They're small, they're compact, and they affect the entire outcome of a war. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about hobbits. It’s your Wi-Fi router.
05 November, 2018 | Posted by:
Category: Entertainment, News, Reviews, Service Providers, Streaming, Technology | No Comments
They're small, they're compact, and they affect the entire outcome of a war.
Unfortunately, we’re not talking about hobbits.
It’s your Wi-Fi router.
Wi-Fi, the wireless internet connection used in almost all homes and businesses, is made available through a Wi-Fi router. Most Wi-Fi customers get their Wi-Fi through the router provided by their ISP (internet service provider) or cable company. These do a good job of handling the basics of wireless uploading and downloading.
They’re not the worst routers out there. At the same time, they aren’t the best. They do an average job.
But there are brands out there producing above-average routers. You’ve probably already heard of their names; Asus, Netgear, D-Link, and Linksys.
There are more, and a quick search of PC Mag, CNet, and Tom’s Guide can give you a more thorough overview of the various and sundry brands out there.
The inevitable next question you’re thinking is “Which one’s the best?”
A Wi-Fi is essential these days for internet connectivity. This makes Wi-Fi routers essential, even if every home doesn't have one. ISPs and cable companies provide these as part of their basic package. There are some consumers out there who want something better though.
Should you decide to buy your own, you’ll have to make the decision based on a few factors. Near the top of the list would be cost and customer reviews. While there are some that cost more than others, it doesn’t mean it’s the best.
Your home, like you, is unique.
Don’t just go with the router that is labelled “the best” by a source that doesn’t know you.
That's like saying Frodo was the best hobbit.
You know, hobbits, from The Lord of the Rings.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world, there were wizards, humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. The smallest of these creatures were the hobbits. These were the guys who were half the height of dwarves. Being that dwarves were half the height of humans, this made hobbits very, very short.
As a result, hobbits were seen as unimportant. Irrelevant even.
And the hobbits, as Tolkien explained, were happy with this. They were fine to stay in their part of the world and not bother with international politics. If the outside world didn't interfere with them, they would leave the outside world alone.
One such hobbit, Frodo Baggins, came into possession of the One Ring- the one thing that could decide whether good or evil prevailed.
And so Frodo, small and unimpressive, set out with his friends to take care of the ring. Journeying with him was Samwise Gamgee otherwise known as Sam, Peregrin Took aka Perry, and Meriadoc Brandybuck aka Merry. Each was unique with their own quirks and personality.
These four hobbits, though small and “irrelevant” ended up becoming the deciding factor in entire battle for the soul of the world; Merry would go on to help slay the Witch-King, Perry would play a vital role in distracting the leader of the evil forces, and Sam would help Fordo get all the way to Mt. Doom, where Frodo tossed the One Ring into open lava.
Peace was restored.
Not bad for four hobbits.
While it would be easy to say that Frodo was the best hobbit of all because he destroyed the One Ring, that’d be a little presumptuous. He did have the hardest job, but without help from the other three, Frodo would have never gotten close to Mt. Doom.
It's okay then to prefer Sam, Merry, or Perry to Frodo. People have their reasons for liking one over the other. Just like they have their reasons for not choosing "the best" product out there.
Like when it comes to picking a Wi-Fi router.
Before picking a router, take stock of your Wi-Fi needs at home.
For those using one device on a consistent basis, 5 Mbps is the download speed that works best for you. With that in mind, you can save some money by avoiding the higher end routers.
If you’re downloading content on multiple devices--like Netflix through your Apple TV and streaming a game on your PlayStation 4--getting a download speed of 45 Mbps is best to handle the larger amount of data going back and forth.
Knowing this will help you decide which router is best for your home.
For homes with light internet usage, a single-band router is best. For homes with heavy internet usage, a dual-band router would be best.
Single-band routers use just one frequency.
This is great if you’re using a few devices throughout your home. They can handle the usual amount of data going back and forth.
The downside is the frequency they use, 2.4 GHz. This frequency is usually used by Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and wireless phones. Those devices can inadvertently disrupt your Wi-Fi signal.
The dual-band routers use the 2.4 GHz frequency and a second frequency of 5 GHz. That 5 GHz frequency is less common. This second frequency is better used for third-party devices, giving you a less-impeded channel to work with.
