If only port forwarding was available with an 'unlimited' package and the latency didn't affect voip and Vodafone sure signal i'd go for it. For me there are too many snags that you just don't get with ADSL.
Nigel, as we are cancelling our broadband package in favour of another, we have used nothing but Tooway for two weeks, multiple devices on fast unlimited broadband. Faultless service, kids enjoying unlimited access to Netflix! It's working perfectly for us.
Great news Jane, thanks for the update :)
Hi All,
I just wanted to say a huge (slightly belated) Thanks to James for his Tooway recommendation. I purchased their system just over a month ago now and it is a dream, compared with my Orange internet service. Even in the really horrendous weather recently, absolutely no loss of connection! For someone who lives in the middle of nowhere and works online, this is a godsend. Like James, I am keeping my Orange system running alongside for the time being as I cannot afford to lose connection at any time but if any of you are still undecided about Tooway, all I can say from personal experience up until now is go for it. Their customer service, support, delivery and product are all excellent and I now don't have sleepless nights worrying about whether or not I'm going to wake up to a functioning internet connection! Definitely worth it.
Hi Harvey
No problems with secure sites, there are a couple of issues with satellite and they are latency which affects Voice over IP, I have yet to try this so I don't know how bad it actually is and the second thing I have found that does not work well is VPN. If you need a VPN tunnel to a server in the States to allow you to watch your chosen service then I suggest I try it out for you from my setup. That way you'll know if it's going to work or not.
As far as usage goes, if you're watching a lot of video, then you're probably going to want the unlimited package, unless you download instead of stream it or actually watch during off peak hours when some of the tariffs offer unlimited.
Hope that makes sense, shout if you have any more questions or if you want me to try it. I have VPN I can use if necessary.
James
My husband recently read your post about how happy you were with Tooway Internet service, and he has composed the following message.
Hello James:
My wife and I are Americans who live in the country in the Gers (32). We have a DSL connection that sometimes delivers 520kbit/second, at maximum. I have a subscription to watch American professional basketball over the Internet, but the DSL connection is not adequate for that. It had been working (blurry but fluid), but recently it has become unwatchable. So, we are thinking of getting satellite Internet.
Do you use satellite Internet for financial transactions, does it handle them? I read a post by a French user a couple of years ago which said that his satellite connection did not work on secured sites.
I use a VPN to access a subscription to Rhapsody music service in the US. Do you think this would work with the satellite connection? (I really like Rhapsody, and I'm a semi-professional musician, so I have particular uses for it.)
I am wondering generally if we might be able to cancel our DSL subscription once the satellite Internet is up and running,because everything we do with the DSL connection, other than the unlimited telephone service, can be done with the satellite service, only better and faster.
My other question concerns whether the plans with limited daytime use and unlimited access at night might make sense for us. This is hard to gauge because I have no idea how much usage is normal for us, and Orange gives no statistics for users on our plan. The basketball games, if viewed in the highest resolution (3000 kb/sec) are probably comparable to watching a movie. They are streamed, not downloaded. Another application I have is video guitar lessons on the Internet. I have to download the lessons, because they are unwatchable on our connection if streamed. There is constant rebuffering. I start to play the video, then download it using Internet Download Manager. Generally we never try to watch streaming videos.
Apart from videos, the DSL connection is adequate and reliable. Nothing we do other than watching streaming videos requires a better connection. But of course a better connection would be nice, in any event. I don't think we will be downloading movies on the Internet. We have French satellite TV, and we really like that. I can also watch a limited selection of NBA games on French satellite TV in high definition. The only problem is that they choose the games, not I, and the commentary is in French. With the my internet subscription, I could watch every possible game, were it working.
Sorry for going on at such length. You had mentioned that people could ask you questions, so that's what I'm doing. Thanks, Harvey
Hi James I seem to have slipped up in response to your last on Tuesday. Sorry - anyway I'm currently using Broadband via an FT line used only for that purpose. The signal is often poor, and occasionally goes completely. We think it could simply depend on the usage elsewhere in our immediate vicinity. I used SKYPE for the first time today, reception was OK, but I could have been calling to an island in the middle of the Pacific, the interference was so bad!
