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I'm looking to outfit my Ubuntu laptop with a satellite card so that I can access the Internet from just about any place on planet Earth.

I searched on Google "satellite network card" and was pretty disappointed by what I found.

Do such NICs simply not exist, or not exist at the consumer level?

If they do:

  • why are they not turning up in those search results?
  • how much "coverage" do they actually give you, and
  • what kind of special service plan do you need to leverage them?
random
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Manny Rodriguez
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  • I'm not sure what you mean by satellite network cards. Typically, you have the satellite dish and associated equipment supplied by the vendor with which you have contracted for service, and you connect to that equipment via ethernet. – Ron Maupin Dec 13 '15 at 04:34
  • I suspect the reason you have been downvoted is the question is not really sensible as its to vague. There are a number of gaps in the question which you may want to fill in - including if you need unidirectional or bidirectional transfers, what satellite constellation(s) you are interested in and how you intend to align your dish. – davidgo Dec 13 '15 at 04:35
  • (I used to sell these) - Have a look at http://www.tevii.com/Products_A.asp for mid-range satellite receiver cards - they are not, by any stretch unique or uncommon though. Note that, like the majority of cards these these do support IP transfers - but download only - you still need to use an alternative channel (gps / pots?) for upload. – davidgo Dec 13 '15 at 04:38
  • Also, your google-fu may be weak - the results you picked up were probably for the Toshiba Satellite range of computers regular cards. Try googling "satellite network card -toshiba" – davidgo Dec 13 '15 at 04:40
  • @davidgo - GPS is 50bps pseudorandom noise. (Usual alternative channel uplink for Satellite is POTS/ADSL/Cellular) 2-way satellite provided by Iridium, Inmarsat, StarBand, Tachyon. The tevii cards seem to be satellite tv cards that will direct connect to an LNB, didn't seem to mention IP services, maybe a link to the manufacturer website to clear that up? – Fiasco Labs Dec 13 '15 at 05:11
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    @davidgo Don't vandalise with an edit of your own voice into the question that should be a flag or a comment instead – random Dec 13 '15 at 05:11
  • @davidgo None of that information is really necessary to answer this question. The fundamental issue is incorrect search terms. Once that is corrected, the OP can go down whatever direction is necessary on their own. Anyways, colloquially, "access the internet from just about any place" would generally imply full access. If the OP had a specific use case, they wouldn't express it in such casual language. I think this question is pretty clear. – Jason C Dec 13 '15 at 14:45

1 Answers1

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I'm looking to outfit my Ubuntu laptop with a satellite card so that I can access the Internet from just about any place on planet Earth.

I searched on Google "satellite network card" and was pretty disappointed by what I found.

Do such NICs simply not exist, or not exist at the consumer level?

I cannot understand why you are fixated on "cards". The days of almost all laptops having PCMCIA cards are long gone, and the ExpressCard slots that replaced them are getting rarer. Also the latest, greatest laptop expansion card interface has been far less stable and less long lasting than e.g. ethernet, USB, or WiFi.

why are they not turning up in those search results?

Because you want a "satellite modem". A "satellite modem hotspot" might be an even better option, since you can use it for multiple devices and for any laptops you get in the future. You may also find some leads in the more obvious "mobile satellite internet".

"Satellite network card" has about as much meaning as "DSL network card" would, and mostly would be dominated by the popular topic of satellite TV receivers.

Note that in general you will usually have better search results if you search for what you are trying to accomplish, rather than what you think you need to do it. Even "access the internet from anywhere on Earth" has a few on the first page. Even if that doesn't get you started right out of the gate it will at least give you some ideas of better things to start searching for.

how much "coverage" do they actually give you

Once you browse through the above results, you will be able to answer this question on your own by researching whatever vendors are available. Even if I had a full list it would not be a good answer here anyways, as it will undoubtedly change; so just start with whatever the current search results are and go from there.

what kind of special service plan do you need to leverage them?

Same as above. Each vendor will have their own plan details, and these details are likely to change over time, so check the vendors' sites for their latest offerings.

In my experience, satellite internet access is generally expensive, both the hardware and the service plans. What you may want to do instead is get a global 3G/4G cellular hotspot (or a global phone with a tethering option) with a SIM card slot, buying SIMs as you travel, for coverage in most populated areas, optionally a cell signal booster, then if you have a satellite modem see if you can find a plan with no access fee where you just pay for data used, which you can use as a backup. Personally, I would definitely not use a satellite link in areas where other services were readily available; it is more of a backup plan.

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Jason C
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  • @Manny Also, with any luck, [internet.org](https://info.internet.org/en/) and their fancy pants [Aquila planes](http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcochiappetta/2015/07/31/facebooks-aquila-aircraft-which-can-beam-data-at-10gbs-using-laser-beams-is-complete/) will give you even more options in the future. – Jason C Dec 16 '15 at 02:02