This post was last updated on September 8th, 2021 at 09:54 am
I remember growing up back in the day(the late 80s/early 90s), the only source of internet connection available then was a satellite internet connection. Using other forms of the internet such as Wi-Fi, fibre optics, dial-up was not very common. To get access to the internet back in the day, we must all go to an internet cafe and the speed was very slow. most times, you need to wait for the off-peak period to get a faster connection. This brief introduction now brings me to our topic of discussion today. internet access via satellite receivers and dish. Is it possible?. Can I ever use my decoder and dish to connect to the internet? I will answer this question and more in this post.
What is Internet Access via Satellite/Satellite Internet
Satellite Internet access is Internet access provided through communications satellites. Modern consumer grade satellite Internet service is typically provided to individual users through geostationary satellites that can offer relatively high data speeds, with newer satellites using Ku band to achieve downstream data speeds up to 506 Mbit/s
Satellite internet has been available long before any other means of internet access. according to Wikipedia, the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union on October 1957.
The Concept of Internet Access via Satellite Receivers & Dish Using a Cable Modem
Between 2012 to 2013, Motorola cable modem was used twice with the old Dstv official decoders to try and browse the internet before it was patched. In other words, this is very possible, however, no brilliant satellite tv company will allow these because of the challenges that I will discuss in the next section. While it is possible to use get internet access via satellite receivers from a Pay-TV company, it is impossible to do the same with an IKS/SKS decoder.
The above notwithstanding, both a pay-TV company and those providing satellite tv illegal via IKS/SKS would not implement browsing the internet via their decoders even at a fee.
Advantages/Merit of Internet Access via Satellite Dishes
Internet access via Satellite works by using wireless transmitters orbiting the earth to send signals between the ISP and end-users on the ground. As a result, the technology has the following advantages.
- Satellite internet creates a wide area of availability, making it great for rural areas. This is ideal in areas where cable companies don’t offer their services. Basically, accessing the internet via satellite is the only option for people living in remote areas where there is poor network coverage.
- Secondly, satellite internet is a good option in rural areas or places where dial-up is your only other option.
- Furthermore, satellite internet can offer speeds as fast as many DSL and cable providers so long you are not doing any online real-time streaming like online gaming. Unless you love real-time online gaming, satellite internet is a good option that offers affordable plans with reasonable download speeds.
Challenges and Obstacles Associated with Browsing the Internet via Your Satellite Receiver
By way of clarification, satellite internet is still very much possible while satellite internet via a branded satellite tv decoder is yet to see the light of the day although it is also possible. However, the same limitations and challenges plague both platforms. I will now highlight why it is not economically feasible to access the internet via your satellite decoder and dish.
Although we have Viasat and HughesNet which offers highspeed satellite internet, These doesn’t work through a satellite TV decoder/receiver. Viasat and HughesNet have their own modem. In fact, they don’t offer direct-to-home viewing. You can only get satellite internet through these two companies
Why Satellite TV Providers Doesn’t Offer Internet Access via their Set-top-boxes/Decoders
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Satellite TV internet is Expensive
Firstly, a satellite receiver will not work for satellite internet unless a Satellite TV Broadcaster provides the internet to catch a Signal using your Dish Setup. Sadly, no PayTV company is providing Internet Access by Satellite direct to home just yet. The reason is that It is just too expensive and there are better alternates available.
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Internet via Satellite is Associated with High Signal lag/Latency
Secondly and equally important limitation is the fact that but it also causes lag time due to the enormous distance the signal must
travel. Satellite internet does exist, but the TV dish doesn’t have the uplink capability. Most satellite systems use a phone line for uploading and the satellite for downloading. Satellite internet is pretty expensive and unusable for some applications due to the high lag.
Satellite internet often feels slower due to latency or lag. There’s no way to fix this issue. The high latency is inherent to the technology because it takes time for a signal to travel to space and back.
You will most likely notice the lag with real-time tasks online. Such tasks include gaming. For activities like streaming, the lag may delay the initial load, but it should no longer be an issue once the stream starts because your download will be ahead of it. According to statistics, internet via satellite affords a latency of at least 2000ms. Terrestrial-based services carry far less latency as the distances between boosters, routers, hubs, etc is far less than orbital distances.
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Fresnel zone
Whether and how much signal is lost from a reflection is determined by the location of the object in the Fresnel zone of the antennas. Even if there is a direct line of sight between the transmitting and receiving antenna, reflections from objects near the path of the signal can decrease apparent signal power through phase cancellations.
