SKYWAYUSA is a joke

[grohgreg]

Actually, the price is $149 BEFORE rebate. $49 after rebate. Professional installation can be up to $150

Would you at least TRY to be consistent? You gave me crap by alleging that I didn't read that a PDF that you'd posted, yet you ignore the same info when it suits your own purpose. By your own posting, http://skywayusa.com/docs/DealerAdvantages.pdf clearly shows the professionally installed bargain basement plan (256k down/44k up) to have a net cost (to the customer) of $253.90 after rebate. Add the $50 optional call waiting gimmick AND the extra $7+ bucks a month the phone company wants for that service - and you're well over $300 again. The same document reflects $153.90 (after rebate) for a bargain basement self-install, and I expect very few folks opt for that 256k plan anyway. So bump the front end price even more.

Just to show you I'm provider-neutral, compare that with the cheapest Wildblue plan, the 512k/128k Value Pak. It's twice as fast as yours on the download, three times as fast on the upload, doesn't need call waiting, doesn't need a phone line, is always on (no waiting for the dialup modem to connect), and costs $130 up front ($100 equipment/$25 shipping/$55 first month/before a $50 rebate). And for that they throw in 24/7 tech support, a year's free AV subscription, and 5 email addresses. I think SKYWAY tech support takes nights and weekends off - don't they?

I could post similar numbers facing potential new HughesNet or Starband customers, but the results would be similar. Even if you ignore the higher SKYWAY upfront costs, their advertised recurring costs are misleading as well. To be equitable, the cost of a phone line to support SKYWAY must be considered a recurring charge - as well as the call waiting option if selected. Even if the customer doesn't get a 2nd phoneline to support SKYWAY, reduced availability of a single residential line (when the SKYWAY connection is active) represents at best an inconvenience.

You're way out of your league in this particular venue. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with your trying to push a product - after all, this is America. But forums that cater primarily to two way satellite internet simply do not represent the market your product addresses. Until you accept that you're in the wrong end of the pool, understand that you're gonna continue to get hammered. I'm the one with nothing invested here - you can't hurt me. As such, I'm sure there is a fair number of two way installer/dealer members who are relieved at the fact that I am posting - what THEY are thinking.

//greg//

 

[broadbandinabox]

Greg, you aren't talking FACTS here sir. This is a one way conversation in your head.

Stargazer listed the $149.00 price point. THE ONLY THING THAT IS $149.00 IS THEIR HARDWARE!!!! Once again you're taking things out of context to suit your MO here and its taking on a really pitiful tone now.

You call me out for things that aren't even part of this conversation, what you are actually misunderstanding or acting naive about, for what reasons, I don't know?

Now, here's some even more interesting sales tactics; not only do you add the cost of the phone line to make 2way service more attractive to your prospects (I will never understand how you get away with that one!), NOW there's another mysterious $7.00 charge from the phone company for something? What's that's for? I don't know. I hope your 2way customers actually add up their TRUE costs VS. what you tell them. I do not think misleading prospects is good business.

How many of your 2Way subscribers really get rid of their phone lines when they get a 2way system installed? What? Once installed with a 2way system they mysteriously DO NOT Need phone service anymore? Or cellular service actually NOW works consistently in rural America now? Yeah right!

That's my kind of rural communications plan: spotty phone AND Internet service. No thank you! I'll keep my phone line, (which 100's of millions still have despite the reports) and get an Internet service which offers consistent and stable service. You know where my mind set is here. I like things that work well.

You KNOW that average speeds for 2way services at best are at 100Kbps for just a few seconds don't you? So your comparisons here are SO OVER-INFLATED its a wonder that you can sleep at night if this is how you are presenting it t good honest folks. From my research 2Way systems across the board offer consistent upload speeds of about 30-40Kbps. Really! Wait a Minute!!! That's the same -OR- oven WORSE than dial-up speeds!

Yes it is folks!

Now why would any intelligent consumer who did their research agree to a long term contract (24 month minimum) with a company that sells a 2Way service that only their FCC licensed technicians can install and maintain, pay $20+ more a month and they only offered the same average upload speeds as a dialup account OVER a self installable, easy to maintain (cheap to maintain actually), consistent, reliable and LOWER LATENCY HIGHER UPTIME solution?

You got me!

Do you have current customers calling you and asking you where the speeds that you promised them during your sales pitch because if what you just listed above WAS ACTUALLY they would be extremely happy customers and there would be MILLIONS of 2way customers in the U.S. That is just not the case today!

I'm sorry Greg, I have never sold a solution in my 18 years in this industry that OVER promised and UNDER delivered like this! I won't ever do it.