Dual-band routers are great for homes where multiple devices are downloading at once. You can even assign a channel to a specific device. And with more than one frequency in use, downloads can be performed simultaneously instead of one at a time.
As you would expect, dual-band routers are more expensive, so take that into account when you decide to purchase.
No matter the router you decide to buy, you’ll notice that all will come with a number and the letters “AC.”
AC refers to Wi-Fi protocol number, 802.11ac. AC is the version of the protocol in use. There’s 802.11b, 802.11m, and others. The letters denote the gradual improvements and modifications over previous versions.
When it comes to designing routers, the engineers involved decided to use this "AC" for labeling purposes. The AC is for the protocol number. 802.11ac indicates the level of the Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) the router is capable of. For example; Of all the data streaming through the router at one time, the projected maximum speed the router can handle is something like 1300 Mbps. You won’t get that speed exactly, but the router can hypothetically handle the volume of 1300 Mbps. Therefore, if you’re downloading 50 Mbps in one room and 30 Mbps in another, an AC1300 router will handle that just fine.
Of all the numbers on your router, look for the one that starts with “AC.” This is the best indicator of whether your router can handle the amount of data you plan to be downloading and uploading at one time.
Now that we’ve gotten the numbers and bands bit out of the way, let’s talk about the brand themselves. All brands listed below come highly rated. This doesn’t mean they’re the top brands, but professional reviewers have marked them highly and on a consistent basis.
You can also check out the best brands after you’ve found the best internet providers
If you’re looking into a brand not listed, drop us a comment to let us know what you think, why you like/don’t like it, and whether you’d recommend it over the ones listed below.
You may have recognized the name from the laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other electronics. They’re the fifth largest PC vendor in the world. This means their products are a good alternative to Apple and Microsoft.
Their Wi-Fi routers are consistently ranking highly among review sites like PC Mag, CNet, and Tom’s Guide. While this may mean they’re a little bit more expensive than other brands, they’re worth the price tag to ensure your stream devices run smoothly.
Unlike Asus, Netgear focuses on networking hardware almost exclusively. This gives them an edge over their competition here. It does limit them a little bit when it comes to other products.
Taking the “D” from its founding company, Datex Systems, D-Link is also based out of Taipei along with Asus. Like Netgear, they focus solely on networking equipment.
Owned by Belkin, Linksys is a networking equipment company that creates networking equipment for consumers and small businesses. Unlike Asus, Netgear, and D-Link that provide business and enterprise networking solutions, Linksys prefers to keep it small.
When it comes to reliability, Asus and Netgear rank the highest among their competitors. Brands like Linksys are generally cheaper and easier to use. And the rest will fall somewhere between the two.
This doesn’t mean one brand is the best out of every single one of them. That’s a choice that will b depend on your needs and well as what your home can accommodate.
So which brand do you prefer? Is there a brand that’s not listed here you think should be included?
Leave a comment and let us know.
In the meantime, stay up-to-date with On The Download.
Horror movies had a character to give a warning to the would-be victims. Here are some moving stories to serve as warning for your own moving stories!
12 November, 2018 | Posted by:
Category: Apps, Business Internet, Humor, Reviews, Technology, This & That, Tips | No Comments
Horror stories of old, and some of the new, come with a warning.
The most common interpretation of these warnings is to have the would-be victims stop at a gas station to fill up their vehicle with gas. As they wait for the tank to fill, an eerie-looking person will step out and approach them. He’ll give an ominous warning that the direction they plan to go will lead to chaos, and most likely death.
Moving can feel like a horror movie, which is why you should listen to horror stories of others and heed the Message from the Harbinger.
Here’s the familiar “Harbinger” scene from a recent classic, The Cabin in The Woods.
(If you haven’t seen The Cabin in The Woods yet, go watch it! Also, if you have seen it, go watch it again. I’m even reading the novelization!)
The Harbinger is meant to give the would-be victims an opportunity to try a different path or change course completely. In The Cabin in The Woods, and other horror classics like it, The Harbinger scene is the ominous foreboding of what’s to come if the would-be victims don’t heed his warning.
…They don’t.
If the would-be victims listened and changed, then there would be no story, no horror movie, and no victims.
Your moving story doesn’t have to end like theirs.