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Erratic and Unreliable Speed
Keep in mind that Satellite Internet can be erratic, so large-bandwidth actions such as streaming HD video or playing online video games may be impossible during certain times in the day.
Satellite Internet has Acceptable download but upload is Abysmal
Furthermore, the internet via satellite has a lower bandwidth when compared to cable and fiber internet. You can only compare the bandwidth low-end DSL connection. Download bandwidth might be relatively decent, but upload taps mostly at 2 Mbps at best.
Your Internet Speed and Connection can be affected by bad Weather
This is simple logic. Let’s say your tv viewing will be disrupted when the weather goes bad. This same rule applies to any internet access that is obtained via a Satellite Dish
Elon Musk and SpaceX have just started putting 12,000 satellites in orbit that have one task, among others, to bring super high-speed broadband internet to the entire world. But that is years before it can fully materialize.
Interference
Satellite communications are affected by moisture and various forms of precipitation (such as rain or snow) in the signal path between end users or and the satellite being utilized. This interference with the signal is known as rain fade. The effects are less pronounced on the lower frequency ‘L’ and ‘C’ bands but can become quite severe on the higher frequency ‘Ku’ and ‘Ka’ band.
How Can I Browse the Internet Via a Satellite Dish?
Since i am through with the challenges facing satellite internet, I would love to give a short tutorial on how you can access the internet via a Dish setup.
Satellite Internet Requirements/Equipment
- Read carefully and signup for satellite tv internet subscription. The two most popular companies that we currently have are Viasat and HughesNet.
- Satellite internet dish/Antenna this will
- Satellite cable modem
- Compatible internet device. You can use your PC or router here.
- Router (optional if you don’t want to use your PC)
Satellite Internet Equipment Basics
- Satellite Internet Dish—This is the outdoor dish that receives the internet signal from the satellite. Your satellite Internet Service Provider (ISP) will supply this. You may install it yourself or get your supplier to do so for you.
- Modem—The small box inside your home that interprets the satellite internet signal for your computer and other devices is your modem. Your ISP will usually supply this, and it may contain a built-in router.
- Compatible Internet Device—Of course, you’ll need a computer to set up your connection. You can use a Mac or a PC, but it must have an Ethernet port to set up your equipment. After the initial setup, you can connect your wireless devices.
- Router (Optional)—Your router turns your internet connection into your home network. If you want a wireless network, make sure your router has Wi-Fi capability. Often your modem will contain a built-in router so you don’t need to worry about another piece of equipment.
- Other Internet-Capable Devices (Optional)—To get the most out of your internet connection, you’ll probably want to connect devices other than your computer to your home network. From smartphones and gaming consoles to doorbells.
- Sign up for a Satellite Internet subscription. Once you’ve determined the service you want to use, sign up for it to select a plan and enter your payment information.
You can usually do this online, though you can usually also call the service provider instead.
Steps to Setup Satellite Internet
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Step one: Install the Satellite Dish
Install your dish and focus it on the right orbital position supported by your satellite internet service provider. Since the satellites that transmit your Internet are positioned directly over the Earth’s equator, you should not have any obstructions that prevent you from having an optimal connection. The size of the dish depends on the footprint/area of coverage of your provider. Generally, you can learn how to calculate your dish size here.
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Step 2: Attach your LNB/Coaxial Cables to your Dish
Step 3: Connect your Cable Modem to your Dish via Coaxial cable
First off, plug the modem into a power source. Next, Attach the modem to the satellite dish. Depending on your dish, you will have either one coaxial cable or two coaxial cables to attach to the modem:
One cable — Plug the cable into the modem’s coaxial port.
Two cables — Plug the “IN” cable into the “SAT IN” coaxial port, then plug the “OUT” cable into the “SAT OUT” port.
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Step 4: How to connect your Cable Modem to your PC or Router
In order to grant internet connection to devices, you need to connect your modem to either a pc or a router using the traditional ethernet cable. If you connect to your P, you may need to use a Wi-Fi hotspot app on windows known as connectifyme to create a wifi hotspot. Similarly, Mac users can create a wifi hotspot connection directly on their mac. However, if you use a router, most routers already come with Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities.
Note: Since modern Mac computers don’t have an ethernet port, you can buy an Ethernet to Thunderbolt adapter for this step.
In addition, if you’re connecting more than one item to the Internet, you’ll need to plug your modem into a wireless router via an Ethernet cable.
