We all want the best connections to the internet. This may not be possible if you are in a place without cable or fiber internet like in rural areas. However, you can use satellite internet. The question: is it good for gaming, streaming, teleconferencing, and other online activities? Yes, when you don’t have another choice it is good. You have to put up with latency, slow speed, and packet loss.
These days everyone needs to communicate with family and friends in another state.
For those who are living in a rural area where there is no cable or fiber internet available. The only option is satellite internet service from a company like HughesNet, Exede, Dish Network, ViaSat Internet.
Satellite internet may be the best solution for you if you don’t have any other choice when it comes to broadband connection options. There are ways to get around some of the problems that come with using satellite internet but they require time and effort on your part.
We will explain the effect to gamers and other users who need fast connections at all times. This is to get their work done effectively without interruption from lag time or slow speeds due to data loss over long distances between end-user devices and servers hosting
This article will help explain the pros and cons of satellite internet so that you can decide whether this option would be right for your situation.
What is satellite internet?
Satellite internet can be a great option for rural areas that don’t have access to cable or DSL. However, it’s not the best choice if you live in an urban area and need fast speeds.
Satellite internet is not as simple or cheap as other options such as cable or DSL. It also has higher latency than most wireless connections. If you have a large property and need more than one connection point then it could get expensive really quickly.
Additional reading: How does Satellite Internet Work? Should you get it?
What is satellite internet? Satellite internet is a wireless connection that involves 3 satellite dishes; one at the internet service provider’s hub, one in space, and one attached to your property. Moreover, you need a modem and a router to connect your household or office to the satellite internet.
The best router for satellite internet will enable your whole home to be connected. It will also enable you to get fast download and upload speeds. Finally, using a satellite internet router will give you Ethernet ports which are better for streaming and gaming.
Reasons to get satellite internet?
For some people, satellite internet is the only option for high-speed internet. There are many reasons why you might want to use satellite internet. It is not always a good choice though because of its problems with latency, speed, and packet loss.
If you have no other choice than to use satellite Internet then it can be a good solution for your needs if you know how to work around its limitations.
There are many reasons why you might be considering using satellite internet in your home or business. But before you decide to go with it, there are a few things that you should consider.
Additional reading: How to Reduce Latency on Satellite Internet
Satellite Internet is not bad per se; however, it comes with its own set of issues that may or may not affect how well it works for any given individual’s needs. The following guide will detail some important points about satellite Internet service providers (ISPs).
1. Connection in rural areas
In some places, satellite internet may be the only good source of broadband internet. This includes rural areas where there are no cable, DSL, or fiber connections.
In these instances, getting the satellite internet will enable you to enjoy activities on the internet which you could not enjoy if you have none.
This is because depending on MiFi or mobile hotspot is expensive and not reliable. When you don’t have another option, satellite internet is better than nothing. It’s slow but the satellite internet works. In fact, we’ve used it to stream Netflix and play video games online without problems.
2. Satellite internet is faster than dial-up
You are in a rural area and need internet access. The providers of cable, fiber, or DSL services don’t offer services that reach your home.
Satellite internet is the fastest way to connect to the Internet for people who live in rural areas without other options available. It is faster than a dial-up internet connection by far! The satellite has been used as a tool for telecommunication since it was first introduced into use in 1962.
If you can’t get fast broadband because there isn’t any nearby then consider using satellite instead of dial-up or slow DSL or even worse no connection at all from an ISP provider (Internet Service Provider).
3. No need for a phone line or cables
It can be hard to believe that satellite internet could be fast enough for streaming, gaming, teleconferencing, or other online activities such as downloading music files or videos.
The truth is that you can enjoy high-speed broadband speeds when using satellite technology because there are no delays in connection due to the distance from your home to the nearest telephone office. This means you’ll have uninterrupted service at all times of day and night without the need for an additional phone line which makes this type of service perfect for rural areas.
Most ISP’s networks of satellites cover the most populated areas across North America, we provide access to over 100 million people who previously had no options for high-speed broadband services like video streaming, downloads, and real-time conferencing.
4. There are no peak time slow-downs
Yes, satellite internet has its own challenges in latency and packet loss. In addition, it is slower than cable, fiber, and DSL internet. Another problem with using a satellite for an internet connection is that your connection may be slow because of weather conditions like rain and snow.
For these customers of satellite internet providers, there is no need to worry about peak time slowdown. This is because the speeds don’t get affected at any time of the day or night due to congestion on their network. They also enjoy better upload speeds than most other types of broadband services available today!
Cons of satellite internet
The biggest challenge with using satellite internet is finding an ISP that offers reliable service for affordable prices. Many things can go wrong when setting up this type of Internet connection including weather conditions, equipment failure, or even interference from other satellites in orbit around Earth. Let’s explore them in detail:
1. The weather affects satellite internet connection.
Satellite is one of the most reliable and fastest types of Internet available, but it can be affected by weather conditions such as rain and snow. This makes it a poor choice for people who live in areas that get these conditions regularly.