Take heed and listen to the following stories so you can save yourself from the same peril that befell these victims! (insert ghostly wailing)
James (not his real name), had been in his new house for barely a full week. It was Sunday, and he opened the garage to pull out his wife’s car as they made ready to go to church. Sitting in the driveway was his work truck.
Something was missing!
The work truck was a Toyota Pre-Runner, with an open bed.
As a pest control technician, James would use an expensive leaf-blower with an attachment to spray treatment chemicals on lawns. It was brand new. Cost nearly $1000.
Moreover, it was gone!
The previous neighborhood James had lived in was rundown. Cars were parked on lawns, a few homes had windows boarded up, and some of the residents had questionable jobs. However, the truck sat out in the open with the leaf-blower in plain sight…no one touched it.
This new neighborhood, although nicer, was still being built. No one parked his or her car on the front lawn, all the windows were intact, and everyone had a job.
Yet, someone had stolen equipment that James didn’t even own.
However, he still had to help pay to replace, to the tune of $450.
New neighborhoods, though they may look nice, can still hide secrets.
If you’re not familiar with the area, you can get information from those who do live there. Check out City-Data Forums to see what locals have to say. You can post a question about your neighborhood there and get answers.
Bob (not his real name) had moved into a lovely two-story home with his wife and kids. He’d set up a bundle package through a local home services provider, getting his internet, cable TV, and phone from one source. Bob liked the convenience of the single check, and he was finding that it saved him some money.
Six months after the move-in, however, he got a bill with late-charges, overdue fees, and about seven months of monthly charge.
For services on his previous home!
Bob had forgotten to cancel the internet service at his last house.
With those built-up charges, Bob had to do a payment plan, as well as work with his credit company to keep his credit score from taking a hit.
It would take years before Bob could pay down the bill.
Make a checklist to ensure you haven’t missed anything before you move out of your home. It may seem tedious, but when the moving process revs up, you’ll most likely be too busy to remember everything yourself. A simple piece of paper with the items listed can save you time, and in Bob’s case, money. You can even use the notes app on your smartphone to write out a list.
If you’re worried that you missed a crucial step, check out The Art of Happy Moving. The Art of Happy Moving has a checklist you can download. The checklist breaks down the timeline needed to get things ready for a smoother transition.
If you want to make a list yourself, that’s fine, but make sure you make a list.
However, most of all- don’t forget to cancel services at your old home!
On a Friday morning, Jack finally found time to start opening boxes that had piled up in his living room from the recent move. The process of moving had been bumpy, but so far, everything had smoothed out.
He’d hired movers to help, and they’d managed to get everything out of his apartment and storage unit, and into his new home in the time allotted.
However, the very next morning he had to go back to work and the stacks of boxes in his living room sat there for several days.
Now he finally had time to get the unpacking done.
As items came out, he noticed a couple of his Bluetooth speakers were missing. He was sure he’d packed them in the right box, but they weren’t there. All the boxes had been taped up, so the movers couldn’t have opened them and helped themselves to some of Jack’s stuff before they left.
Where were they?!
After opening every box, and stacking the contents everywhere else, he was still sure the speakers were missing.
He headed back to his old apartment and asked the management if someone had turned them into the lost and found. The answer was “no.”
The next week Jack searched the boxes again, called friends who’d helped him move, and still couldn’t find them.
It wasn’t until he’d just about given up hope that he found his missing speakers- right next to his bed. He’d pulled the speakers out of the box before taping them up so that he could show a friend. The friend had put them on top of the boxes when they’d loaded up the moving truck. The movers had placed them next to his bed.
You can inventory your entire house to avoid something like this. But then again, that would take a lot of time.
Apps, like Sortly, allow you to take pictures of your stuff and the app will create QR codes that you can print out to put on boxes. You can then scan the closed box to see what’s inside, or what should be inside. While this doesn’t eliminate the possibility of lost items, it can help you track your stuff and provide peace of mind.
To get his stuff across the country, Vince hired movers who would pack his stuff, as well as his car, into containers. They’d agreed to deliver it to his new address and help him unpack.
Vince, being busy, flew to his new home and continued working until the movers showed up.
When they did show up, however, they demanded “extra fees” because of some trouble getting it across the country. While Vince hadn’t agreed on this stipulation, the movers had the keys to the truck.
Vince also noticed that his car wasn’t with the truck.
