| Vol.
I, No. 5 | Cabin
Fever / Town Meeting | Feb.
19th, 2001 |
Links
to Computers & Tech On-Line
Locally Available
Broadband Services The amount of
info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a search can
attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say that only a
fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its way to the
search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in Computers & Tech to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think
we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be
of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the bustle.
We hope you find the following sites interesting or useful. ... Links
to Locally Available Broadband Services On-Line If
you're interested in getting out of the traffic jams on the internet {see this
month's and last
month's Tech Bytes}, then these links may interest you. We're focusing
on cable, satellite and DSL internet service in the neighborhood. Not
everything is available in every nook and cranny of our mountains and
valleys. But if you have any hope of breaking the bandwidth bottlenecks,
you might want to check out these sites. ... One last note:
Each of these sites was slower -- lots slower -- than your average web site in
showing up on our screens. Whether ironically or by design, it helps to
reinforce the experience of the World Wide Wait. ... Adelphia
Internet Power Link This is Adelphia's web site
info on PowerLink, their cable modem service. ... The site is
not terribly fast. But maybe that's because they're not thinking of
those of us with older 56k technology. ... Here,
you'll find and FAQ & system requirements. But just in case you
were wondering, there's also a 'Demo' section that lists local sites where
you can see a live demo of PowerLink in action. As of our visit, the
sites listed included the Brownell Library in Essex Jct., the Adelphia Lobby
on Kimball Ave. in S. Burlington, CX Computer Exchange at the Tafts Farms
Village Center in Williston, and Gigabytes on Williston Rd. in S.
Burlington. ... The Adelphia lit on-line cites upload speeds of
128kb, and download speeds of of 3MEG, though they do, like EPA mileage
estimates, say that your speeds may vary.
Adelphia Cable's PowerLink
is probably going to end up the most widely-available and fastest net
connection you'll be able to get ... providing you live in a cable service
area. If you'd like to know more, check out their site.
Rating:
***1/2 [3-1/2 stars] WCVT
- DSL FAQs
This is the FAQ page for Waitsfield/Champlain Valley
Telecom's [WCVT] DSL service. ...
.
WCVT isn't quite in the
market as of this writing, but the beginnings of ADSL service are just
around the corner, literally and otherwise. If you read this month's
Tech Bytes, then you know you have to live within 18,000 feet {roughly 3.4
miles} of a telco central office. Beyond that DSL just isn't an
option. The WCVT FAQ page has some reasonably decent info, as well as
their rates and an on-line form for showing your interest in DSL service,
which, according to the site, will influence where DSL rolls out
soonest.
.
There's nothing here that'll knock your sox off
with info. But if you live within the required distance and are
curious about WCVT's ADSL offering, check it out.
Rating: ***1/2 [3-1/2
stars] Pegasus
Satellite Television: Dealer Locator
DirecPC
Website The Pegasus site was no help at all when
it came to internet service. We know it's coming, but we don't know
when. ... In that light, we decided to link to the Sales /
Dealer Locator page, where you can type in a zip or town & state, and
find a list of dealers who sell and install the systems. {They even
list "Preferred" Pegasus Dealers in red!?!} In any case, if
anyone knows what's going on, it's more likely to be the folks who sell,
install and service these things. ... We also included, then, the
Hughes' DirecPC site, which is Pegasus' partner in the satellite internet
service sphere. There, you can get more info on the equipment and
services that are {or will be} available.
Wish we could tell you it's
here and working now. But some research at this point can have you
ready when it does come.
Rating: ***1/2 [3-1/2 stars] StarBand
StarBand
is apparently the only two-way satellite service currently available in our
neighborhood. And {since it's Mircosoft-affiliated, we hate to admit
it}, it was the best of the lot for the sites in terms of info, speed and
ease of use. As we mentioned in this month's
Tech Bytes article, StarBand comes in two basic flavors -- either the Radio
Shack version, where you buy the whole PC with the satellite modem
installed, or the stand-alone or version, where you purchase the equipment,
including the dish and modem from either StarBand or a local dealer.
You can also use the second option to team up your satellite internet with
DISH Network TV services for additional fees.
If you've simply got to
have the high speed now and don't live with cable access or near the phone
company switches, this is your only option.
Rating: **** [4 stars] .
*******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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