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Review by pigjuice 
Posted: 2.3 years ago
member for 3.9 years, 13 visits, last login: 2.3 years ago
 Le Roy,Jackson,WV
 Contract price not specified.
 "It is..."
 "It's slow, the latency is high, weather fade is enormous and they are a..holes"
 "If you have to go satellite, wildblue is a reasonable choice"
| Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Mail,DNS,News:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
It works. Most of the time. Get your self a meter, attenuators and the channel selector, because you'll have to repeak often. Especially when going through NRTC, the staff they sent out aren't exactly technology scholars. You gotta play with it, you gotta complain often. They will lie to you, they will frustrate you, but in the end, it works 75% of the time at 75% of the advertised speed, which is not bad at today's corporate performance.
P2P works, sometimes slowly, sometimes not, you just won't be able to be as generous with your upload as you were when you had cable. VPN/IPSEC works. FTP works extremely slowly on upload. VOIP doesn't work.
Acceptable alternative and a fair price to pay for the privilege of living in the middle of nowhere and having internet access while living completely off the grid. For anything more civilized, get something more civilized.
Followup comments:  
hdman
Flt Rider
Premium
join:2003-11-25
Appleton, WI
 ·Alltel Axess
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·WildBlue
| Re-peak? Just curious, why do you have to repeak "often"? What kind of mount do you have? Roof, pole, side of home, etc.?
A pole mount, if done properly, works very well. I am in Wisconsin where the ground heaves every winter due to frost, and mine has been in for 2 years, and has not been adjusted yet. I do have rain fade, but only during a heavy downpour and I lose my DishNetwork TV long before WB goes down.
HDMan
--
The proper way to break in a Harley: Grab a fist full of throttle, and ride it like you stole it!!! | |
| | pigjuice
join:2005-11-29
Le Roy, WV
| Re: Re-peak? My installation was done on pole (excuse me, thin-wall galvanized exhaust pipe) by a gentleman who clearly didn't do it for long. First I repeaked after 4 months of arguing with Wilblue about sending someone out. Two more times after bad storms. We get some bad weather here. Every time, the dish needed a nudge up and the situation improved greatly. I'll be moving the dish to my new tower in a few weeks where I intend to attach it in a truly permanent way.
I still insists that every Wildblue costumer should obtain the tools and literature necessary to maintain their own system. | |
| | | | | | | pigjuice
join:2005-11-29
Le Roy, WV
| Re: Re-peak? Wildblue follows the FCC rule of at least 5' high to go around the radiation concerns. A single pipe, in my opinion, isn't suitable to hold that equipment. Even a thick wall pipe, properly cemented into the ground will have at least some twist in it (like a torsion bar). My main problem seems to be in the sleeve he put on top of the pole, which is at least 1/2" larger in diameter than the pole. Tightening the screws on the sleeve actually twists the mount.
That's why I want to go with a three legged antenna tower and a custom mount. I'm not building a tall tower, it's only 32' tall and it's made of the heaviest sections of a Rohn BX. They use these unanchored for up 100'. Mine will be next to a building and anchored in several places. It will also have a 125 cu/ft concrete base. It will serve as a frame for many of may antennas - wildblue, starband, Ku with a positioner, 2-3 terrestrial tv antennas, several wifi antennas a pcs antenna and probably more.
More to the point of my previous post, getting the Wildblue installation tools and literature really helped. I'm considering getting myself certified, just so I can provide people with some post installation and or post warranty support. But form my research so far, they won't work with you unless you pledge yourself to a reseller or become one. I don't like Wildblue enough to sell for them... | |
| | | | ArtWis
join:2006-05-27
Montello, WI
·WildBlue
| Tower mount... I have a tower mount and it was only after close scrutiny that my NRTC installer would do it that way. I have a heavy duty tower which is in the ground 4 feet with concrete base. The tower is also fastened under the eave of our two story house with a very substantial bracket made by the maker or the tower (Rohn). A special bracket made for mounting the dish is mounted just about a foot above the bracket which ties the tower to the house mentioned above. Ten feet above the WB dish is a very large OTA tv antenna. There is no movement of the tower at all. We have had winds gusting to 70 mph with no problems at all with the WB signal. Be sure if you tower mount that you have a heavy duty tower and that there is NO movement of the tower and you have the WB dish mounted on the proper bracket just above the top bracket on the tower to connect it to your house. Believe me when I say a pole mount is easier and cheaper but in our case it would have been in the way in our yard. As far as required location near our main electrical entrance we could have gone either way and the tower just was better in our case. | |
| | pigjuice
join:2005-11-29
Le Roy, WV
| I just wanted to add, for clarity, I do live in a very inaccessible area (by choice) and as much as 'services' don't want to come here, we want them to stay out. If you live less remotely, you're luck and choice of installers might be greater. On the other hand, so may be your choice of wired providers. | |
| 
Marieesa
@onenet.net
| Charging to move. Can someone here please explain to me why Wildblue wants to charge me $100 to move for equipment I only purchased 2 months ago that is brand new? I understand they have to pay the guy to come install it but why am i being charged for more new equipment when i have new equipment. that seems very unreasonable! | |
| |
Sunshineanon
@startek.com | Re: Charging to move. Because those are the rules  | |
| |
BballerD24
@startek.com | would u rather pay for a 90 dollar de- installation, and a 179.00 dollar re installation or just the 100.00 dollar flat fee trust me ur benifiting. | |
| | pigjuice
join:2005-11-29
Le Roy, WV
| Are you moving withing the same beam? I'm sure you can find someone (not certified, but local) with the right equipment and knowledge to reinstall and repeak it for you. (Wildblue might not like it and I can't predict what they'll do to your account if they catch you.) Still, you'll have a hard time beating $100. | |
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