Topic: SATELLITE HIGH SPEED

[Wes]

I am trying to setup the directway satellite high speed on my 5.6 SME server, has anybody tried this?? FYI the sat uses USB for a connection between the receiver and your computer.

Thanks

[Michael Smith]

Unless some bright person has made Linux software emulating the Directway Windows software, lots of luck ... I've done this successfully using an old Pentium box running Windows 98 feeding the WAN side of a router by using Internet Connection Sharing ... VERY kludgy, and with satellite the latency is high, but heck, IT WORKED.

[Nathan Fowler]

Found this to be rather informative.
http://www.kalamazoolinux.org/pipermail/members/2002-September/004851.html

[Ben Morrisson]

If you really *MUST* do this and I emphasise the IF. Then probably your only way is to use a 'kludgy' WINDOZE system as a host box for the USB.

On one site where this was required I have two boxen sitting on top of one another. One running XP Pro (tho home would do as well) and one running SME 5.5. Crossover cable between the two.

Internet connection sharing is running on the USB for the sat.
This is effectively double NAT for internal users (yuk) but unless you can get extra routed IP from you sat provider you are gonna be stuck with it.

DWSAT -> USB -> XP -> ICS -> SME 5.5

Using firewall on XP (nuther yuk) to forward SMTP POP WWW VPN to SME where all the real security goes on.

Couple of things : Used DRTCP to tweak satellite box (XP) for best access ie MTU/TCP WINDOW etc for satellite. Keeping in mind that some providers (not to mention names) tunnel data requiring smaller mtu than you prob desire.

Also tweaked ICS adapter.

Removed QoS if installed (this really decreased latency)

Latency looks like this from a decent landline connection:
Reply from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX: bytes=32 time=772ms TTL=115
Reply from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX: bytes=32 time=752ms TTL=115
Reply from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX: bytes=32 time=788ms TTL=115
Reply from XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX: bytes=32 time=737ms TTL=115

Also Directway/Telstra products seem to go dead if the internal users stop using for an amount of time. Fixed this by setting SME to permanent send an ICMP packet out every 30 seconds.

Increase the clients browser to download more simultaneous files and the browsing experience for the user is acceptable. Intial site lookups are ordinary. but streaming data works ok too.

This is an annoyingly ugly solution for anyone used to the compactness and versatility of SME - frustrating in the least. But seems to be running fairly stable now.

Hope this helps someone.