Similarly, let’s assume you have a satellite service provider that supports satellite internet, you will need to connect your modem to the satellite receiver before connecting it to a router or a computer.
Enlighten and refreshing. My work requires high speed connection for not less than 20 workstations from 9am to 4pm.
Kindly advice on best ISP that provides alternate backup plan to client in the event of downtime exceeding 5min. Thanks
@omobaba: it depends on your location. have you tried tizeti.ng?, nTel?
Mr Lemmy can I get internet from my strong decoder in 2020?
I greet you Oga Lemmy. I want you to please help
me root my android noug
at phone,i tried all my efforts but failed. Some
people offer to help but left me in suspense.The phone is: Tecno wx3 ver
7.0.Thank you.
@Chris Njiddah: please use this link Universal guide on how to root/jailbreak/unlock your smartphone
do you have the cccm and how much are they retailing
Mr. Lemmy from most comments here they have talked saying they have Qsat working .does it has new software for Q23G or Q11G if can I have .or if they work through cccm may i know the price of it because i really need to watch sport channel.i have followed your tutorial about getting internet through using Satelite dish and decoder. Will try to do that.
@Francis: qsat and other cccam-enabled decoders can use cccam. How To Successfully Activate Cccam On Qsat & Speed HD Decoders
pls conern this issue internet on decoder using cable modem,can u list satellite provider that has it in the whole world?
@Jordan; it is available in Europe and America. I do not know anywhere in Africa where this is functional
please is the decoder free browsing works with dstv hd decoder?
The Star Times decoder has no coaxial loop out (point behind the decoder). Is there a specific cable that one can use to connect the female loop out from the decoder to the coaxial on the Modem?
@dankano please can you drop the contact of the internet provider and is it unlimited ?? thanks
Nice one lemmy, you’re so on point!
Hi lm,pls how can I connect my laptop with my bb storm 9520 wifi/hotspot?
hello people.
Lemmy, big ups to you. I found this http://www.broadsat.com/opensky/what/ and I don’t know if you could look at it and tell us what’s up about it.
thanks.
pls lemmy which decoder can have the various skysports channels on it. tanx in advance
@dav, there are various skysports on tlink with hotbird packages. But there is no skysport Uk there. You can also get these skysports on qsat using dqcam code with a big dish
@Chukwuma you not alone on it, same applies to me on my Qsat13G and I don’t even know the code, anybody with how to check it on Qsat13G please let me know there is nothing under sttings like xcam its just empty any help is appreciated.
all my channels are not showing and i have over two hundred days left on my qsat 11G. Is this a general problem or should i downgrade to version 5 cos my qsat is running version 6. Pls help asap.
hi Mr Lemmy thank you very much for this useful post, i once a victim of this kind of scam, a guy named jude akasa (i give the name in case somebody will encounter with him.) gyp me #4000 for free internet browsing manual, this galvanized me into researching on free browsing, what atuben said is true, but there are ISPs that can give you one-way internet, but NOT using Decorder, the way it works is internet is using uplink (sending) and downlink (receiving) our normal satt gadget only receive(downlink) not sending, so they use dvb card for receiving using computer, and modem for sending (uplink), the advantage is you will get very high speed download up to 2mbps not kbps at cheap price, and you can watch free to air channels, but they are NOT using our normal receiver because it is only receiving and you cannot install software on it, they are dvb card on computer.
Oga Lemmy pls am unable to use some apps my
android phones like Samsung and HTC, both are
4.2 and 3.the problem is I can’t access Facebook, Google
play etc if I don’t use Wi-Fi network. so pls what can I
do to be able to access Facebook and others with mobile
network. am using Airtel sim.Thk u
@jide, maybe you should stop using a vpn and use your sim with normal subscription
Mr Lemmy, please I want to know if the mtn BIS is still working on android through droidvpn. secondly, my android has refused to install any version of droidvpn, yet if I send it to another android phone of even lesser OS, it will install and work well. please what could be responsible? using android OS 4.2
@mr brave, mtn bis now working with androidsimpleserver. Maybe your droid Os is outdated you may need to use another android or simple upgrade to a higher version of Android OS
Hi Lemmy,
Is it still practically possible to use the Avatar Decoder to browse the Internet now? If yes, please give me some details.
Is it still possible to use the same DECODER to D*TV channels, as I still have one.
Any help my QSAT 13G is not giving me welcome to server and it works yesterday meanwhile I still have over 200days left. Anybody with help in the house and SS8 how do we get it in Nigeria?