Since his stuff was held hostage, and his car was nowhere in sight, Vince had to walk to a nearby gas station to use their ATM. Then he had to walk back, hand over the money, and wait for them to unload all his belongings.
With that finally done, Vince had to then negotiate for his car.
Another trip the nearby ATM and he was given the keys and an address.
He didn’t know how to get there, so he had to plug in the address to his map and use public transportation to get there.
At last, Vince had found his car- it was in a paid parking space, and he had to pay the parking fee to get it out.
Make sure you have, in writing, the exact agreement you’ve made with the moving company that you’ve hired.
Before doing this, check them out on the Better Business Bureau and Yelp. Moving companies who do lousy work will get reported. A simple search of the moving company name, plus the word “complaints,” will help you find out who’s been complaining about them.
More reputable moving companies, though they might be more pricey, will save you a headache and you won’t have to worry about your stuff being held for ransom. They may provide a written contract for you, but you should still make sure you have, in writing, the exact agreement you made with them.
Horror movies, with their copious deaths and arterial blood spray, are the best place for scary things to happen.
Not your moving experience.
Although every problem can’t is avoidable, you can take some steps to eliminate problems or at least mitigate them. Things like a checklist, writing up a “mover agreement,” or taking inventory of your stuff can save you from a jump scare along the way.
There is one last thing you need to set up for your new home- setting up your new home services.
Home services, like energy utility, home security system, and internet service provider, can be set up before you move in. It’s highly likely you’ll be moving to a new neighborhood, one you’re not familiar with. You may not know who provides energy, or what ISPs are in the area.
Check out the best internet packages and deals from KonectEaze. Here you’ll find internet, cable TV, phone, home security, and in certain places, energy utilities. You can research providers here and find out what deals are available by merely searching your new zip code.
You can save yourself some time, headache, and cash all in one place.
Do you have a moving horror story? Share it in the comments below.
For news and updates on moving, home service providers, and horror stories, keep the browser open to On The Download.
Range extenders and mesh networks, are they important? And what do they have to do with Spider-Man?
18 May, 2020 | Posted by:
Category: Entertainment, Humor, Reviews, Streaming, Technology | No Comments
Range extenders and mesh networks, are they important?
As the number of smart devices in our homes is increasing, so the is the need for reliable Wi-Fi.
A pat answer would be to “buy more megabits per second.” That may help and it may not. Your home, or apartment, may be full of Wi-Fi inhibiting barriers, killing the signal before it has a chance to reach every one of the things in your place that requires an internet connection to function.
First, determine the things in your apartment/home that might block or impede the Wi-Fi signal.
Second, if you find out that something is blocking the signal, ask if you can move it to where it will get a good signal. This option may help a little bit, and it may end up forcing you to move everything to one corner of your place.
Therefore, if you up the megabits per second, you may end up wasting your money when you discover you’re still dealing with slow downloads in certain parts of your home.
Options one and two are meant to help save you some money, and headache, before you entertain another option. Don’t be too quick to decide “we need more bandwidth” before you understand what the real issue is.
Without this understanding, you’ll only cause yourself unnecessary frustration. Also, the logic mentioned above is part of the reason why there are so many Spider-Man movies that have cropped up in the last two decades. So far, the count of Spider-Men, or spider-themed superheroes, in those movies sits at nine.
Instead of rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, yet again, why not take a step back and find a different way?
Logic such as this doesn’t seem to be in vast supply in Hollywood. However, it can be when it comes to solving your Wi-Fi problems.
We come now to option three; range extenders and mesh networks.
Range extenders are as their names imply; they extend the range of the Wi-Fi.
Maybe there’s that exposed brick wall in your apartment that you like, but the computer on the other side of it is super slow. Well, a range extender would help with that.
The device comes in two forms; desktop and plug-ins.
The desk-top type looks like another router. They plug into the wall in the area you need a boosted Wi-Fi signal.
The plug-in extenders also boost the signal, but not at the expense of space. Some will take away access to a plug, but there are manufacturers, like Linksys, that make plug-in extenders with an extra socket. You can boost your Wi-Fi signal without sacrificing another outlet.
When buying a range extender, take note of the AC number on your existing router. If it’s a single-band AC1700, for example, look for a single-band AC1700 range extender. If your router is a dual-band AC2400, make sure to get a dual-band AC2400.