I want to discuss FACTS. If you can bring them, BRING IT ON! All of your crafty sales tactics may work with your customers/prospects but not here, not with me.

What do you say as a reseller when the 2way providers are overly exaggerating their average upload speeds in their marketing? Yes, I'll continue to mislead people just to make a buck?

Once again, you can have it, no thank you. Not my kind of business. My business from day one has been to take the best care of my customers. Under promising and over delivering. It's quite simple, like our technology.

SkyWay us is open for business 7 days a week. Get your facts right.

You can continue to use your crafty marketing, adding mysterious charges etc., exaggerating your solution's actual performance etc. It is what it is.

I hope you're getting something from this conversation. I really do sir.

Regards,

 

[grohgreg]

Read'em and weep. The professionally installed Skyway Silver plan I compared to the Wildblue ValuePak is listed right on the Skyway "Order Now" page for $323.85 up front - after rebate - when the customer elects the optional Catch-A-Call gimmick. It's supposed to avoid missed incoming voice calls while SkyWay has the phoneline tied up. Note that Skyway stipulates to those customers that call waiting service from the phone company is required, which adds $7+/mo (to your phone bill) in this part of the country.

You've repeatedly admitted not knowing (or caring) a thing about two-way satellite internet. Even though common business sense dictates "know your competition", you've obviously rationalized this gaping hole in your business plan. Even though your logic escapes me, I've acknowledged that. But now it turns out you don't even know the product you're promoting. Now it makes sense to hope that Skyway executives really DO pay attention to these forums.

I heard Walmart's hiring in Louisville.

Edit: I added my own test history to address your curious point about "average" speed. I don't think I've seen ANY satellite providers that tout average speeds as a positive selling point, they're all enamored with the "up to" proviso. Anyway. Customer test results are archived on a HughesNet server - so what you see are raw, unedited, and very random tests performed over an extended period of time. I think that may come close to satisfying your unusual fixation on "average". My ProPlus plan (1500k down/256k up) costs $80/month. The only Skyway plan that can produce this kind of (receive) speed is the $80/month Platinum plan (1500k down/44k up)

P.S. While I was compiling FACTS (that you should already have known), I noticed Skyway stipulates a 1 year service contract in their FAQ: see skyway usa FAQ | frequently asked questions | satellite internet technology cost installation services technical general

//greg//

 

[bajadudes]

I have to remember to make some popcorn before I click on this thread again:

 

[grohgreg]

I have to remember to make some popcorn before I click on this thread again:

No lie. At least guys like you have the common decency to put their stated business out front. This "ambassador for Skyway" bull was just a poorly conceived plan to grab free advertising - for products and services that the guy can't even keep straight himself

//greg//

 

[Stargazer]

I dont know why someone that buys a used system and sets it up themselves should have to sign a one year contract for the service. If it were not for that then I would have signed up to try it out.

Also, aint the FAP limit less than on WildBlue / HughesNet or is it similar?

The latency would be depending upon your local phone company but would be better than the two-way satellite and most data is received, not transmitted, but some people also transmit quite a bit of information, so it depends on what you are doing with the service as to what SkyWay would be good for. Can you do VPN and gaming with latency around 200 ms?

I ping yahoo.com on dialup at around 230 ms while google.com pings at around 205 ms. I pinged satelliteguys.us at around 170 ms to 300 ms (every other ping is higher than the other when I start pinging). I pinged ask.com at around 148 - 178 ms which did not seem too bad for dialup. It probably depends on the distance away / how many hops it takes to get to its destination on the pings.

 

[broadbandinabox]

np

 

[broadbandinabox]

np

 

[grohgreg]

Also, aint the FAP limit less than on WildBlue / HughesNet or is it similar?

Well, "the Ambassador" here originally claimed that Skyway has no FAP. In his own mind he may have been telling the truth. Technically there is no Skyway FAP, because Skyway calls it their RUP (Reasonable Use Policy). See SkyWay USA customer agreement | contract terms service commitment cancellation termination .
"SKYWAY USA REASONABLE USE POLICY: To ensure equal Internet access for all subscribers, we maintain a running average reasonably use policy (RUP). Reasonable use establishes an equitable balance in Internet access across the SkyWay USA Services by service plan for all SkyWay USA customers regardless of their frequency of use or volume of traffic. To ensure this equity, you may experience some temporary throughput limitations. SkyWay USA Internet access is not guaranteed. This policy applies to all service plans including "Unlimited" plans where customers' use of the service is not limited to a specific number of hours per month. You agree that you have thoroughly reviewed SkyWayUSA’s RUP provisions on its website. "

