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Satellite Internet involves a complex set of technologies that can be explained using a simple triangle analogy.

Positioned at the triangles peak is the geostationary satellite which is located 22,000 miles above the Earth’s equator. On the bottom of the triangle, one of the points represents the satellite at the home or business and the other point represents the communication center of the satellite Internet provider. The geostationary satellite sends and receives information to and from both of the bottom points, which ultimately enables users to have high speed Internet access. When you consider just how far these signals are being sent, satellite Internet is extremely fast.

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Cracking the mystery of the two-way satellite dish

Unlike the satellite dished of our past, modern dishes are not an eyesore. Most Internet satellite dishes are dark grey and only 28” x 26” (about the size of a small briefcase). With the help of a pole, the professional satellite installer will be able to mount the dish near or on the home.

In order to operate at peak efficiency, it’s imperative that your two-way satellite dish face south and not have any buildings or trees interfering with its view of the sky. Through cable, the dish is connected to a modem inside the home or building. In order for the satellite Internet to be used, the computer must be connected to the modem. The user gains high speed Internet access as the modem translates the data.

Knowing how the geostationary satellite works

Internet service is provided to thousands of customers from the geosynchronous satellites that are placed by the satellite Internet companies to orbit around the Earth at 22,000 miles above the equator. Since the satellite is located in a very high orbit, it actually orbits around Earth at the same speed as the Earth’s rotation. Because of this fact, the satellite never actually appears to move and this is what it is called “geosynchronous.” This geosynchronous orbit makes it possible to point a satellite dish at one exact point in the sky and receive data without ever having to change the angle or elevation of the dish.

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Understanding how the satellite dish at the Internet provider’s communication center works

Located at the provider’s facility will be a satellite dish that both receives and sends information. At this communication center, the provider is then able to give its customers high speed Internet access.

So you’re a rural resident and you’ve decided to get fast rural Internet access. Not only is your life about to get easier with fast satellite Internet (no more slow dial up or surprise wireless Internet fees), but you’re also about to learn more about satellites than you ever thought you’d need to learn.

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Though you will learn the key essentials about your rural Internet access when the installer comes to your home, here are 5 additional satellite concepts you may want to read about.

1. Southern Line of Sight
You can’t have rural satellite Internet access if you don’t have a clear view of the southern sky (the orbiting satellite rests 22,000 miles above equator). There are several different ways to have a satellite dish mounted at your home, but if the sky will be blocked by buildings or trees, it’s likely none of them will work for you. Essentially your view of the southern sky will be completely blocked by these things.

2. Bandwidth and Satellite Internet
The amount of information that can be transmitted via the Internet at one moment in time is known as bandwidth. Consequently, the more bandwidth you have, the quicker your satellite Internet service will be.

3. Fair Access Policy
It’s common for satellite Internet providers to have their own fair access policy which essentially allows all customers to be able to access the Internet equally. Throughout a select amount of time (normally 30 days) customers are limited in the amount of downloading and uploading they can do per household. When the maximum usage is reached, your Internet will slow down to compensate but will return to normal speed relatively soon (When you sign up for access, check the specifics of your FAP so that you will know exactly what the specifications are for the rural Internet access that you have.)

4. 2-Way Satellite Dishes
Most of us can still recall the oversized satellite dishes which were a staple of cable television throughout the 80s and 90s. While alike in several ways, the largest difference between cable satellite and an Internet satellite is that the later actually not only receives but sends signals as well.

5. Dish Pointing Coordinates
When you get satellite Internet you will not have to install your dish. In fact, it’s discouraged that anyone other than a professional install a satellite dish. While the installation is taking place you may hear the installer mention something about dish pointing coordinates and while this may not mean much to you at the time, having a basic understanding of this can be useful in case you run into a problem later on with your rural Internet access.

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These dish coordinating coordinates are actually the position of you satellite dish which include the vertical angle (elevation) and the horizontal angle (azimuth). Every satellite dish has its own coordinates.

Before committing to mounting your high speed satellite Internet dish near or on your house you need to fully consider which area has the clearest view of the southern sky. This undisrupted clear view of the southern sky is extremely important when you realize that your new high speed Satellite dish is receiving signals from a geostationary located 22,000 miles above the equator.

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If you don’t have a clear view-for example there are trees or buildings in the way-then you’ll want to find a different mounting location. If you can’t find an obvious mount point, don’t be discouraged, there are many other mounting options and one is bound to be the right choice for you. Assuming that there are no obstacles in your way, you have several high speed satellite Internet dish mounting options available based on the type of home you live in.

Mounting options for residents of trailers or mobile homes

If you live in a mobile home or a trailer you will not structurally be able to support the weight of the mount. Fortunately, this is easy enough to fix by putting a pole in the ground near the trailer and attaching the mount to this secure structure.