The range extenders work by amplifying the signal and rebroadcasting it. By rebroadcasting it, however, it creates a separate network. At the same time, it also cuts the available bandwidth in half to make it happen.
You may get signal on the other side of that wall now, but you’ll have to switch networks to do so. The rest of your place will have less bandwidth available.
Sony did something similar with The Amazing Spider-Man films of 2012 and 2014.
As opposed to continuing the previous trilogy with Tobey Maguire, the choice was made to reboot it. This was hardly a bad idea, given Spider-Man 3 made a mockery out of Venom, and produced more memes than cash. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had launched also and was doing well.
Instead of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield was brought in to play Peter Parker, and he did a good job. Given the script was just another origin story of Spider-Man, which everyone should have known by that point as well. All they really did was move around a few details and put in a different bad guy than the last origin story. They could have just gone the route of The Incredible Hulk and set up the origin as a quick flashback and then gotten on with a different story altogether.
Then again, what do I know?
After the second sequel, the returns weren’t good. So instead of trying a different tact, Sony allowed for Spidey to join the MCU and let them worry about how to handle the origin story.
However, they did keep the rights to some of his cooler villains, like Venom...and we know how that turned out.
Sigh.
We'll get back to Spider-Man in a minute here.
Let’s take a moment to talk about mesh networks; a mesh network doesn’t cut into the bandwidth from the router and make a different network. A mesh network operates as a satellite system. The little nodes get plugged in around the house or apartment and use the router as the base. The nodes network the signal amongst themselves, like a series electrical circuit. If one is unreachable, the other nodes will pick up the signal and link it back to the router. The nodes involved boost the signal, providing you with download speeds close to what you’d experience if you were standing next to the router itself.
By putting all these nodes into one network, in one home, your house will be able to support multiple devices easily.
Overall, this option is a better choice than range extenders. This isn’t to say they’re inadequate. For what you’ll end up paying for a mesh network, you’ll have a more reliable network in your home or apartment, and that will more than make up for the difference in cost.
Now, let’s look at how this applies to the latest Spider-Man offering from Sony.
Instead of setting up Peter Parker’s origin story, which we all should know by now…if not, that’s okay, no judgment here, check out his Wikipedia page and get back to us after you finish reading.
This time Sony decided to incorporate six different Spider-Man type superheroes; Miles Morales as the new interpretation of Spider-Man, Spider-Ham (a Marvel sanctioned parody of Spider-Man), Spider-Gwen (a “what-if?” scenario that has spawned a series), Spider-Man Noir (another “what-if?”), Sp//der (a mech suit operated by Peni Parker), and the original Peter Parker himself.
Now we’ll have six different Spider…people(?)… working together to stop Wilson Fisk from doing something terrible and hurting a lot of people. We'll be getting six different backstories, and six different ways to convey them without slowing down the overall story arc.
Unlike a mesh network, there could be some degradation of the story because of all the characters involved. This author is sure that with the right amount of marketing, the story will be largely unimportant. What’s essential, to Sony at least, is that they set up their own Spider-Man continuity and not worry about losing all their rights to the character.
What Sony fails to understand here is that if the story is bad, then everyone loses.
Let’s back up here and talk about the first big-budget Spider-Man film.
Premiering in 2002, Spider-Man had Tobey Maguire don the suit and the character of Peter Parker. Directed by Sam Raimi, it was a good movie that pleased audiences. By today’s standards of comic book movies, however, it can come across as a basic origin story. Keep in mind though that this was one of the first comic book movies to “get it right.”
It didn’t skew the overall narrative to pump up just one character as they did with Wolverine in the original X-Men movie from 2000. Nor did they corrupt the characters to make them more “marketable” as they did with Daredevil in 2003.
So Spider-Man brought hope to the comic book enthusiasts of the early 21st century. ‘Maybe now,’ we all thought, ‘they would treat our beloved heroes with the respect they deserve and not make some campy b-movie with sub-standard productions.’
Sadly, that was still going to happen. Even with Iron Man in 2008 and Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins in 2005, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man devolved into a joke. Not to mention we’re still getting superhero films that lack respect for their subject matter.
For those who’d like to argue the point, take a look at the fact that Cyclops has yet to be redeemed.