What I took exception to at the time, was that nobody could find the thresholds and refill rates. Even now, Skyway seems to purposefully avoid addressing RUP parameters, even in the subscriber agreement. But with subsequent digging, I recently found http://skywayusa.com/rup.php buried in the tech support section with the system PDF manuals. It looks to me like an incremental throttle on the receive side - and - get this - they have RUP stipulations for the dialup side too !!. Using the 256k Bronze plan as an example; you get (up to) the full plan download speed for the first 500MB of throughput in any consecutive 30 day period. After that you face incrementally increased throttling, proportionate to the 1.0/1.5/2.0/2.5GB thresholds. So - on that plan anyway - download a movie or two, and your dialup side becomes faster than your satellite side. I don't download movies myself, but I understand they're compressed. I'm just basing this on the typical 4.7GB on a retail boxed movie disc. Anyway. This is a 30 day running average RUP, which typically means you won't get your full plan speed back until 30 violation-free days following the last RUP "offense". Exceed RUP stipulations on the dialup side, and they simply break the connection.

Whereas most of the above is straightforward - extrapolated directly from their website - I must qualify the following as conjecture. Given the overwhelming percentage of folks who never read before they sign, I'll bet there are a lot of Skyway Bronze plan folks who are rudely surprised when encountering their first RUP throttle. The 500MB/month threshold is so low, that I think this goes beyond throughput management. It looks to me like a marketing technique that's intended to herd customers into the more expensive rate plans. End of conjecture, back to facts. Scientific facts this time.

The latency would be depending upon your local phone company but would be better than the two-way satellite and most data is received, not transmitted, but some people also transmit quite a bit of information, so it depends on what you are doing with the service as to what SkyWay would be good for. Can you do VPN and gaming with latency around 200 ms?

I addressed this previously as well. 200ms through a GEO satellite is physically impossible. Using round numbers, the satellite signal travels at nearly the speed of light over an approximate 45,000 mile path - up to the satellite, then back down. When you do the math, that comes to ~250ms right there - on the receive half of the PING loop alone. You already have experimented with dialup latency. But in this case it's dialup only one way - so cut your test numbers in half. Then add the 250ms satellite return. That's strictly the space and wire segment. That number is subsequently increased by wildly variable hardware lag (demonstrated by the large differences in your dialup numbers).

That said (and using round numbers again) two way satellite connections represent an approximate 90,000 mile path - which translates into a minimum 500ms RTT (round trip time). Again, this is strictly a mathematical number for the space segment only. To that you still must add hardware latency. Wildblue customers claim minimum RTTs around 1400-1500 ms. My HughesNet is typically in the 700-800 range. So yes - from a latency standpoint - the VPN and gaming advantage goes to one way satellite connections like Skyway. Given the state of the nations phone lines, I'm pretty confident in estimating that one way customers should average 25-33% faster RTTs than two way customers.

//greg//

 

[Stargazer]

I wonder if there is a way for several people on a satellite connection to share the bandwidth. For example, several people have satellite and they connect to each other over a network. The bandwidth is split up among the users so that nobody hits their FAP limit.

 

[grohgreg]

I wonder if there is a way for several people on a satellite connection to share the bandwidth. For example, several people have satellite and they connect to each other over a network. The bandwidth is split up among the users so that nobody hits their FAP limit.

Yes and no. It's done quite commonly with 2-way systems because of the "always on" capability. It's not much more complicated than configuring a simple LAN. But I don't think you want to tackle sharing the dialup modem on the 1-way systems though. It requires reverting to the old-fashioned host/client relationship. Note that Skyway (for example) does not support networking: skyway usa FAQ | frequently asked questions | satellite internet technology cost installation services technical general . Specifically: "SkyWay USA does not offer technical support for local area networks (LANs). Your installer or dealer or LAN equipment provider may provide assistance if needed."

//greg//

 

[broadbandinabox]

It just boggles my mind where some of Greg's statements come from. All 'shared' satellite data services have have Fair Usage policies. If you can quote my ACTUAL words from the thread that I said that, it would be a start.

ATTN MODS: WHEN Greg can't, please delete his post, OK?

I don't mind friendly conversations between people that disagree -BUT- when someone outright FABRICATES something I NEVER said, there must be a MOD intervention, agree?

Thank you in advance.