If you’re living in an area affected by bad weather conditions you might experience problems connecting at all times due to rain or snow blocking the signal from reaching your property.
This will prevent you from doing anything on the Internet including watching videos online, browsing social media sites, and communicating with friends via email or text messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook Messenger.
You need a good quality satellite dish cover for protecting your dishes against wind damage caused by strong winds (up to 70 mph), heavy snowfall/snowstorms.
2. Satellite internet has high latency or ping
Internet latency is the time it takes for a packet of information to travel from one point to another. High latency can cause problems when streaming media or playing games online, as well as making VoIP calls and video conferencing difficult.
Satellite internet has high ping rates because the signal travels through space before reaching your property. This means that any issues with weather or interference will affect your connection speed and quality.
Even if you have a good line of sight, satellite connections are subject to interference from anything that emits electromagnetic radiation; such as microwaves, cordless phones, and other wireless devices close to your modem.
High latency or high ping rates are a problem for gamers and online shoppers. Latency is the time it takes for a signal to travel from one point to another. The higher the latency, the longer it takes for data to get where you need it to go.
Satellite internet users want lower latency so they can play their favorite games with less lag or delay in response time and more reliable connections when shopping online.
You can explore options on how to reduce latency on satellite internet. However, because of the distance, it may be almost impossible to have a low ping like the ones experienced in cable or fiber connections.
3. Your connection can be affected by minor obstructions on the dish or cables
The problem is that satellite internet can be affected by trees, buildings, and other obstructions. This will cause a drop in speed. There are ways to fix this problem but they are expensive and take time to get set up properly with an installer.
You also need the right kind of dish installed on your roof or you could just have it mounted outside your house somewhere if you’re lucky enough to have space for one.
4. Satellite internet has bandwidth limitations
Satellite internet is not a good solution for all people. Most of the time satellite internet has bandwidth limitations and slow connection speeds
In addition, most satellite ISPs have either data caps or slow down in the connection when so much bandwidth is used.
Additional reading: Best Internet Service Provider in Virginia | ISP Plans & Prices
Customers normally get frustrated with the speed of satellite internet. They have to pay more than cable or fiber customers but they get much less in return.
5. Satellite internet is relatively expensive as compared to fiber, cable, or DSL connections
Satellite internet is relatively expensive and doesn’t offer the speeds you need. The satellite Internet providers are slow, have data caps, and usually charge more than fiber, DSL, or cable connections.
The problem with satellite internet is that it’s too expensive to use for most people. It can cost hundreds of dollars per month just to get the service installed in your home! And even after you pay for installation, you have to pay a monthly fee on top of that. On top of that, some satellite ISPs will throttle or even block your connection if you go over your data cap!
Additional reading: Best Internet Service Provider in Illinois: Chicago & Rural ISPs
Is satellite internet good for gaming?
I live in a rural area and have to use satellite internet for gaming. Is this service good enough? It’s slow, it has latency issues and there is frequent packet loss. It also costs more than other providers but my only choice is dial-up. What can I do with this kind of provider?
Low speeds and poor reliability of their satellite internet service for gaming or streaming video games online. If you want to play your favorite MMORPGs or multiplayer first-person shooters like Fortnite or PUBG then you need a better connection that won’t lag every time someone else in your house uses the Internet at the same time as you try to game online on PS4 or Xbox One.
However, satellite internet can be fast enough to play games, but there are some issues with latency, packet loss, and speed. So, you will have to find ways to reduce latency on satellite internet as explained here.
Is satellite internet good for streaming?
Satellite internet is generally slower than other broadband options, but it can be faster in some areas. If you want to stream video from Netflix or Amazon Prime, you need at least 10 Mbps download speed.
You also may experience latency issues with satellite internet because data has to travel a long distance between your home and the satellite. Packet loss is another issue that comes with using this type of service. This occurs when packets get lost along the way or arrive damaged due to weather conditions like rain or snow
However, if you don’t have fiber or cable internet, the satellite is the next best option for streaming as compared to a dial-up connection. It easily gives you more than 10Mbps download speed and thus you can enjoy streaming.
The main issue will be the slight delay in the live streaming of events!
Conclusion
Satellite internet is your only option in rural areas with no cable or fiber options. The question remains if it will be good enough for what you need. Is satellite internet good?
Yes, but some issues come with using satellite internet like latency, slow speed, and packet loss. However, most people don’t have a choice of providers when they live in rural areas so they must choose between this service or nothing at all.
Satellite Internet offers a good option to the customer who wants fast broadband but doesn’t have access to it in their area. It’s very important that you look at your options before committing to this service because there are some limitations you need to be aware of with satellite internet.
If you’re looking for an alternative way of getting broadband into your home without having the lines run through your property or if you just want something faster than DSL or dial-up then this is a viable option.