Just saying…
While Tom Holland is playing Spider-Man in the MCU, and the Spider-Verse is launching in December of 2018, there are more options for watching your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man save the day. You can still catch the other versions of Spider-Man through your favorite streaming service, make sure you have the best internet deals and packages first. Also if you are considering using AT&T or Frontier internet service check out our reviews
Also, if you’re wanting to watch them in another room while someone is playing their Xbox, then make sure you have a mesh network set up first. This way you don’t have to sit right next to the router to enjoy all the web-slinging action!
For more answers to your questions about internet providers, stay up to date with On The Download.
Viasat is one of the two largest satellite internet providers in the United States. The level of excellence is on par with card throwing artists- aka, cardists
02 November, 2018 | Posted by:
Category: Business Internet, Deals & Packages, News, Reviews, Internet, Service Providers, Technology | No Comments
Viasat is one of the two largest satellite internet providers in the United States.
That feat alone is fascinating. However, when you take into account how much work is going into providing, maintaining—and excelling—then it’s impressive, to say the least.
Viasat is coordinating a lot to provide satellite internet; they must first launch satellites into space, synchronize them, coordinating the orbits, evaluating the speed, upload, and download times, and more. If a new technology comes out that could improve their systems, then they’ll have to launch a new satellite or make do with what they have already in place.
It’s quite baffling how it all works.
While the satellites may not be the newest out there, they are performing at or above standards. Viasat is currently working on designing, engineering, and launching a new fleet of satellites. They’re continually improving their technology and what’s available out there.
As the race to improve satellite internet begins to heat up, Viasat will be at the forefront, possibly even blazing a path. Doing so involves knowing what’s available, what can be improved upon, and blending the two goals together.
Another way of looking at it is to take a well-known piece of technology and doing things with it that no one thought possible.
Take, for example, a deck of cards.
You can shuffle it and play any game you want; canasta, solitaire, free cell, poker, Texas Hold 'Em, Baccarat, Blackjack, 24, Speed, Nine-Card Flip, Nerts, and the list goes on and on.
Playing games with cards is only one option though. You can build houses with cards too.
Alternatively, you can make the cards do things that don't seem possible- like jumping from one hand to another.
It's an art form called Cardistry.
The term “Cardistry” is the combination of the words “card” and “artistry.”
It’s a type of performance art that involves manipulating cards in unique and eye-popping ways. Much like illusionists who shuffle, palm, and make cards appear with their fingers, cardists create flourishes, passes, tosses, and other means of moving cards around with only their hands and fingers.
Some illusionists will also use this artistry into their acts as a means to distract the audience.
Moreover, there are the card throwing artists who incorporate this into their trick shots. It's a display of their dexterity, as well as a hint to the number of hours they've been practicing.
Cardestry, legerdemain, and card throwing appear simple enough.
Much like satellite internet, it’s merely moving a small object from one place to another. Right?
It’s not.
Cardistry is not as easy as picking up a deck.
To master moving cards effortlessly among your fingers, it takes time and lots, and lots, and lots of practice. If you get a chance to watch a cardist, or even an illusionist who's primary medium is cards, take notice of their hands. You'll notice a strange strength there, as though they've been lifting weights with their fingers. It's a unique trait that stems from handling cards for hours a day. When they pick up a deck, they're comfortable with it.
These hours of repetition is how they attain mastery.
Viasat is doing the same here. By taking a version of a technology, i.e., the satellites already in orbit, they're able to innovate and do impressive things with them.
While Viasat is one of the largest satellite internet providers in the nation, they also have a large number of government contracts.
By working the United States Federal Government, they provide internet access for hard to reach places. These may be embassies or state department offices in remote locations.
Viasat is also providing satellite internet connectivity to our nations armed forces. A big reason for this is ships and aircraft require internet connectivity in their missions. Instead of creating an entirely new network for the government, the government has instead hired out Viasat to do it for them. Viasat, while providing satellite internet for many government and military projects, isn't the only provider sub-contracted to do so.
These projects range from aircraft carriers to individual aircraft.
To connect all these projects to their services, Viasat is working with Boeing. Boeing provides the technology, as well as the means, to maintain their satellite systems in orbit around the earth. The aircraft manufacturer is also working to create new satellites that Viasat will use to update their networks soon.
However, it’s not just the satellites that will set Viasat apart.
Much like it’s not enough to have a flashy deck of cards, Viasat has to know how to use the satellites to their fullest extent. Cardists are the same way. They may get a new deck of cards, but it’s not the cards that make the magic. It’s the cardist that does that.