 

[broadbandinabox]

Greg Said: This "ambassador for Skyway" bull was just a poorly conceived plan to grab free advertising - for products and services that the guy can't even keep straight himself

I believe my INTRO thread spelled out my intentions and passion for what have I been doing for 18 years so far. Offering the finest services for the most affordable price, how can I go wrong?. I have NEVER sold anything that I did not believe in sir, that's not my nature. Once that I see that something IS of value and I think it has quality, I'm sold and will work night and day to contact as many folks as I can, hence my bias for this solution! Your opinion on me, though not the greatest, for whatever reason. I am trying to still figure out, are just that, opinions. Deliver me FACTS, not your opinions here, OK Greg? PLEASE! I need actual quotes and PROOF of your statements and I will reply to them, OK?.

Once again I must humbly request that the MODS take down Greg's posts WHEN he can't produce. And he won't!

I am a satellite communications professional. I believe in satellite communications because it works well! There wouldn't be 35+ million homes and businesses receiving their TV on the 2 KU/KA-band platforms if it wasn't + I must add another several hundred thousand for the still maintaining C-band industry + another 2 Million+ KU-band Free to Air (FTA) enthusiasts. I was part of the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PrimeStar"]PrimeStar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] team (R.I.P. ) in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois in the 90's that connected the very first homes (2Million to be almost exact) to the country's first digital broadcast satellite service before the FCC literally put us out of business, decreased competition in the space segment and we had to sell out to Hughes at that time. GREAT TIMES!

IMO as I've already stated, if you have the right look angle on your property to the Clark Belt, I STILL believe that C-band television reception is the best VALUE in pay television today. There is no comparisson!

Greg, I am not so single-minded that I believe that there isn't room for both our solution and 2way satellite communications. The Ku-band aspect definitely has its applications. I get the impression that you don't even want to give our solution a try. Why is that? Was it a bad experience with DirecPC? If so, I definitely empathize with you sir. I supported over 700 installs in my time and all I can say is, EVERY one of them was a complete hassle and lost us money, time, etc.. I strongly recommended/insisted to the company that I was with at the time that we discontinue marketing ASAP because the business model didn't make any type of sense to me.

I have to admit 2Way satellite is a great solution when there aren't terrestrial connections available to your customer's property. We actually have referred several projects to other 2Way providers over the years. Several hundred in fact. Oil rigs and the true 'last mile' communities with NO terrestial connectivity out there instantly come to mind here. Really, there isn't a better solution for them IMO. If you can afford it, iDirect IMO is the MOST reliable & stable platform which delivers what they advertise. Now KA-band spotbeam data services are still considered to be in the EXPERIMENTAL phase here in the U.S. is a different story. Maybe in a few years I will be able to make a better judgment -BUT- today the 'jury is STILL out' on if it is going to evolve into a viable business. If so, you can expect us to offer KA-band solutions, AMC-15 has KA-band capacity today, -BUT- I only like selling PROVEN technology. Here in less than 45-days we believe our next unique hybrid modem deployment will revolutionize the industry. I'll leave it with that because I never like to discuss future services until they are available.

Our current unique hybrid KU-band SW-20 modem with dialup return is the industry's true VALUE leader in high speed Internet options for rural Americans. IMO there is no competition, especially on long term maintenance and overall customer satisfaction. Once DSL, FTTh, wireless, BPL, etc. hits your town, resell our hardware (contact me, I can help immediately) and help other rural folks get connected TODAY, that's the only way this is going to really work!

I'd like to offer you this: I will ship you a system FREE OF CHARGE, I won't even charge shipping, dialup or service fees, just to try it out for a month. I'll give you our top plan, the 1.5 Mbps. After you have time to see how easy it is to install and our reliability and quality of service, you decide if this system isn't THE BEST CHOICE for getting rural households connected to high speed Internet. I truly believe that our solution will ADD a minimum of 30% more customers to your business FOR THE LIFE OF THE CUSTOMER AGREEMENT not just 36 months! Its my intention, once again I'm biased here, that you focus 100% of your efforts on connecting people to a service that Actually DELIVERS WHAT IS ADVERTISED and build your personal business on taking care of your customers and building a relationship with them that will last as long as they they need your service, PERIOD! You do the math. Are you in this for the short term -OR- the long term? Do you want to make $36 bucks residuals over 3 years =OR- $24 a years for THE LIFE OF THE SUBSCRIBER? Residuals are there so you can generate reoccurring revenues so that you are motivated to treat each customer the same. AS IF THEY THE ONLY CUSTOMER THAT YOU HAD! After 3 years when the other providers end theirs, what does that tell you about their intentions? Long term or short term? If you don't agree that our business plan makes the most sense here, just ship it back to me (I'll pay) -BUT- if you agree, I HAVE to offer you another challenge, OK?

TRY TO BREAK IT! Put it though as much stress as you can imagine sir! If you need me to request a reset of your FAP, so be it! I don't care. Just wear that system out. I'd even be willing to pay for some of those paid bandwidth tester sites to show you how confident I am in our technology. After that if becoming a partner with us makes sense, let's do business. If not, at least we tried right?

