. I may end up doing that and if it doesn't work I could just go into town and use my mom's internet.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

By the way, the property is in central IL.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> I don't see why it would weaken your signal, but not securing your wireless is stupid as others can use your connection without your permission. That means your internet speeds may be slower (as they are using up some of the space available on the connection) and you are responsible for, and have to pay for, anything they download or use. So if you have a download limit, it's a really, really bad idea to leave your wireless unsecured.
> 
> Using someone else's wireless network is theft, but there are simple precautions one can take against it. Would you leave the keys in your car when you went to the shops?


I'm not asking you to understand. This is information that came DIRECTLY from Shaw and Telus.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

We live 8 miles from the nearest cable line and 3 miles from the nearest cell tower. 3 miles in a metropolitan area would seem too far, but since we are rural but near an interstate highway we got lucky having a tower that close. 
We lived with dial up for the first 9 years and have had the wireless via Sprint mobile broadband. I'm not sure how it rates compared to other high speed services but we are usually at full bars and connecting at 90dBm on rev A... Whatever that means :lol: It mega times faster than the dial up was. I can actually watch something on youtube without starting the vid going out and doing chores then coming back and maybe the video would be loaded maybe not. I think I was connecting at around 31 kbps if that tells you anything :wink:
My sister in law has I believe Wild Blue satellite internet service. They are in Illinois south of Centralia. She has been very happy with them.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Well, we hammered out the details today. Keep your fingers crossed for us.


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

OK. I gotta ask. Where exactly in Central Illinois?? Can I help??


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Laura, IL


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL! Nope....I can't help! I have noooo idea where that is! ***pulling out the BIG PRINT Illinois map...cussin the blasted thing...cuz I can't get it folded back UP!***


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

PaintedLady said:


> ***pulling out the BIG PRINT Illinois map...cussin the blasted thing...cuz I can't get it folded back UP!***


 
Hmmmmmmm
One of those blonde moments ?????????


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

Nope....one of those stoooooopid big print map moments! :twisted: :lol:


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Spyder said:


> Hmmmmmmm
> One of those blonde moments ?????????





PaintedLady said:


> Nope....one of those stoooooopid big print map moments! :twisted: :lol:


 
ROFLMBO. maps are easy to fold up. LOL

I didn't know you were Blonde!!!!


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

RegalCharm said:


> ROFLMBO. maps are easy to fold up. LOL
> 
> I didn't know you were Blonde!!!!


RC, quit flirting. Remember, you're kissing Spyder in the other thread, not this one. :wink:

It's near Peoria. Hubby went through the "town" and said...."Where is it?" Tiny doesn't describe it.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

SSSSHHHHHHHHHH.:lol:


It looks like a dot. that must be the one horse that lives there. LOL


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

Hey RC...if you get one of these BIG print maps....the dot's bigger...and you can see the horse!
Heheheh

The Blonde


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