@lawbohe, you can’t get ss8 in Nigeria it is for south Africa
@eric ss8 is only on dstv south africa 68¤E
not in dstv africa 36¤E
gudevening, sir.. thank you very much for everything you are doing for us..may God bless you.. dstv ss3,ss5 and ss7 are not working on my qsat..it kept on displaying scamle channel…pls any remedy?
@issah, as usual some problems from qsat server. will be fixed later
Sorry mr morgan,i mean on malagasy 7degree.
Pls mr morgan,my mbc’s on Amos 16 degree east ku is nt working despite having about 80 strength level on my q13+.pls help me comfirm wat is wrong pls.
@Felix, it may not work. It is a problem from malagasy which no body can fix for now sir.
Hello Lemmy, greetings. Dst* have included Ss8 to their channels and are about to air the Chelsea Wederbremen pre – season match on the 3rd of August. My qsat after blind scanning, can still not track it. Pls can u help me with the frequency and the symbol rate to manually scan and check if I can make a headway. Thanx
@eric I can’t get it as well…
Oga when I try watching d iptv channels I get an error message “data error” Pls help me out. my French channels are all not showing : canal+s, FR24, sports+ etc are all not showing on my qsat 13g
@sir, no french channel is showing on any qsat, you can’t watch iptv with your direct sim card.
Scrambled channels
@richie, then it should be back on its own later
Scrambled channel and my code sratrs wt 45
Pls lemmy, can u help get new software dqiptv from provider for those that ve qsat 23g decoder. Tanx, may GOD will continue to provide for u.
@aminu, no software for it yet
Pls oga lemmy, my qsat 23g ss3, ss5, ss6, ss7 are not working and others are working pls could dis be general problem pls
@richie is it bad signal or scrambled channels??
Please Mr. Lemmy, is it true that Q25G is coming out
@kafui,there is such possibility sir
Bro Lemmy Just want to confirm if your cccam still working perfectly at this moment,My cccam refuse to connect going to a week now, reply soon
@paul, my cccam still works
Pls Sir, I have a very stable 3G network for.my Qsat, it works fabulously well but I can not watch any of d iptv channels. Pls what exactly do I.need to make it work?
@sir, what’s the error when trying to watch iptv. Hope you are not using etisalat though??
Oga Lemmy am using Airtel sim
pls lemmy is there any channel on qsat that is showing the international champions cup?
@dav maybe you should check the french channels like can+S, sprt+
I ve done that and is still not working..what is the default frequency & transponder? Am in nigeria @ lemmy #thank you
lenny dats a very good write up, ba i want to make a few inputs and corrections. Am an IT techician wit experience in satlite internet ba wod try to keep tins simple. To browse with a standalone decoder is not possible for now because.
1. Hardware limitation of decoders in the system, in satelite internet conection, whether free or paid a MODEM conects to a dish wit an LNB and a BUC ( simply a modem has two parts the modulator part which sends your browser,s request thruogh the BUC to the satlite and the demodulator part which receives data from the LNB of the dish.
However, a tv decoder has only the demodulator part fitted into it dat is why it can only receive pictures and sound ba cant send information. Also loking at the dish of these tv decoders, it is an LNB(receiver antenna) only so cant in anyway be used to send and receive data.
2. There are special LNBs called iLNB (integrated LNB) which has both the BUC and LNB in one. So has two connectors on it. One conector goes to modulator part of a modem whiles d other goes to decoder/demodulator part of modem. But tv decoders have only decoder/demodulator hardware built into so is just not posible to use an iLNB with it, even if it has two LNB connectors, one is a loopout still to the same demdulator/decoder.
pls lenny can u or anyone give me the details and specific model numbers of the dstv decoder which cold be used to browse and the description of its dish/lnb i would want to look into how browsing was posible on it. Thanks guys. knowledge sharin is my passion…
@atuben, the one i used last was their old decoder named DSD 990… Nice contribution bro
Thanks a million times u just clear my doubt about browsing with dcoder I almost fall a victim. Once again thanks mr LemmyMGN.
please lemmy,i wanted to add a channel on my qsat bt after editing d frequency an searching, ss 1 and 3 & mnetw & mprem are showing bad signal and their qualities re low, while others re showing…what should I do?
@Bryan, deleete everything and Autoscan your decoder
Oga Lemmy pls am unable to use some apps my android phones like Samsung and HTC, both are 4.2 and 3.the problem is I can’t access Facebook, Google play etc if I don’t use Wi-Fi network. so pls what can I do to be able to access Facebook and others with mobile network.