You disagree with me. Maybe I DID barge in here like some of those sales people before me that you mentioned before. I apologize profusely if I offended anyone! Its just your tactics and MO are very questionable and often times sketchy IMO. There are 15-20 million folks out there who do not have access to terrestrial broadband. I see no use in going after each others throats here. There is a lot of work to do and I FIRMLY believe its far better to work together than going around and around and around like we have since I joined. You follow me to other web sites and post links and dates to them, fabricate things that I have NEVER said and things that NEVER happen at these sites and do your best to discredit my reputation on this site by misquoting me in practically EVERY post that you have mention "the Ambassador". You act like that is a put down for me YET I LOVE it man. I am proud of SkyWay USA! They believed in this 8 years ago and now today, they ARE the biggest and best at what they do! I'd love to invite you here to Louisville just for one day to see their operations and talk to their customers who casually call in to their office just to thank them for improving their Internet speeds anywhere there is a phone line. Guess what? That's 100% of the country. 100% of the businesses here.

The simplicity of the hardware, the reliability of the service and the long term maintenance (i.e. savings) versus any other rural high speed Internet solution IMO is second to NONE!

Have a great evening, OK?

Regards.

 

[grohgreg]

All 'shared' satellite data services have have Fair Usage policies. If you can quote my ACTUAL words from the thread that I said that, it would be a start..

No problem. Back in your BBIAB Intro, Jared addressed the RUP. You replied that you hadn't seen it for two years. I addressed RUP following your talking point about downloading MPEG4 movies. You ignored the question. Such reluctance tends to leave the interpretation wide open, so don't count on any deletions or retractions happening here soon. But some of your stuff is starting to wander over into SPAM territory territory again.

Besides the obvious reasons, I must decline the system offer. I'm one of those rural customers who've embrace 21st century technology; in this case two way satellite internet and a cellphone. Don't even have a modem card in my computer any more. And I already have a birdbath. Or will your offer retrofit me with a phone modem and a BellSouth landline too?

Edit: Forget the phone modem and landline, I just read that threat you sent via Private Message. Your duplicity is now complete.

//greg//

 

[NCSouthernBelle]

Skyway USA is ridiculous!!!

This is an update from my earlier posts. By the way, if the "SKYWAY salesman" is annoyed with people posting helpful info about Skyway to warn others, then STOP READING AND REPLYING to him.

Now, on to my update: My 1 year (of hell) contract FINALLY ended in December. I called several times to cancel, but was told "I'll have to transfer you to Trish. She handles that." Well, Ms Trish never answered. I left messages three times, but never got a return call. I called several more times in the next 2 mths. However, all I got was a busy signal, or a computer system which put me on hold for around 7 mins, then disconnected every time. Oh yeah, I did get someone to answer ONCE in February. She said she'd have to TAKE MY NUMBER AND HAVE SOMEONE CALL ME BACK BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY BUSY!! I told her I'd been trying to cancel for 2mths, and that if I didnt get called by 5pm, I was going to discuss this w/ my credit card co.

How can I cancel if no one there will answer?? Oh, I also sent 2 emails...they never respond to emails either. I also got on their "live chat" and told the guy I needed to cancel. He said he'd make sure "Trish" gets the message.

Well, no one ever called me, so I discussed this with my credit card co. I then filed a complaint with the BBB. How funny that I got 2 calls from SkywayUsa after they got notice from the Better Business Bureau! I won't go on about the rest, but you can see how the "customer service" works.

FOR ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT ORDERING THIS...
Do not waste your time. The download speeds are really not that fast, and get slower and slower as your billing date nears. As for opening websites, it's usually about the same speed as dialup.

The BBB is still in the process of resolving this for me. They apparently told the BBB rep that they will cancel my account, but will not issue a refund for the last mth. So, they think it's ok to keep my money by NOT answering/returning my many calls attempting to cancel. Hmm, we'll see about that. I KNOW they are doing this to other people because I've read complaints about it. Sorry, but I'm not one who allows crooks to take advantage of me!

 

[broadbandinabox]

Greg Said: No problem. Back in your BBIAB Intro, Jared addressed the RUP. You replied that you hadn't seen it for two years. I addressed RUP following your talking point about downloading MPEG4 movies. You ignored the question. Such reluctance tends to leave the interpretation wide open, so don't count on any deletions or retractions happening here soon. But some of your stuff is starting to wander over into SPAM territory territory again.