HI Lance
Day to day browsing doesn't appear any quicker than my wired broadband service unless the page I'm loading has large images on it in which case it's mush faster. The latency of the satellite service will affect some things, such as gaming and possibly voip although I've yet to test that. I can easily stream HD from iPlayer and other on demand services now without any trouble at all. An added bonus is that the ip address you get from Tooway is a UK one so no need to use a VPN service to watch UK tv.
I keep the wired broadband as a backup, we both work via the internet so we can't risk loss of service, I can offset it anyway.
Hope that helps?
James
Hi James. I have been doing quite a bit of research into this after reading your post. The only concern I have is there seem to be a lot of people (perhaps with older sat systems) that complain that the Internet experience suffers dramatically as a result of the latency issue. This means that while downloading large files is ultra fast, clicking a web page link can take 15 to 30 seconds to load making it seem like you’ve traded up to a slower Internet connection! Having had the system for a while now, can you comment on this at all? Also curious as to why you have kept the 2Mps broadband connected. Is this as a safety net for your business in case the satellite goes down and if so, had you ever had too use it?
Cheers
Lance
Hi Jon (and anyone else who is interested)
The voip discussion deserves it's own thread so I have set that up here so as not to hijack this one as people may have questions about Satellite Internet which they can ask here.
Thanks
James
PS meant to add earlier on that if you use a VOIP router like the Draytek Vigor VG, you can plug any normal phone (or network of phones) around the house for VOIP calls. If you don't want lots of phone wiring any DECT cordless will do the same thing. VOIP has saved me a fortune since I started using it about 6 years ago and it can be handy having a UK number wherever you are.
Most of the smartphones can log onto the same VOIP service wherever you have a network connection (inc the 3G network). My htc 1X can be set to give you the option of GSM or VOIP to make any call and all incoming VOIP rings the htc. Again the outgoing calls via VOIP on the mobile on a network come up with my 01629 caller ID instead of the mobile caller ID.
They told me they are woking on The Vodafone Sure Signal issue but didn't sound like it's anywhere close to a resolution.
Correct you don't need a static ip for Sure Signal. Tooway tell me that latency can be up to 900 msec which feels like centuries when you are as impatient as I me (or Voda).
I 've emailed Voda to ask the maximum latency Sure Signal will work on.
Hi Jon
Even with the pro packages you can't use Vodafone Sure Signal, but this is due to latency and not the dynamic ip address that you'll have on the home tariffs. You do correctly point out though that static ip's are available on the pro packages.
If you need further confirmation on that, give them a call on +44(0)1869 356166 option 3
Thanks
James
Has anyone got this to work with a Vodafone Sure Signal?
Can anyone with a Tooway dynamic ip address (ie on Tooway Home) pm me an example of the UK ip address you temporarily have? http://www.whatismyip.com to give me an idea of the UK area they connect you to.
There is a snag with Tooway which has stopped me going for it. This might not affect many people but you can't port forward (remotely access specific devices on the network) without their Pro service. Not only is it more expensive plus a connection fee, there is no unlimited tariff.
I would love to ditch FT/Orange but at least they don't charge you for port forwarding.
Yes, it is totally independent of your FT service. It doesn't need any FT cable to work. Upload and download is by satellite, not like it used to be, this is the new KaSat service. It requires only a power supply to the modem.
I can recommend Draytel as a VOIP provider. I use of of their VOIP routers and have two UK numbers that ring wherever you are logged on. You can choose the 'UK exchange' dialling code to most UK towns. I have mine set to Matlock 01629 and that number comes up when you ring someone.
With Tooway you need the appropriate router that has an ethernet as opposed to a phone line connection.
The Sat service as it stands will not replace your phone, so if FT provide you with a phone service then no.
Thanks Roger, I'll look into that. So are you actually using them over Satellite yet or just regular broadband?