Wireless Nation Satellite service

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CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#155942 13-Nov-2014 21:28

Is anyone using the Wireless Nation satellite service? They are claiming 5+Mbps/1+Mbps speed off the Optus satellite. Can anyone confirm this .. and what about early evening hours? Does it get congested?

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1948 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1175660 14-Nov-2014 09:49

Wireless Nation is the same as Farmside, they all use IP-Star satellite service. Not off any of the Optus birds it's running off Thaicom 4.

Congestion doesn't really apply in Satellite but the latency is horrid so if you get 5mb you are doing very well since any TCP session needs to get 36000k's up to the satellite, then the same again down to the landing station.

http://www.ipstar.com/jp/en/faqs.html

Plus the gear isn't the cheapest to get installed (normally $500+ or so for the gear + install plus a 12 or 24 month contract).

Then you will have to contend with the small data caps.

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CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1175663 14-Nov-2014 10:01

Thank you for the info, always very much appreciated. The cost is not so bad considering it is the only way to get 5Mbps out here in the country, what is more important is the performance, especially in the evening when our ADSL link pretty much dies.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1175667 14-Nov-2014 10:03

I think Wireless Nation is on Optus:

http://www.wirelessnation.co.nz/index.php/kia-ora/news-info/176-optus-satellite-and-wireless-nation-team-up

Sidestep

1013 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1175675 14-Nov-2014 10:26

Wireless Nation swapped satellites at the beginning of the year.

We were one of their first customers to swap as our old dish fell apart in December.

We'd been with them so long that we still had customer owned gear ( dish, modem etc) its all lease now.

Immediately noticed better speeds, latency etc. No slowdown at any time of day.

Actually since we were on so early, before they started regulating service we had 30Mbps+ speeds..

It soon dropped back to a steady 5Mb download. Virtually no rain fade. Better than previous service.

Then a couple months later we got wireless RBI, and swapped to that.

I'd recommend Wireless Nation over Farmside. Have experience with both.

Always had good service from them.

Emails & calls answered promptly, friendly knowledgeable guys who are the actual techs rather than call center people.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1175678 14-Nov-2014 10:34

That is good to hear. Why did you switch to RBI wireless? Faster speed, cheaper service?

Also good to hear you had solid performance with no slowdown in the evening. When did you leave WN? Maybe one day they will increase the 5Mbps to 30Mbps as the costs to them come down.

Zeon

3912 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1175679 14-Nov-2014 10:35

I know a guy who works there and heard about a long delay due to a cable falling out of a socket somewhere on their network. Seemed like they had to get a 3rd party to check the connection.

Speedtest 2019-10-14

Sidestep

1013 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1175708 14-Nov-2014 11:12

CraigY: That is good to hear. Why did you switch to RBI wireless? Faster speed, cheaper service?

Also good to hear you had solid performance with no slowdown in the evening. When did you leave WN? Maybe one day they will increase the 5Mbps to 30Mbps as the costs to them come down.

We quit their sat service in May this year. Just moved that location to their RBI service.

Over the years they'd gradually increased data caps vs cost and offered larger plans. I'd imagine they'll continue to do that.

We moved to get cheaper service rather than speed issues.
The location is a remote backpacker's hostel, backpackers hate paying for Wifi but always want lots of it.

We were on an expensive plan, and unable to pass those costs on to our guests.

In fact just before we moved services we had an issue where we lost control of our guest WiFi.

The controlling computer failed, allowing unlimited WiFi access - a $1200 overage before we noticed.
The WN people were understanding and agreed to help us out with that one.

CraigY

59 posts

Master Geek

#1175721 14-Nov-2014 11:19

They sound like a good company. I'll give them a ring and see what we can do. Thanks.

raytaylor

3997 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1176950 16-Nov-2014 19:02

My understanding was
Wireless Nation was a tauropaki reseller which I think used the G5 satellite
When farmside bought tauropaki, farmside decided to consolidate all the G5 customers over to ipstar and to do this required a CPE equipment changeover and resigning of a 2/3 year contract for the end customers.

To remain on the G5 satelite was a price increase.

Customers noticed a big slowdown from the new congestion on the ipstar service that WN wanted out and decided to go with optus.

That line of events seems to have been retold to me from a number of WN and farmside customers

I must also say that the WN customer service has always been reported to me as good and I would trust them to provide a good service.
Just remember that you are buying a satellite service and its a very different product than what you get from a fixed line service.

Ray Taylor

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elliotstan

16 posts

Geek

#1186133 1-Dec-2014 09:51

Great comments on this one - I am going to give WN a call today and see what they can do - anyone know what their service around equipment is.
I am on the lookout for something that is semi mobile - going to be moved about once a month.

Would this be the right thing to use or would it be better to get something that is more mobile ? (iridium phone with access point connected to it)
Going to be out in a forest o

Cheers.

Sidestep

1013 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1186153 1-Dec-2014 09:56

elliotstan: Great comments on this one - I am going to give WN a call today and see what they can do - anyone know what their service around equipment is.
I am on the lookout for something that is semi mobile - going to be moved about once a month.

Would this be the right thing to use or would it be better to get something that is more mobile ? (iridium phone with access point connected to it)
Going to be out in a forest o

Cheers.

Semi mobile? WN provides a permanently fixed dish, not really mobile at all.

Iridium phone sounds expensive? How remote are you going to be?

Edit:spelling

elliotstan

16 posts

Geek

#1186192 1-Dec-2014 10:28

Hi Sidestep,

Think forests of Southland and Otago. Way out in the middle of nowhere.

Semi mobile in that there would be a cribhut / smoko room on a trailer where people have lunch – so power available.

Site setup for a month and then moves on again. Is for some logging gangs.

Cheers.

Sidestep

1013 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1186243 1-Dec-2014 11:33

I see. Give them a call. I've always found them helpful. If you're willing to do it after each move, setting up the dish & aligning it isn't that hard.

It's all their gear now, leased to customers - so you'd need to make sure you're not breaking their Terms of Service.

We set ours up ourselves as it was a non standard install, higher than usual & on top of a 2nd story 45 pitch roof.

Took about a hour total to get aligned & working, once we'd attached & braced the dish.

You'd need a clear view of Optus D2 from wherever your smoko hut is situated.

I've used Iridium's Sat phone service in the past. Found it very expensive, but stopped using it in '08 so things may be different now.

elliotstan

16 posts

Geek

#1186281 1-Dec-2014 12:13

Yeah, I emailed Wireless Nation this morning and they have already gotten back to me with some details.
Pretty on to it. Quick service so far.

Automated response from Farmside said they would get back to me in 2 days.

Will report back if we go ahead with it.

raytaylor

3997 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1186434 1-Dec-2014 15:11

Farmsides old parent company Bay City Communications used to do all their ipstar mobile stuff for lord of the rings movie sets - I imagine WN should have a similar system you could use.

Farmside would rock on up with a trailer, unfold a dish on a pivot mast, align it and away you go.

Ray Taylor

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Spreadsheet for Comparing Electricity Plans Here

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