Tom Reply: I'm learning here. I must of also missed Jared's question + I have NEVER discussed 'downloading MPEG4 movies'. Are you sure that you're not confusing me with another member?

I haven't seen what? I am totally confused now? Please elaborate here for me if you can. The fact that it took you over 20 postings to answer my simple question about how much the outdoor transmitter and LNB on a 2Way system costs ($150-$300) as compared to our receive only LNBF ($10) in my INTRO thread must have muddled up my memory since joining this community These essential parts of both of our systems are the first to go on both our systems. The wear and tear of being exposed to the elements make the production and longevity of them essential, right? I'd definitely prefer to change out a $10 LNBF MYSELF as a customer than having to pay a minimum of $150+ for the replacement parts and THEN a minimum of $75 + labor for an FCC certified tech just to step on my lawn. NO THANK YOU!

If you can go back Greg, copy, paste and actually quote whatever I said that IMO you are fabricating here, please do. Your recollection of our previous discussions while valiant, are way off base man! You opinions and memory do not count. Its like you think that if you write something on this message board that you think or imagined that I said IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED! If you do not have ACTUAL evidence & quotes of the statements that you claim that I made to back up your comments, you are basically ADMITTING that you have fabricated everything that you posted earlier. NOT FAIR OR IMO LEGALLY BINDING! FACTS always win out. It is what it is once again.

Hey MODS? Greg has no evidence to his fabricated claims, so please delete his posts that he MADE UP about my RUP statements.

Greg Said: Besides the obvious reasons, I must decline the system offer. I'm one of those rural customers who've embrace 21st century technology; in this case two way satellite internet and a cellphone. Don't even have a modem card in my computer any more. And I already have a birdbath. Or will your offer retrofit me with a phone modem and a BellSouth landline too?

Tom Reply: You do not need a modem in your Windows, Mac or Linux machines with our solution so do not worry. All the networking (dialup/satellite) is handled by our unique hybrid SW-20 Ethernet modem. Seeing there are 15+ MILLION rural homes and businesses that do not have the same luxury of stable and reliable cell phone service as you, Greg, copper phone lines ARE THE ONLY THING available to them! Fortunately they are all over rural America seeing how STABLE and RELIABLE they are compared to other communications solutions. Like you mentioned in an earlier post, the KIA (or was it Yugo?) is a whole lot more affordable than even a Ford for a tremendously more people out there while delivering the same EXACT results. When cost IS a factor why pay more when you can get the same thing at a lesser price while getting a overall better result, higher uptime and a whole lot less maintenance costs? So you don't have a landline anymore? To me that means that you actually live a lot closer to a city than you admit. You actually live in the an urban/suburban area right? THE SAME Place where 90% of the 2way systems have been installed, right?

Suburban consumers have bought into the 2Way hipe big time because they ARE sexy system, I admit! The fact that they DO NOT NEED a phone line is incredible marketing! Other than that, I do not know of any other reason anyone would want to buy one -OR- sign such a long term contract with a provider, if they are looking for an affordable, reliable, stable and low maintenance rural high speed Internet solution? Like I have said many times before, a really well educated consumer will do their homework and see the ACTUAL performance (not the HYPE) they will ALWAYS realize that saving money on their Internet access every month by sticking with dialup IS in their best interest.

Do you REALLY know what rural folks are ACTUALLY going through out there Greg? Or is because the majority of your business is in suburban DMA's that you do not realize what is actually going on? We work in RURAL AMERICA EVERYDAY! If you did, you would be able to emphasize with their situations. i.e. extremely spotty and nonworking cell phone services and nothing more than dialup Internet access. Their phone lines are actually their ONLY really reliable, stable and consistent form of communications. Try traveling more than 15-20 miles from your house on your next installation. You'll see and be amazed!

Greg Said: Edit: Forget the phone modem and landline, I just read that threat you sent via Private Message. Your duplicity is now complete.

Tom Reply: Wherever or whoever you got a 'threat' from IT WASN'T FROM ME sir! All I asked in my PM is that, if you complied with my request to delete your fabrications, we were cool. If not, (which it looks like this is where we are going!) I would have to seek alternative avenues other than asking you, i.e. asking a MOD to delete it for you if you wouldn't. Obviously, by several of your replies today, I know what I need to do unless I hear otherwise from you. Disagreements are fine with me, they are part of human nature and relationships sir. Online conversations take on a life of their own because of the anonymity of sitting behind a computer offers. I bet you 100% much of the stuff that you have said and even called me since starting our 'online relationship' here you would NEVER have said to my face, right? I expect it everyday with everyone I meet offline and ON.