Also, Viasat is working to make sure this happens as they move satellites around the globe to maintain a stable network.
Viasat, thanks to satellites, is available in 32,787 zip codes. They now have a presence in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The only stipulation here is that the dish must be able to face south without significant obstructions.
There is a tradeoff with satellites, however.
Transmitting signals down to a dish and waiting for them to return causes latency.
If a customer were to download a large file through their satellite connection, they run the risk of exceeding their download speed. To mitigate this, Viasat has instituted data caps. These data caps are to discourage large downloads. If a customer were to reach their data cap, Viasat could slow down their connection, suspend service for a short while, or charge them for the extra data used.
While annoying, data caps ensure that all customers can enjoy their service.
Viasat’s data caps range from 40 gigabytes to 150 gigs, depending on your plan.
So long as customers remain under the data cap, they do enjoy decent download times.
Netflix regularly checks the download speed of providers using their streaming service. Netflix compiles this data into their ISP Speed Index.
For Viasat, from September 2017 to September 2018, they averaged 0.86 Mbps. That speed puts them in the top 75 ISPs (internet service providers) in the nation.
Not bad at all.
As satellite internet technology continues to improve, customers will have more and more options and will increase connectivity between government and military locations, as well as customers in rural areas. As preferable as cable and fiber are, it’s not available everywhere. Waiting for something like that to happen will take years and years of waiting.
Hence, why customers will opt for satellite instead. A satellite dish is more accessible and much faster, to install on their property than wait for fiber. Satellites are able available virtually everywhere in the world.
As Viasat expands their network and their reach, we may soon be seeing it as a serious contender within urban areas.
If you’re considering satellite internet in your area, make sure to check out Viasat internet deals to give you an idea of the upload and download speeds, as well as any deals Viasat may be running in your area.
Just like cardists and other card related entertainers, Viasat is practicing and honing their skills. Much like card throwing, Viasat is literally throwing a card from a great distance to hit a small target. And they’re doing this all the time.
Are you a Viasat Subscriber? Tell us what you like about them in the comments.
For news on new technology for satellite providers, keep your browser open to On The Download.
They're small, they're compact, and they affect the entire outcome of a war. It’s your Wi-Fi router. Here are some facts about routers that centurylink, AT&T, Frontier, Rise Broadband, HughesNet, Viasat and spectrum won't tell you
18 May, 2020 | Posted by:
Category: Cable, Entertainment, Humor, Reviews, Service Providers, Streaming, Technology, Tips, TV | No Comments
They're small, they're compact, and they affect the entire outcome of a war.
Unfortunately, we’re not talking about hobbits.
It’s your Wi-Fi router.
Wi-Fi, the wireless internet connection used in almost all homes and businesses, is made available through a Wi-Fi router. Most Wi-Fi customers get their Wi-Fi through the router provided by their ISP (internet service provider). These do a good job of handling the basics of wireless uploading and downloading. AT&T, Spectrum, CenturyLink, and many more will provide a router for you when you sign up with their service.
This does not mean that you can’t purchase a Wi-Fi router from Best Buy or Amazon. In fact, getting a Wi-Fi router on your own can help save some cash on your internet bill as you won’t have to pay the router rental fee.
Check out reviews from PC Mag, CNet, and Tom’s Guide to see which ones are considered “the best.”
While there are those that are “the best,” they may not be what’s right for you, your home, or even your internet provider.
It’s the same with hobbits.
You may like one more than the other, it’s all a question of preference.
Your home, like you, is unique.
Don’t just go with the router that is labeled “the best” by a source that doesn’t know you.
That's like saying Frodo was the best hobbit.
You know, hobbits, from The Lord of the Rings.
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world, there were wizards, humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. The smallest of these creatures were the hobbits. These were the guys who were half the height of dwarves. Being that dwarves were half the height of humans, this made hobbits very, very short. Sometimes they were even referred to as halflings.
As a result, hobbits were regarded as unimportant. Irrelevant even.
And the hobbits, as Tolkien explained, were happy with this. They were fine to stay in their part of the world and not bother with international politics. If the outside world didn't interfere with them, they would leave the outside world alone.
One such hobbit, Frodo Baggins, came into possession of the One Ring- the one thing that could decide whether good or evil prevailed.