Remember that the satellite dish must be grounded to the electricity stays away from your house and that it also must be 5 feet above the ground. When the installer comes to help with the mount he/she will be able to help you find a great location that is out of the high-traffic areas of your yard. The pole can be set permanently or temporarily, depending on your needs.

Options for a flat roof

While most residential buildings do not have flat roofs, most commercial buildings do. If you do have a flat roof in either situation you will likely need a non-penetrating mounting system. This is exactly what it sounds like, in other words, the mounting system will not penetrate the roof at all. In this situation, you will have a structure that looks very much like a sled which will have the satellite connected to it. The entire unit is stabilized with cinderblocks.

Options for homes made of wood panels, lap siding or concrete, brick or cinderblock

A wall mount is a very commonly used mount. It is the best option for houses that have a concrete foundation and are made of the usual construction materials.

If you have an asphalt roof…

Most commonly, asphalt roofs work well with the sloped roof mount. This is ideal for asphalt since it is strong enough to support drilling which is needed for the sloped roof mount. Unlike other materials, the asphalt roof can completely support the satellite.

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There is one more mount option for high speed Internet access not mentioned here: the under eave mount. This is not a very popular mounting option, because it’s not suitable for homes with vinyl, aluminum, or stucco eaves. If you’re not sure what type of mount you need or want, don’t worry. You can follow the recommendations of the satellite Internet dish installer so that you will get optimal high speed Internet access.

While you may find yourself on your computer a lot throughout the day, the fact that the majority of that time you spend searching Facebook and checking your email does not make you a “super” user. Ask yourself these five questions to know if you are, in fact, a super Internet user and in need rural high speed Internet.

1. Do you regularly download movies or music?

2. Would you say you use your Internet more than 3 hours per day?

3. Would you say that you frequently sign on when you first wake up and/or again before you go to bed?

4. Are you online so frequently that you receive requests from your friends and family for help finding items or things online since they know you are already on the Web?

5. Is the Internet needed for you to do work?

If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, you are undoubtedly ready for rural high speed Internet.

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What Should You Do if You Are a Super Internet User?

Rural residents often are forced to deal with a variety of Internet difficulties like slow dial-up speeds and drifting wireless Internet access. Strangely, the numbers of residents who don’t take advantage of rural high speed Internet access is relatively high. Satellite Internet is better for rural residents because:

- Satellite Internet access is up to 30 times faster than dial-up.

- Satellite Internet access is much more consistent than wireless Internet.

- Unlike wireless Internet access, the fees for satellite Internet are the same every month (no surprises).

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If you live in a rural area and you’re a super Internet user, you should definitely consider rural high speed satellite Internet service. With satellite Internet service you don’t have to rely on your phone line to get online and you can surf the web for fun and for work with much more ease.

So, you’ve worked hard all your life and you’ve landed a great piece of property in a private, rural neighborhood. Lots of people will be doing the same thing as you did. Only to discover that Internet access to their new place is not something so easy to get. Before to have in some rural areas the Internet would mean to use some unreliable and expensive satellite connections: not anymore! Satellite Internet is a lot different than before. It is proven to be faster and more reliable than some cable or DSL connections. Look here Rural Satellite Internet Providers to read more about rural satellite.

More often than not rural neighborhoods are not wired for cable service, and in some extreme cases not even for DSL services. If you already have satellite television in your rural home, you should have no trouble at all adding satellite internet service to your bill. Lots of time, you will get the reliability and speed of satellite Internet for only 50 to 60 bucks a month. On this page Rural Broadband Wireless Internet you will understand more about rural broadband wireless Internet.

The moment you are ready to get rural Internet at your place, you need to pay close attention to the contract or billing agreement. In some cases, the most well-known companies can be a little bit more sneaky than you might think. Some providers will charge you on a MB basis. Just like cell phone companies are doing. Some companies will advertise their bottom line price and fail to let you know that the price you see is the price to deliver service to your home, but does not include any uploading or downloading that you will do.

Before opting for a provider for your rural Internet needs, have a good talk with your actual provider to know how many gigabytes and megabytes your home is actually using. Odds are after moving further outside of town there will be an increase in your internet usage rather than a decrease, knowing just how much internet you are using now will give you the information you need to make an informed decision when it is time to get internet for your rural location. Something great about satellite Internet is that it will work anywhere in the country as long as it is connected to a satellite dish. So you could even take your home Internet whenever you are doing some camping, or when you are visiting people so you can access the Internet anywhere you are going.

When you are in talk with a given satellite Internet company, ask about any cost per MB they will charge you and any other kind of additional fees they did not talk about so far.