CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real)  9  Chapter 13: Basic Networking Terminology       9  Wireless

Satellite 1 Symmetrical Access

It is the most widespread type of connection to the satellite channel. The low speed connection sends the data to Internet, through the ground channel of communication: a dial-up, dedicated line, radio Ethernet etc. and the receiving of the information occurs through the high-speed satellite channel.

Some advantages of asymmetrical satellite access:

• High speeds: 250 Kbps - 2 Mbps (depending of a type of service)
  
  
• High quality Internet - direct access to main world’s information backbones
  
  
• Integration of services; Internet/Radio is received simultaneously to satellite TV channels, high-speed delivery of files in a offline mode, broadcasting of given data
  
  
• The common standard of reception and ease in transition from one operator on another (simply to turn the aerial)
  
  
• Rather low cost of the reception equipment
  
  
• Low cost of the traffic and operational costs

Disadvanages include:

• Practically speaking, a real IP is always necessary
  
  
• Speed relies on quality of the outgoing channel
  
  
• Speed depends on number of the simultaneously active users in the shared satellite channel
  
  
• The influence of weather conditions (can be solved by installation of the greater diameter aerial)
  
  
• Speed depends large only on the reception - asymmetry of the channel

It is necessary to divide all given services into services for the corporate users and SOHO (Small office/Home office). First cost of the satellite operators is always considerable higher. The guarantee of the minimum limit of speed is given, and the work in the dedicated bandwidths is possible, at which the speed does not depend on amount of parallel users, working on this service. Secondly, configurations work in the shared channel, it is rather difficult to match all wishes, but designed to the certain degree of everyone’s activity, inherent just for the end user. The largest problem of services for final usage is the clients distributing service on a local network, thus considerably increasing loading of the satellite channel.

Satellite 1 Symmetrical Access