And so Frodo, small and unimpressive, set out with his friends to take care of the ring. Journeying with him was Samwise Gamgee otherwise known as Sam, Peregrin Took aka Perry and Meriadoc Brandybuck aka Merry. Each was unique with their own quirks and personality.
These four hobbits, though small and “irrelevant” ended up becoming the deciding factor in entire battle for the soul of the world; Merry would go on to help slay the Witch-King, Perry would play a vital role in distracting Sauron, the grand leader of the evil forces, and Sam would help Fordo get all the way to Mt. Doom, where Frodo tossed the One Ring into open lava.
Thanks to these four hobbits, peace was restored.
Not bad for four hobbits.
While it would be easy to say that Frodo was the best hobbit of all because he destroyed the One Ring, that’d be a little presumptuous. He did have the hardest job, but without help from the other three, Frodo would have never gotten close to Mt. Doom.
It's okay then to prefer Sam, Merry, or Perry to Frodo. People have their reasons for liking one over the other. Just like they have their reasons for not choosing "the best" product out there.
Like when it comes to picking a Wi-Fi router.
Before picking a router, take stock of your Wi-Fi needs at home.
For those using one device on a consistent basis, 5 Mbps is the download speed that works best for you. With that in mind, you can save some money by avoiding the higher end routers.
If you’re downloading content on multiple devices—like Netflix through your Apple TV and streaming a game on your PlayStation 4—getting a download speed of 45 Mbps is best to handle the larger amount of data going back and forth.
Knowing this will help you decide which router is best for your home.
For homes with light internet usage, a single-band router is best. For homes with heavy internet usage, a dual-band router would be best.
Single-band routers use just one frequency.
This is great if you’re using a few devices throughout your home. They can handle the usual amount of data going back and forth.
The downside is the frequency they use; 2.4 GHz. This frequency is usually used by Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and wireless phones. Those devices can inadvertently disrupt your Wi-Fi signal.
The dual-band routers use the 2.4 GHz frequency and a second frequency of 5 GHz. That 5 GHz frequency is less common. This second frequency is better used for third-party devices, giving you a less-impeded channel to work with. The drawback with the 5 GHz frequency is that it has a smaller coverage area. With this in mind, you may want to put your Xbox, Playstation 4, or computer closer to the router.
Dual-band routers are great for homes where multiple devices are downloading at once. You can even assign a channel to a specific device. And with more than one frequency in use, downloads can be performed simultaneously instead of one at a time.
As you would expect, dual-band routers are more expensive, so take that into account when you decide to purchase.
Tri-band routers use the 2.4 GHz frequency and two frequencies of 5GHz.
Routers of this type provide the most connectivity and speed. But they’re also the most expensive. Thus, if you use one device in your home on a regular basis, then avoid dual and tri-band routers.
No matter what router you decide to buy, you’ll notice that all will come with a number and the letters “AC.”
AC refers to Wi-Fi protocol number, 802.11ac. AC is the version of the protocol in use. There’s 802.11b, 802.11m, and others. The letters denote the gradual improvements and modifications over previous versions. 802.11ac is the current version that allows for simultaneous downloads.
When it comes to designing routers, the engineers involved decided to use this "AC" for labeling purposes. The AC is for the protocol number. 802.11ac indicates the level of the Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) the router is capable of. For example; Of all the data streaming through the router at one time, the projected maximum speed the router can handle is something like 1300 Mbps. You won’t get that speed exactly, but the router can hypothetically handle the volume of 1300 Mbps. Therefore, if you’re downloading 50 Mbps in one room and 30 Mbps in another, an AC1300 router will handle that just fine.
Of all the numbers on your router, look for the one that starts with “AC.” This is the best indicator of whether your router can handle the amount of data you plan to be downloading and uploading at one time.
Just as there are preferences when it comes to hobbits, you can have preferences when it comes to Wi-Fi routers and ISPs. You can check out the best internet deals and packages for AT&T, Spectrum, HughesNet, Viasat, or another provider in your zip code to help you get started on your search.
And make sure to you download The Lord of the Rings onto your favorite eReader or audiobook app. It’s well worth the read! When you finish reading the books, go watch the movies. They’re good, but I’m preferable to the books.
Have you bought a Wi-Fi router on your own? Is there a Wi-Fi router you’d recommend?
