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If you’re looking to put Broadband into your home there are a number of key performance indicators to look for.
Cost of the Service
Seems obvious but you need to make sure you’re getting value for money. If the plan you’re looking at has included data, make sure you’re only being charged for downloads (not downloads and uploads) In general, satellite services will record data that is either downloaded or uploaded. Snoopa WiFi only records your download amounts, giving you more bang for your buck.
Broadband Speed
If you’ve been stuck on dial-up, chances are this is your number one priority. There are two elements to getting a fast connection - data transfer speed and latency.
Data Transfer Speed: Providers will advertise service speeds as a rate that records the number of bits the service downloads or uploads in 1 second. The higher the rate the faster the speed.
A typical satellite service will advertise speeds of 512/256 kbps. This means the service can download data at a rate of 512,000 bits per second and upload data at a rate of 256,000 bits per second. Snoopa WiFi will deliver speeds of up to 52 Mbps. This means the service can dowload or upload data at speeds of up to 52,000,000 bits per second. Significantly faster than satellite.
Latency: This is a time delay in broadband that is causediwhilst data is in the process of being transferred. In general the further a signal has to travel the higher the delay. Satellite broadband usually has the highest amounts of latency (delay) as the signal has to travel long distances (out to space and back!) before it reachs the Internet or your dish. Low latency is important for applications such as video streaming or VoIP (voice over the Internet)
Ease of Installation
Ideally you want a service that requires a minimum amount of equipment and technical labour. With a Satellite service, you must have a technician come to your house, install a dish and run cables from your roof down to your PC. This can be both time consuming and expensive. Snoopa WiFi is a ‘self install’ system. It requires no dishes or receivers - any WiFi compatible device will be able to recognise the network and easily connect. This gives you the added benefit of mobility.
Scorecard
The tabel below summarises the performance of each service. Snoopa WiFi is the clear winner.
| Satellite | Snoopa WiFi | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (500MB / month) | $29.95 per month | $24.95 per month |
| Speed (maximum) | 512/256 kbps | 52 mbps |
| Latency (delay) | High | Low |
| Suitable for VoIP | No | Yes |
| Installation Cost | High | Nil |
Posted 12 Jul 2007