I really do respect your opinion sir. I just don't like your tactics of following me around to the other web sites I am involved with and posting things here about them as well as fabricating things about me to support your agenda. Its extremely creepy and sadly pathetic IMO.

Regards.

BTW I WOULD be willing to pay for a phone line for you so that you can test our system out. How about you drive a minimum of 45-60 miles away from your city and your reliable and consistent cell service and find a computer shop or any retailer who CAN NOT get terrestrial broadband at their shop?Let me know. Call me on my cell: 502.263.9879 (this weekend) or at the office (502.426.2067) next week or eMail: tomw@bbinabox.com and let me know. I can get it shipped to you that day if you get it in before 1pm. This offer stands indefinitely sir!

Regards,

 

[broadbandinabox]

NCSouthernBelle, I do not sell SkyWay USA services nor work for them. I actually consult Telco's and other Internet providers on the exact same technology so they can connect their current and future customers who live outside of terrestrial broadband today.

Your post is EXACTLY the reason why I joined this community. I noticed many threads from people here who had similiar situations as yours and I KNEW that I could help. The things that you mention about your experience are DEFINITELY NOT what you are supposed to be receiving and I, once again, KNOW that I can help you out ASAP. Please contact me at tomw@bbinabox.com (email), 502.263.9879 cell (this weekend) or 502.426.2067 office during business hours.

I have to agree with you that SkyWay USA's phone system has had its problems over the years. I know they just installed a new system a few months ago and are working on perfecting it so that they can accomodate their current and future customers more efficiently. If I can ever help you get thru to them, we are in the same city, actually, the same building as them, please let me know.

 

[broadbandinabox]

NCSouthernBelle said: FOR ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT ORDERING THIS...Do not waste your time. The download speeds are really not that fast, and get slower and slower as your billing date nears. As for opening websites, it's usually about the same speed as dialup.

Actually, this technology offers advertised download speeds at a more consistent pace than other rural high speed Internet provider that I have seen, so there is either something wrong with your system's configuration (we can correct that in less than 15-minutes) or your computer (many times its a setting in your firewall) -OR- you downloaded a whole lot and reached your Fair Access Policy's threshold and you are being throttled back. If you contact me I can help, I promise that I will call you back as well as answer your emails in a timely basis, deal?

 

[grohgreg]

I'm learning here. I must of also missed Jared's question + I have NEVER discussed 'downloading MPEG4 movies'. Are you sure that you're not confusing me with another member?

Nope. But you're the self-proclaimed Skyway "ambassador", and Skyway makes the claim more than once in their brochures and on their website. By your own association, you represent "downloading MPEG4 movies". So I posed the RUP question to the "ambassador". You ignored it. I was specifically addressing "Our technology allows streaming of MPEG-4 video, downloading of movies on demand...". That is straight out of discover satellite internet | skyway usa | about information how skyway works comparison broadband high speed access . My original question remains unanswered by the way: how many of those great "MPEG-4 videos" can a customer download before the Skyway RUP throttle kicks in? (originally asked here http://www.satelliteguys.us/broadband-forum/166460-broadband-box-intro.html#post1726487 ).

The fact that it took you over 20 postings to answer my simple question...

Simple being the operative word. You're polishing your own apple here sport. It took most of those "20 postings" to for you to grasp that a LNB doesn't transmit. Once we (it was a group effort) got you to understand that basic concept - I answered your cost question. The point back then - as now - is that I wouldn't trust a "$10 LNB" as far as I could throw it.

You opinion and memory does not count here sir

Very revealing statement - sir

Wherever you got a 'threat' IT WASN'T FROM ME

Well you opened this particular door, so I've attached the "PM" in toto. We'll see if it stands the test of public scrutiny. I performed a screen capture and uploaded it as a JPG file - to avoid yet another accusation that I "fabricated everything".

Seeing there are 15+ MILLION rural homes and businesses that do not have the same luxury of stable and reliable cell phone service as you, Greg, copper phone lines ARE THE ONLY THING available to them! Fortunately they are all over rural America seeing how STABLE and RELIABLE they are compared to other communications solutions...To me that means that you actually live a lot closer to a city than you admit. You actually live in the an urban/suburban area right? THE SAME Place where 90% of the 2way systems have been installed, right?...So you don't have a landline? To me that mean that you actually live in the an urban/suburban area right? THE Place where 90% of the 2way sytems have been installed right? Why? Because they are SEXY! They do not need a phone line. They.....um??? I do not know any other reason anyone should buy one of them if they are looking for a reliable, stable and low maintenance rural high speed Internet solution.

Just how far outside of Louisville have you ever been in your life? There's so much wrong with that absurd amalgamation, that I'm just going to let it crumble under its own weight.

