oletimer Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 We started being a "longtimer" in 1995, and needed to have internet for paying bills, and keeping track of friends, and family, etc. We have been the whole route, Pocketmail, phone cards, computer cards, and so on. About 8-9 years ago we bought a satellite system from Maxwell Satellite, because we do a lot of desert camping in the SW with NO cellular service. We have gotten along kinda' OK. We have looked at the StarBand(sp) system, because I think Hughes is going to do away with anything that is not "spot beamed", and I not sure if StarBand will or not, so I'm just getting along. When we came to NE Kansas for Christmas, I had trouble setting up, because I kept getting "content blocked because it was not signed by a valid security code" message. I went to Hughesnet "deep tec" ($129.99) they said they could help but pay first, wasted money!! I have a neighbor that is a installer, $100, not wasted money, but had to dig up a pre Windows7 computer, so I could display "blocked content". I sure don't want to carry an extra OLD computer around. Any ideas, or is the satellite system just dying? Thanks for any help. Dick T 2006 Volvo VNL 630(VED12 400HP)10 speed autoshift,3.58 gear 236" twin screw, w/ET, Jackalopee, Blue Dot2016 Space Craft 37' Blu/Dot, Dexter 8K triple axel, HD Drum hydraulic brakes Feather lite air ride2005 Jeep Rubicon2007 Suzuki DR 650 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 Ditch your satellite and go with cellular...Verizon if you only want to pay for one, or a combination of Verizon and AT&T for maximum coverage. We used to use satellite, too (from Maxwell), but gave it up years ago and haven't looked back. I don't know where in the desert Southwest you boondock, but we do a lot of boondocking in the desert Southwest, too (principally Arizona) and haven't been any place where we couldn't get a signal...nowadays it's almost always 4G. The only place we've been recently where we can't get a cell signal is when we're in Death Valley staying at the northern-most campground, Mesquite Springs. However, if we were willing to move down to Furnace Creek, there's a 3G signal there. We use our smartphone as a hotspot, but you could also get a mobile hotspot device. LindaH 2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K 2011 Kia Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted December 26, 2014 Report Share Posted December 26, 2014 Grab a bootable Linux CD and just reboot to it when you need to get online, free to download and safer to use as it goes back to a clean configuration at every reboot. Chromium (Google's free version of Chrome) your Linux's browser or Firefox may be available for your use. On OpenSuse, the one I use Konquer and Firefox are offered by default. Go here: https://software.opensuse.org/132/en Click the link: "Click here to display these alternative versions." Set your download option to: "Direct Link" Set your PC type or just pick 32 bit that will run anywhere. Click the download button. This is about 850 MB so grabbing it off a WiFi link is a good idea. You can burn it to a DVD or to a USB stick. First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa_desert_rat Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 Grab a bootable Linux CD and just reboot to it when you need to get online, free to download and safer to use as it goes back to a clean configuration at every reboot. +1 to what Stanley said. There are lots of choices. Here is a brief review of 5 of them: http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/377416:the-five-best-linux-live-cds I have used Knoppix for years as a way to get into broken Windows PCs and get them to work again. You boot it from a CDROM (or DVD or USB stick if your hardware will let you) but it still will see your Windows partitions and your files! Comes with a browser called "Iceweasel" so worth getting just to say that your browser is Iceweasel. WDR 1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks 1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires Raspberry Pi Coach Computer Ham Radio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 Ice Weasel = Fire Fox with the logos filed off so it meets the Debian rules for distribution. The Mozilla folks don't have a problem with that. First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oletimer Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Thanks for the info guys, your talking way above my head, because I'm a computer moron, but with this information I will be able to figure this out. Dick T 2006 Volvo VNL 630(VED12 400HP)10 speed autoshift,3.58 gear 236" twin screw, w/ET, Jackalopee, Blue Dot2016 Space Craft 37' Blu/Dot, Dexter 8K triple axel, HD Drum hydraulic brakes Feather lite air ride2005 Jeep Rubicon2007 Suzuki DR 650 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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