@which sim card are you sing to browse on your phone?
Lemmy please I was trying to add a channel on my qsat after the search,supersport3 and supersport 1 only re writing bad signal while others re showing, what should I do?
Lemmy please help me **tear..i don’t knw what I pressed when I wantd to add a channel on my qsat..now super sport 3 only is writing bad signal while others re showing..please what should I do
@bryan, delete all channels and rescan. of it doesnt work that way you may need to factory reset the decoder, and start all over
thanks Lemmy for ur update. pls i just want to know if is still possible to get free internet connection from w3a area as u said with motorola cable modem? or that feed does not exist again. i have one of the motorola cable modem of which i want to try.
@debasty it was free internet to the Sks dongles only, not to external sources
my CNC channel is still showing steady and stable. on my qsat 13g only what note they is that the French speaking channels not showing again
@Angazy am not talking of (blackbelt) channel am talking of china movie channels blind scan ya decoder u will see them oga lemmymorgan am still waiting for u reply sir
@Xexi, blackbelt (bbelt) offering that 24/7
pls how can i watch china movie channel with qsat q11g bcos those channels are scramble and i love chinco movie pls 4 God sake am waiting
Hi mr Lemmy greeting may God bless u. pliz is Dqcam working with q sat 11g? To recieve bein sport.
@kumakech, Dqcam is working with qsat on nilesat, but has stopped opening beinsport eversince nilesat upgrade blocked their beinsport on all unofficial decoders
@Lemmy: Thanks 4 this insightful piece. As a matterof fact I fell victim last year. I practically ransacked computer village to buy motorolla cable modem. I followed all the instructions on both mytv and dstv for several days but it did not work. Plz, is there anything I can use the. Cable modem to do? It has been lying around since then.
To start wif, let me say thanks a million for ur educative and thoughtful write-up. I am an avid consumer of tech related articles as I incessantly seek to widen my horizon in ICT. Recently, I procured qsat q23g decoder and after setting it up, I discovered the HD channels of DSTV are not opening. Can you give me detailed tutorial on the decoder pls? You can send it to my email pls. Thanks.
@anasky hd channels have stopped opening on qsat and related decoders for long. There is nothing anybody can do about it for now. Thanks
@lemmy is it possible to get IPTV channels using an Azsky G6 decoder? if so how do I go about it.
@Brain only youtube and news feed are available on G6
sure.
one would have to patiently wait for better service from these our ISPs.
… and hey, thanks for your time and patience.
come to think of this: wouldn’t it be nice to give the average Nigerian with little or no technical know-how the knowledge of not having to rely on MTN, Glow, Etisalat, or Airtel do internet connectivity?
how do cyber cafés connect to the internet?…
@Tizwiz, cyber cafes used european servers earlier. But now most cyber cafes now uses local internet service providers like MTN MIFI, Swift 44 et.t.c…
now my doubts have been cleared and my anxiety calmed.
it was very informative.
Well interesting read on Facebook that a decoder called sattube will allow such a process but it was never shown so guess you are right
@ishmael, even that so called sattube was designed to work with only the iptv channels within the sattube decoder. Getting a standalone decoder that could be used as an internet modem is going to be a hectic task. Like I said earlier, it’s easier for SSP to launch such service
Oga lemmy as u give update to people in need, may u know peace for all ur lyf, God will continue to bless you and your family for the rest of your lyf, You just saved me from wasting ma money on those tools, tnx
i bought a new qsat 23g but didn’t scan africa magic yoruba and some other sport channels like other qsat did pls is there any solution to my problem or is it from dst*?
@omokununmi, two things can be wrong, 1. Either you are using a disecq switch it your dish outside had shifted or you scanned with manual scan jesters of blindscan or Autoscan
what a piece.I enjoy reading dis incisive,thought provoking,and fabulously fantastic well researched article.hoping to read withing these days the probable possibilities of DSTV overcoming iks decoders and the nitigrities involve in DSTV upgrading as EPL get closer and closer.i salute u lemmy.
oga lemmy I see no need why we should be hoping on brows on on decoders
Thank you my brother
Thanks for this update.
I wish to state that there was a software that was released by qsat which made it possible to browse the internet free of charge. The said software was later stoped because it had an adverse effect on the decoder(it caused the decoder to be over heated).
@pa_effiong, did you personally test that software?? Pls don’t just believe everything you hear or read on all these Facebook groups or pages