And even though I shouldn't have to justify this to you, I own a farm on a rocky hillside in western Kentucky. Obviously you've never bothered even looking up Dawson Springs (pop. 3000 and declining). What's laughingly sold as DSL stops at the city limits (it's copper-only anyway), the local cable company offers 13 channels and no internet service, there is absolutely no accessible fiber whatsoever. The closest WIFI tower is 10 miles in the opposite direction. No G3 or EVDO coverage either. My old landline would crackle every time it got wet - and it's not because of my house wiring either. After buying this place - and finding speaker wire connecting all the phone jacks - I ripped it all out replaced everything myself with twisted pair to and through a balanced bridge. Even after all that, the source problem was line noise coming right into the BellSouth service box that was hanging off the side of the house. Sub-20k dialup connections were the norm, and connections simply dropped out with regularity. Cell coverage is great though.

I'm curious though, why you continue to address my posts as if I was a dealer/installer. I'm a career satellite professional yes, with two way satellite telecommunications control/management/engineering experience dating back to 1973. I'm also a DirecPC/Direcway/HughesNet subscriber dating back to the old gray dish days (yes, dial return). Never ever once did I ever give you cause to believe that I had any vested interest - other than simply keeping an obvious salesman honest.

I will credit you however, with one actually supportable tidbit of information. I did not realize what "hybrid" meant when used to describe the current Skyway modem. I now see that it means they stuck the analog phone modem into the same case with the digital satellite modem. I was remiss for not reading the SW20 manual, so thanks for highlighting that capability. The 10Base-T limitation is quite curious though. I'm already using 1000Base-T over Cat6 at home, and 10GBase-T is looming on the horizon. Why would Skyway spec that modem with a 30 year old Ethernet standard ?

//greg//

 

[broadbandinabox]

Kentucky huh? We have our wonderful commonwealth in common here, so nice to meet you!!! I actually thought you lived outside a major city up East somewhere for some reason, LOL. Cat Fan?

Dawson Springs, I believe, is where Broadband in a Box's sister company First Response Group (on-demand food, shelter and support systems) set up the camp site (actually a temporary city with restaurant, laundry, satellite TV, 2Way satellite services, and living quarters) for all of the the electrical workers after the Ice Storm hit earlier this year. I would have been down there to install a temporary system at a mayor's office to help out but in the end, the telephone company got everything online the Sunday that I was supposed to leave. BTW I also worked for Gary Ervin in Sturgis KY. after the FCC fiasco & DirecTV bought PrimeStar. From '99-01 EVERY MONDAY, I drove to Sturgis, worked through Thursday evening/night and the drove back to Louisville, so I have logged a lot of time out West. Beautiful country!

"Pursue other avenues" meant what it meant. If you wouldn't honor my request I would go somewhere else. No threat implied or intended at all! Its still not right fabricating things Greg! You blatantly stated that I said something about SkyWay USA NOT having a RUP, downloading movies, etc., NOW you admit that you got it off their web site! That's what I'm talking about here. Its NOT RIGHT! Its very unfair to use tactics like this to purposely paint me in a bad light which has been your MO since we met, IMO! Why do you do this? Can you admit that there have been 20+ posts that you fabricate things to paint your agenda in a better light? Our conversation here is great. I think its good for the site really. If you can just discuss things without all of these 'sketchy' tactics, there can be some really great dialog here. WHERE'S THAT POPCORN?

SkyWay USA's RUP can be found here - Satellite Internet Service Provider | SkyWay USA | $29.95/mo. I know that they have NEVER shut off services for any of their customers because of usage. Isn't that a common thing, especially with 2Way provider's 'daily limits' in your line of work? There are entire online communities out there discussing this issue and the horror stories that the providers have put them through. EchoStar has definitely opened up a whole lot of options when we moved over the the BEAUTIFUL AMC-15 satellite last year. Most of the negative posts here and throughout the 'net that are discussing a completely different SkyWay USA service that in no way compare to what this new home provides TODAY! Its all about providing a fluid experience for the customer. Head to head, there is NO COMPARISON IMO! That is why I'd love for you to take me up on my offer. See for yourself. First hand. Make your decision from that: opinion based on ACTUAL experience.

BTW I do not know where you got that quote of mine implying that I said your opinion means nothing to me. I have never talked down to anyone since I first jumped onto the 'net back in '91. It definitely looks like it was taken completely out of context. If you felt I was, I apologize, that is not my style at all!!!!!

Now I must apologize that I am unable to answer your Ethernet question at this time. I'll discuss it with someone early next week unless you need to know sooner. Let me know.

Regards,