Datastorm

Jimalberta · August 14, 2014

Hi, is anyone using this system or one like it for satellite internet and television?

Bill & Janet Adams · August 14, 2014

While the company is out of business and you cannot get any new parts from them, there are several dealers who have been stock piling parts. It's slow, very slow, but it is highly dependable internet service. You can expect to pay about $80/month for speeds 1/10th (being generous) of 3G cellular (not 4G, 3G). Average upload speeds are 0.1 MB (100-150K) and download speeds of 1-1.5MB. Great for e-mail and basic web surfing but not much more. You cannot use ANY of the new Hughes Gen 4 or Excede type service which advertise dramatically better speeds. Only the Hughes HN7000S modem with work and the other services are spot beamed so even if you had it, once you moved you would lose it.

Anyway, lot's of very good information at the site I posted above. Join and ask away. Everyone there is eager to help.

skp51443 · August 15, 2014

I had a manual Hughes system and while it met our needs it was far from what I would call a great experience. If you have to have an Internet connection out in the deep boonies with no cell towers available it or a similar setup is your only choice.

At a minimum try the system and see how it works for you, pay particular attention to HTTPS sites for web browsing and any interactive stuff you do. Voice is doable once you and the person on the other end adjust to the long delay but for calling someone not familiar with the system (think doctor or bank) they are going to hang up on you after a few tries at talking.

Biker56 · August 15, 2014

I have been using the DataStorm system since 2003 on my MH. Download speeds are slow around 1.0Mbps to 1.2 down and up is slower yet.

But it does work anyplace you can see the SW sky clear and there are no Cell tower connections. And yes they are still a lot of locations like that.

But they are getting less & less.

Another good use of it is if you travel to Mexico, Canada, Alaska or other areas outside the lower 48.

Check & see how much your cell phone data will cost you in those areas.

For Satellite TV the DataStorm needs a added B.O.W plus a LNB and assigned to a Internet satellite it will work on.

I have one on mine for DirecTV HD but haven't used it for a long time since putting a Trav'ler on and converting it to a SWM.

I did have a few times when the Trav'ler was blocked by trees and the DataStorm wasn't for TV.

At my present campground stay, I am using their Free WiFi and have 29Mbps down 22.5Mbps up. Thus I have the HN7000S turned off.

One thing now is the DataStorm system can now be gotten used for less then $1,000 or Free from the original $5K plus price.

Check out bill's link above. One for sell there now to highest bid. Present at $750

Jimalberta · August 16, 2014

Thanks for the replies. Its the same old dilemma of what to do for tv and internet when we head south for the winter. When will technology catch up with our needs?

LindaH · August 16, 2014

Where do you go during the winter...are you actually out of cell tower range? We use our smartphone as a hotspot...or there is Millenicom. We have found very few places anymore that don't have cell service, most of it 4G. Sure, there are still some places without cell service...Mesquite Springs Campground in DV NP, for instance (but, if you stay at Furnace Creek, it's my understanding that they have Wi-Fi).

For TV, we use satellite TV. Dish has a pay-as-you go plan where you only pay for the months you use it.

Jimalberta · August 19, 2014

Linda, beingfrom Canada has limited us in our choices. We have a smartphone but it gets the data and cellular shut off at the border. We have been using a 4 g hotspot when in the US. As far as tv we are contemplating using satellite but need a provider that can give us what we want in both Canada and the US.

We do make things work but like I said...when will technology catch up to what we want?

rfcn2 · August 23, 2014

Just my opinion, but it is not a case of technology catching up it is the case of having someone want to service the RV business at a price RVers are willing to pay. We have an automatic sat dish with with a 7000 modem. It works fine, but I stopped the service about 10 months ago. You can get very high speed sat internet, but at a big price. TV news stations are big users of this service. I keep hoping Hughes or Via Sat will go after our business with a reasonably priced high speed system, but my need for sat internet is a problem I have pretty much solved by keeping one of our Verizon accounts with unlimited data. Verizon 4 G service worked almost everywhere we were this summer. We watched most of our TV with it.

We have very high speed cable internet at our house. If we full timed I would just use Verizon.

janetruiz · January 12, 2015

We have been using the VoIP communication services offered by the Phone service providers Alexandria, VA from quite some time and we find these services cost effective and would stick to them for now.