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Computer and Communication Systems |
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(209) 586-3782 or (408) 866-5883
starband@varvayanis.com
StarBand Frequently Asked Questions
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Computer and Communication Systems |
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To learn more about satellite and StarBand services, please click on the links below. If you have additional questions, contact us.
What is a VSAT?
How Does it Work?
Are there any applications that will work differently over satellite delivered Internet service?
Will StarBand® service be disrupted if the satellite dish antenna is accidentally knocked out of alignment?
Is the StarBand service affected by rain?
What StarBand services are available?
Does StarBand require a separate account with an Internet Service Provider?
Are there any time limits or hourly restrictions on the StarBand® service?
Are there any activities prohibited on the StarBand service?
Can I access computer systems at my office through the StarBand system?
Does StarBand® service require a telephone connection?
Can I use other satellite Internet provider equipment?
Are there cancellation fees?
How do I receive technical and/or maintenance support?
Can you tell me more about VPN performance?
What is a basic installation?
Where will the antenna be mounted and what are my mounting options?
What are the line of sight requirements for the StarBand antenna?
How much will installation cost?
Who is responsible for licenses, permits, landlord approvals, etc. that may be required for the installation of my antenna?
My Home Owner's Association (HOA) won't allow a satellite dish to be installed at my home. Am I protected from this restriction?
What is StarBand service and where is it available?
What equipment is necessary for StarBand service outside of the continental U.S.?
Where can I buy StarBand systems?
What are the minimum computer requirements?
Can I mount a StarBand antenna on my RV?
What is a VSAT?
A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a device that is used to communicate by relaying signals via a satellite in geosynchronous (stationary) orbit above the earth.
"VSAT terminals" are the satellite modem/router and small (generally between .75 meter and 1.2 meters) dishes that operate at a customer's location.
"VSAT hubs" are the large (often 9 meters or larger) dishes and sophisticated network control/send and receive
equipment that the network provider operates for the terminals to communicate with.
How Does it Work?
The StarBand!" system consists of a 24" x 36" satellite dish mounted on or near your home or office (1.2 meter satellite dish in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
The dish must have a clear unobstructed view of one our satellites located 22,300 miles up over the Equator in the southern sky.
Two standard coaxial cables connect the satellite dish antenna to the StarBand satellite modem connected to your computer via an Ethernet connection.
StarBand sends requests to the Internet and receives Internet content via satellite.
The satellite communicates with the StarBand hub facility, which has a direct connection to the Internet.
No telephone connection, dial-up account or other Internet service providers are needed.
StarBand does it all for you.
Are there any applications that will work differently over satellite delivered Internet service?
Yes.
Certain applications do not perform efficiently in a satellite-delivered environment, such as voice/video over IP, VPN and remote access applications, certain online interactive games (particularly "shooter" games that depend on split-second responsiveness for the "survival" of the player), and applications that use non-TCP/IP protocols (such as IPX/SPX).
VPN client software bypasses TCP Acceleration and Web Page Acceleration and as a result speeds are similar to that of a dial-up connection. Real-time gaming applications rely on instantaneous feedback and even when using the accelerator software performance the remaining latency is still often too much for satisfactory performance.
Will StarBand® service be disrupted if the satellite dish antenna is accidentally knocked out of alignment?
Yes, your service will be disrupted.
An improperly aligned antenna may cause significant interference with other satellite transmissions, resulting in reduced performance for you and/or other customers using the same satellite.
It is possible you may not notice a change in performance, but may be causing significant interference for other customers.
Your StarBand satellite dish antenna may be knocked out of alignment due to acts of nature (such as high winds or earthquakes) or individuals moving the dish by accident.
If this occurs, StarBand may have to temporarily shut down your service to stop the interference.
You will need a maintenance technician to visit your site to re-align the dish and will be charged for the site visit.
Is the StarBand service affected by rain?
StarBand service usually will be up and running greater than 99.5% of the time.
However, like satellite television services, your StarBand service can be affected by rain.
During a very heavy downpour, you may notice degraded performance, and occasionally the service may even stop altogether for a few minutes as the peak of the downpour passes over.
What StarBand services are available?
StarBand Nova services - Nova 500, 1000 and 1500 - offer reliable, high performance, always-on broadband satellite Internet for Home, small office/home office (SOHO) and small business customers.
StarBand Nova 1000 and 1500 offer faster speeds than previous generations of Nova services, new PC professional support services and value-added features.
Does StarBand require a separate account with an Internet Service Provider?
No.
StarBand provides both the satellite connection and the ISP services.
If you take your laptop on the road, Starband also provides limited dial-up service with your account (5 or 10 hours depending on your plan). Unlimited dial-up service is available for a small additional monthly fee.
Are there any time limits or hourly restrictions on the StarBand® service?
There are no restrictions regarding time of day or hours of usage.
StarBand is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
(Note, however, that continuous use of your StarBand system may result in excessive bandwidth usage in violation of StarBand Acceptable Use Policies.)
Are there any activities prohibited on the StarBand service?
Yes.
Like most, if not all, ISPs, StarBand does not permit activities that are illegal, or that violate or are disrespectful of the rights of other StarBand members or any Internet users.
Also, in consideration for all StarBand members,
StarBand reserves the right to limit excessive bandwidth usage by members.
The Acceptable Use Policy details a number of these activities and applications and the various available remedies and actions that StarBand may take to stop inappropriate or bandwidth hog activities.
Furthermore, StarBand is committed to helping reduce the proliferation of SPAM (bulk e-mail) activities over the Internet. StarBand's e-mail service automatically blocks known SPAM accounts from entering into the StarBand system, and we reserve the right to take other measures to limit SPAM messages (such as limiting the number of addresses in outgoing e-mail messages).
