Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

S & C

Jun 6, 2005, 1:54 PM

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Satellite internet

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I am new to posting on your boards and hope to get some technical advice from the more experience members.
We plan living 6 to 9 months a year on the coast just north of Tulum, Q Roo starting this fall. (just over an hour south of Cancun but worlds apart).
The only telephones available where our house is are the cell phones from Telcel so the internet is out for that. (Telmex continues to say the area is growing so fast they have no idea when they may hit Tankah bay).
There is a local service in the area that supplies the internet via radio waves, or microwave. (not sure of the technical name but several people in the area have it, sort of a direct line of sight thing using a pole on the roof and a small 12" x 18" antenna. It is quite flat on this coast). They say the service is good sometimes and slow at others. I'm interested is a broadband service that I can use for internet plus have a VOIP telephone service with it. I've seen a few posts on this board mentioning Direcway Satellite and Vonage. My question is, can they be purchased and installed in Mexico? (In my area). That is the preferance, or will I have to buy it in the states and bring it down (as one email from Direcway seemed to say).
If I have to bring it down, what about customs? I could set it up myself if I knew the direction but can I bring it down at all?

After I get that sorted out I would also like to know more about Dish network in Mexico. I have that in the states and would like to use the same account in both places. Can anyone share info on this?

Thanks
Stan
Stan

sfmacaws

Jun 6, 2005, 3:22 PM

Post #2 of 3 (624 views)

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Re: [S & G] Satellite internet

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Stan,

I live in my RV and have satellite internet through Directway. I also own a condo in Akumal (La Mirage on Half Moon Bay) and spend a few months there most years. It will work there and as far south as Honduras. Technically, I don't think it is legal to use it in México because you are using their airspace. I do not know if you can buy it in México although I have heard that there is a company licensed there to sell it. My guess is that it would be a lot more expensive. DBSTV is a forum sponsored by a company based in Houston that says they will sell and install a system for you in México and many Central American countries, I don't know any more about them.

The one we have is easy to set up, we set it up and take it down with almost every move of the RV. I can recommend one place to purchase it in the US, Scott at Dustyfoot. This would be a portable tripod system that you could take down and store when you are not there. I recommend setting it up at least once while you are in the US to make sure you understand it, Scott has an excellent manual and is available for phone support as well.

While you can get a second LNB for the internet dish that will get Dish or Direct TV in the US, it is not a large enough dish to work that far south. I spent a half a day messing with it in Akumal one year and was able to get Fox News and a slew of religious channels but that was it. What I've been told is that with a 1 meter dish I could get at least one of the Dish satellites but probably not the other. I've considered it but not done it yet, that large a dish would need to be securely mounted, probably lagged into the roof and concreted.

For excellent advice on VOIP, satellite internet and even some info on satellite tv, go to the motosat forum. While their focus is on the automatic satellite internet system that is mounted on top of a vehicle, they are very tech-savvy and incredibly helpful. There is a thread there on VOIP and they do recommend certain programs to use with a satellite. The latency built in to sat internet makes some VOIP programs unusable, even the ones recommended will involve a few second delay between talk and hear making conversations seem like a single duplex radio. For calls to the US, I use a Verizon cell phone with the North America Plan, I don't know if you would have reception in Tankah or not. Luckily, I do have a landline in my condo and used Telmex dialup for years. I hated it.

Hope some of this helps, Tankah is gorgeous.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

johanson / Moderator

Jun 6, 2005, 8:18 PM

Post #3 of 3 (598 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Satellite internet

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Stan: Jonna gives good advise. And has given you some good links. For whatever it's worth I have ADSL, fixed WiFi (that's the wireless service you are talking about) dialup and soon two way satellite. No, not all in one spot but in several locations. Which is best for you? If you are going to be traveling from place to place or live in an area where there is no broadband or for that matter no dialup, I would recommend Jonna's solution. The equipment is much cheaper up north, but you had better know what you are doing; Jonna does. Jonna Mentioned DBSTV. They are good people, however as was suggested they are not cheap. The last time I asked, they would set you up for about $2,000 US for an in house fixed dish system in Mexico. It costs perhaps a 1/3 of that up North. Jonna would have a better idea. If I had a choice, (we are talking about a home here, not an RV) I would prefer good fixed wifi over two way satellite. However if the wifi sucks, DirectWay would be my choice. In Ajijic, fixed WiFi costs $485 US for installation and $40 or $60 US per month for 256 Kb/sec or 512 Kb/sec up and down. To learn more about them check out www.lagunanet.net.mx Remember, fixed WiFi has a range of 5 or so miles per tower or access point. One can go farther, say 20 miles, but often you loose quality. Lagunanet does not provide service to your area. Oh another thing. Jonna mentioned the Verizon North America plan, which is the plan of choice by the experts down here. If I am not mistaken, Verizon uses Telcel for their Mexican partners. You will need to check, but I bet you will be OK. Yes, many folks bring a DISH receiver with them, However the size of the satellite dish has to be much larger than that supplied up North. I don't mean to get technical here, but my programming up North comes from two locations,They are located at satellites located at 110 and 119 degrees west over the equator. Here in WA I have one small 22 inch in diameter satellite dish that receives signals from both locations. In Central Mexico, one needs two larger satellite dishes (one about 1.1 meter and the other about 1.5 meters in diameter) each pointing at separate points and each having their own LNB. In your area you will need larger satellite dishes as well, but I do not know how large. Good luck Stan. There is a lot to learn.