Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky1
Seems better to connect with my Verizon in NH -Moultonborough than in MA even? I do not understand. This is for the computer and is a stick sort of thing that plugs into a port on the computer.
Use Time Warner for the cable tv.
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Hi Lucky1 - it was good to meet you at the ForumFest..
To answer the question -
Verizon Broadband would certainly be viable if it actually performed to some reasonable specs. Around here, it doesn't !
There is a diagnostic utility that is included with most operating systems called ping. Ping sends a small data packet to the computer you specifiy on the ping command line, and the other end responds by sending a packet back to you. The packet "round trip time" is then reported. This is a very useful utility ! There is another one called tracert (traceroute on Unix) that will trace the route a packet takes through the network... but that's another story.
Ping will give you a good indication of how fast your network connection plus all of the intermediate hops is performing.
As an example, on a typical cable Internet connection, one can ping a well connected host (let's say google.com - type ping google.com at a command prompt), and the round-trip time will be something like 20 to 30 milliseconds (thousandths of a second). It may even be less, depending.
On a typical DSL connection, the round trip time might be 30-50 milliseconds.
Using Verizon Broadband on a normal day at the lake, the round trip time is *TYPICALLY* 600 - 800 milliseconds (almost 1 second for 1 packet), and OFTEN 3000 milliseconds (3 seconds for 1 packet)!!! That is 100 times slower than cable or DSL when things are really being heavily used, and at its very best - still 1/10th as fast. Sometimes it is 10,000 milliseconds or more (that's 10 seconds for 1 packet to traverse the network!!!).
This is unusable for any of the work I do, which is highly interactive (telnet, secure shell and remote desktop), and is generally unusable for many other things as well. Most other folks find the performance unacceptable, or at best SLOW, which it is.
In speaking with Verizon, they have NO plans of upgrading their 3G network infrastructure. They are working on replacing the existing 3G network nationwide with something faster. However, the effort is being rolled out in the big cities and in densely populated areas - and it would surprise me if the Lake area were upgraded any time withing the next few years. Even then, I still can't imagine they could ever match a 750mHz to 1gHz bandwidth fibre connected broadband network (cable or FIOS).
FIOS is not available in the areas around the lake. DSL has very limited reach due to the technical restrictions that the distance from the central office (or DSL node) must be less than 18,000 feet (15,000 feet in some cases).
So, the only way to get good Internet to the island is to build it, until such time (if any) that Metrocast extends their cable system. Metrocast is currently conducting an engineering survey of Sleepers and Rattlesnake (I have been shuttling the Metrocast folks from the islands to the mainland) to determine what would be involved in extending their cable system cover these islands.
There are a lot of IFs to be met before Metrocast can extend their system - engineering feasibility, pole heights, minimum number of subscribers, legal issuse (easements, crossings, etc.), environmental factors, physical construction of underwater facilities and the list goes on...
So, until such time, if any, that we have some alternative form of high speed Internet, I guess I'll just build it myself and go from there
Regards,
Steve