You may not host a Web site on a PC connected to the satellite system. However, StarBand will host a personal Web site for you. See the Acceptable Use Policy for more information on restricted activities.
Can I access computer systems at my office through the StarBand system?
If your company provides a public Internet Web page interface to the information you are seeking, you can easily access it.
However, in a VPN (virtual private network) setup, it may be difficult for you to access this information.
The latency inherent in a satellite environment may cause the security (or "firewall") system to "time-out" your connection.
Does StarBand® service require a telephone connection?
No, StarBand service NEVER requires a telephone connection.
Can I use other satellite Internet provider equipment?
No.
You must use StarBand equipment in order to utilize the StarBand service.
Are there cancellation fees?
Yes.
Customers not completing their contract's minimum term commitment will be assessed an early termination fee.
Canceling service in the first year of a term commitment has a $399 fee on all plans and a has $199 fee in the second year of all two year plans.
There is no service cancellation fee for customers outside of their contract's minimum term commitment period.
How do I receive technical and/or maintenance support?
You also can contact StarBand Member Services and Support to help troubleshoot any issues at 1-800-4STARBAND.
If you purchased your StarBand® service from an authorized StarBand Dealer, that Dealer offers complete technical and maintenance support.
If you purchased the system through StarBand directly, contact us at 1-800-4STARBAND for technical support.
In the event you need on-site maintenance support, an authorized StarBand Dealer can assist you.
Can you tell me more about VPN performance?
In many cases, IPSec-based VPN clients/services will indeed work with your StarBand broadband Internet service.
However, they will typically do so in a limited manner and the download and upload performance you will experience will generally be similar to running IPSec VPN connections over a dial-up connection (in the range of 20 kbps up and 50 kbps down, at most).
There are VPN solutions available that utilize protocols other than IPSec.
The most popular alternative protocol is called SSL (Secure Socket Layers).
SSL or other non-IPSEC based VPN clients may perform better than IPSEC clients, but are still subject to the same limitations and support guidelines listed herein.
Lengthy delays and reduced performance across VPN connections is due to inherent VPN security features which make it impossible for StarBand to “accelerate” VPN connections as we do with other Internet-based applications.
While many VPN applications will work with specified StarBand services, StarBand does not offer technical support for VPN client configuration, connectivity or performance related issues.
If you choose to utilize a VPN in conjunction with your StarBand service despite these issues, please be aware of the following facts, tips and limitations:
What is a basic installation?
A basic installation typically includes the following:
It is an FCC requirement that a professional StarBand certified installer must install your system. Self-installations are NOT allowed. Because the dish antenna both receives from and transmits to the satellite, the installation must be very precise. If you are not a StarBand certified installer and you perform your own installation, you will void any applicable installation and service warranty.
Note: Installing network software and hardware is outside the scope of a basic installation. Some authorized StarBand certified delers/installers have the necessary skills to provide networking services for an additional fee. For network service contact Charles Varvayanis at www.varvayanis.com
Where will the antenna be mounted and what are my mounting options?
The placement of the StarBand equipment will vary depending on the home or building structure in which the system is installed.
Three types of mounting options are available:
Note: Pole and non-penetrating mounts are sold separately by your StarBand installer.
What are the line of sight requirements for the StarBand antenna?
The dish antenna must have an unobstructed view of the satellite in order for the service to function, meaning that no buildings, trees, etc. can block the path between your antenna and the satellite.
How much will installation cost?
Installation prices are established by StarBand certified installers.
Ask for an estimate at the time of purchase.
Who is responsible for licenses, permits, landlord approvals, etc. that may be required for the installation of my antenna?
StarBand operates under a general FCC license for the service.
You are responsible for all local approvals, permits, landlord approvals, approvals from homeowners associations, etc.
When the installer arrives on site, he or she will assume that you have secured any and all required permits, approvals, etc.
My Home Owner's
Association (HOA) won't allow a satellite dish to be installed at my home.
Am I protected from this restriction?
Yes.
The FCC has pre-empted Home Owners Association rules preventing the installation of satellite dishes.
Please see the Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule at www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html for more details.
What is StarBand service and where is it available?
StarBand® is two-way, always-on, high-speed Internet service via satellite delivered to homes and offices virtually everywhere (including the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
What equipment is necessary for StarBand service outside of the continental U.S.?
There are a few unique equipment requirements for StarBand installations in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Your Dealer will be able to order this equipment for you:
1. A 1.2 meter antenna (instead of the .75E antenna used in the continental U.S.)
2. A larger roof/wall mount to accommodate the 1.2 meter antenna
3. A higher performance low-noise-block
(LNB) signal receiver
Any equipment and installation pricing and related terms and conditions quoted on StarBand's Web site do not apply to sales in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Service in these areas can only be purchased through one of our authorized partners.
Labor warranties and maintenance terms are at the discretion of the authorized StarBand Dealer from which you purchase the service.
Where can I buy StarBand systems?
You can purchase StarBand systems from Charles Varvayanis at www.varvayanis.com
What are the minimum computer requirements?
Although StarBand services and products are compatible with most operating systems that support the TCP/IP protocol (i.e. Windows ™ , Macintosh ™ , Linux ™ , UNIX ™ , etc.), StarBand technical support is only provided for the following operating systems: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional and Mac OS X.
Other operating systems with TCP/IP components may work but will not be directly supported by StarBand. The device must meet the following specifications:
Can I mount a StarBand antenna on my RV or truck?
Yes, but only with the use of approved automatic pointing systems and only when the vehicle is stationary and stabilized.
The StarBand antenna not only receives from but also transmits to the satellite; the pointing must be performed with exact precision and in accordance with FCC standards.