Satellite Internet at last

Thursday, I set up the wired Ethernet for 3 computers in my room. The custom PC has problems shutting down without warning before the motherboard goes beep. This happens 10 minutes after a cold boot. I thought it was a bad DIMM so I started pulling out DIMMs starting with the right one. Then I turned the PC back on until it shut itself off again so I could pull out the next.

Friday was an awkward. I was so excited I drank not two, but five 8 ounce Mt. Dew cans! That's when I get really excited. The satellite installers were your new bunch new to installing it. The signal got received. The SAT is not an IEEE standard unlike WiMax ...it's once used in NASA satellites! Go Figure! Wild Blue uses Ka-BAND for sending TCP/IP data into space. Wild Blue satellites use IPv6. Thus far bandwidth goes 350KB/sec depending on the host server. Its dual linked to do upload and download. My parents don’t use UHF or VHF anymore so the tripod for the TV antenna was used for the satellite while the old TV antenna is off the roof. It took two specialists six hours to complete the installation. Their problem was finding a good place to drill a hole into the house so they found a place under the deck into our basement which later was filled with compressed sealant.


that's the best that’s out there for home usage


Modem Dimensions 10x8x1.5 inches

I’ve had to drive into Hudson to get some extra RJ-45 because the modem was on he opposite side of the router. I went to my favorite forum and that has a 2 or 3 second latency between pages although downloading speeds and streaming audio/video is as quick as 1.5 Mbit DSL. The wireless network is level 2 on the porch/deck that runs at 11 – 18 Mbits. In my room the wireless network is at 94% strength.

The satellite downloaded Knoppix 3.9 (696 MB ISO) in 54 minutes! This would've taken days over dial up. I’ll burn it to a CD and give it to the Linux teacher who Knoppix 3.9 GUI which is faster than Knoppix 3.6.3 GUI. There aren’t any new programs in this version, but detects the NIC so I use the internet (knowing it isn’t limited to web browser or instant messenger.) It has KDE version 3.6. Upgrading my Windows video drivers made running 2D applications much smoother. I am using my WiFi router as a CAT5e router networking 4 computers

I've already downloaded

- Knoppix 3.9
- ATI driver
- Nvidia Driver
- JAVA 2.1
- upgraded WIFI router firmware
- 30 MB of Genesis Roms
- streamed Digitally Imported at 96 kbps.
- MP3s from Kazaa (not streamed though)

Things I haven't tried

- play online game with it.
- VoIP
- VPN
- Webcam

Dad went to Best Buy to buy a LinkSys wireless laptop NIC ($30). It was as easy as installing the driver, rebooting the operating system, and double clicking on the router’s signal on the desktop. Someone can surf the internet from the lawn. My wireless network is not encrypted nor has a password, but it won’t be tapped into by outsiders. Our deck gets 1 or 2 bars or 11 Mbits to 24 Mbits. My room gets all 108 Mbits.

I also downloaded Sega Genesis ROMs for emulation on my PS2. Meanwhile, I updated my firmware in my router from ver. 1.1 to ver. 2.5 so its firewall is improved. I have Warsong, Madden Football 95, Langrisser 2, Langrisser 3, Vectorman, Vectorman 2, Romance of the Three Kingdoms III, but now I need Castlevania III.

I found Lode Runner: The Legend Returns as abandon ware at Home of the Underdogs yesterday. It’s a complete game coming with 150 levels. I’ve played this on my 100 MHz Pentium pc which came free. Out of these I got to level 35. The computer didn’t have a CDR and obviously USB Thumb drives didn’t exist. Unfortunately when we got rid of that computer Lode Runner got deleted. The graphics are obsolete, but that’s not what made it fun. It was very challenging and uses only 5 keyboard buttons. The sequel is also abandon ware called Lode Runner: The Mad Monks Revenge. It’s supposed to be the same as Lode Runner The Legend Returns, but features 100 additional new levels.

Randy came over Saturday so I showed him my satellite collection and went to holylemon.com to watch video including the Streaker kick and Jet Go Cart videos. We each won matches in Winning Eleven Soccer 7 on PS2 resulting with 1-0 and 0-1. We had too much fun playing it. He drove me to Game Stop in Woodbury so I could look around. On our way over there we listened to one techno song (Way of the Sword) and the rest of the time we listened to American country songs which didn’t bother me. I normally listen to country songs even if I list the trance songs. I walked around Game Stop and bought Crimson Sea 2 used. I own Crimson Sea for Xbox. I was afraid of spending money in case I found something unique later like Grandia.

Randy said I was grouchy at 9 PM right before he went home. Randy was talking about fishing and hunting in Canada and about black bears killing dogs and that you need a sidearm up there. Then I showed him the tree clearing dad made and where he stacked it. Finally, I’ve asked my parents to drive me to the Minnesota State Fair (runs till Labor Day) so I invited Randy so we can eat stuff.

Today, I’ve bought Grandia (Game Arts RPG) at Toyriffic in River Falls costing $34. The case is in so/so shape, but the manual and CDs are in great shape. The reason why it’s rare is gamers often keep it some think it’s a PS1 gem. Grandia is well designed and plays like a SNES RPG. I almost missed it. Once exclusive for Sega Saturn the Playstation version is the only version to come to USA. It’s like a SNES RPG with new features. GameSpot reviewed soundtracks and game play perfect. It shall have been a good purchase.

Games to add to list

1. Grandia (2000 Game Arts)
2. Crimson Sea 2 (2004 Koei)
3. Rayman 2 (2000 Urisoft)