The bi-directional satellite internet service transmits and receives data directly over the satellite.
Neither a landline nor a wireless connection is needed to use the service.
The hardware package delivered when ordering the service consists of a satellite dish, including the
necessary transmitting and receiving unit, and a modem.

WITH OUR NEW SATELLITE RECEIVER...
surfing not only becomes even easier, but entire new possibilities emerge:
 
•    Plug&Play -  The modem is connected to the computer and you can start surfing immediately! No further hardware installation is required.
•    Pre-installed Software -  Driver or software installation on your computer is not necessary when  the modem is used, as all drivers or software modules are already integrated.
•    Operating Systems Independence -  The modem operates independently from particular operating systems. Hence, Windows, (including Vista), Linux or Mac users can all take advantage of the fast internet  that is offered by Italia Wi-Fi.
•    Network Capability -  The modem not only functions in collaboration with a stand-alone machine, but provides network capability as well.  This implies trouble-free usage of the Italia Wi-Fi service either within a company, or in a home environment with multiple machines.

TECHNICAL:
Thanks to the KA-SAT satellite, launched on December 26th 2010, the speed of our consumer broadband service reaches up to 50 Mbps in download, and 20mbps in upload.
The  Italia Wi-Fi KA-SAT is, in fact, a new generation of satellite to cover multi-beam, the re-use of available frequencies  and the use of spotbeams . The satellite allows a total capacity of over 270 Gbps, and  covers the whole of Europe. As many as 15 ground stations, connected by a fiber optic ring, communicate with the satellite and provide connection with the ground network. 
The service uses  SurfBeam2 ViaSat ® technology, a leader in  satellite connection equipment.

The new kit Italia Wi-Fi provides:
• A satellite connection to the Internet at speeds up to 50 Mbps;
• The ability to receive packages and TV channels in the clear by using the same dish
• Telephony (VoIP) .
   
KIT COMPOSITION:
• Bi-directional reflector Italia Wi-Fi:
  - Dimensions: 77cm  diameter
  - Weight: 15 Kg
  - Pointing: KA-SAT: 9 degrees East the main opportunity for multi-feed TV signal
  - KA-band frequencies used:
  - Rx 19.7 - 20.2 GHz
  - Tx 29.5 - 30.0 GHz
  - Polarization: circular

• Modem Italia Wi-Fi:
  - Dimensions: 23x23x3, 8 cm
  - Weight: 0.6 Kg
  - Entrance doors: cable Rx / Tx coaxial  (not supplied)
  - LAN interface: 10/100/1000 Mbps

• TRIA equipment needed to receive and transmit the data. Current transformer 220 for the modem, 
  ethernet cable,  mounting system for the dish

 echnical Questions

Why does ping give a slow response on Italia Wi-Fi Satellite?

The type of data packet that ping uses is not considered 'priority traffic' by our Network Management System and therefore if the network is busy, it won't accelerate or may even drop the pings you send. Therefore you will see a much slower response than for instance HTTP traffic which is considered a priority.

Ping is not a reliable method of analyzing the performance of satellite broadband systems.

What satellites do Italia Wi-Fi Satellite services use?

Our systems use a variety of satellites, but most locations in Europe are covered on Ka band by the new Eutelsat Ka Sat high-speed satellite. We will offer you the best satellite solution we can for your needs. We believe that we are unique in offering this service.

How can I check what download performance I am getting?

"Speed" is a subjective measure of performance. Typical "speed test" websites on the internet are not designed to check satellite based connections. They tend to add the satellites natural latency into the calculation of data over time and come up with an inaccurate result which will be inevitably poorer than the true performance you are actually receiving. Contact us if you think you have a genuine performance issue.

Overall performance of the service will vary at different times of the day depending on how busy the network and the public internet is and how many users are online at the same time as you. Typically the network will be 40% less busy after 18.30 CET and before 08.30 CET.

Are there any limitations of Italia Wi-Fi Satellite I should be aware of?

Very few, but satellite technology introduces limitations in certain applications. Unlike some of our competitors, our packages accept direct connection to Macintosh, Linux, Unix or Windows based operating systems. If you have an important application, task or protocol that you wish to run over your Italia Wi-Fi Satellite terminal, it's important that you notify (or discuss with our sales team before you order) us what it is. We can then indicate to you if there are any performance or limitation issues which we're aware of, and can give you specific product advice to ensure you're satisfied with the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite option you're considering. Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Broadband packages are not suitable for:

·         Some remote control software

·         Heavy uplink traffic, such as Web or FTP hosting

·         Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Home for uploading streaming video or professional CCTV monitoring but Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Pro works fine

·         Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Home is not ideal for remote access, but Italia Wi-Fi Satellite Pro works fine

·         IPSec VPN applications (SSL VPN applications like online banking and secure websites are supported)

·         Real time online gaming (never really practical on satellite based connections)

Are there limits to how much data I can transfer?

The different data volume amounts for each service level are described elsewhere in the FAQ's above under the Question "How does the Fair Access Policy Work (FAP)?

If you exceed these amounts per month, you will find that during busy times your connection may be throttled (slowed down) by our Network Management System. The more you exceed your selected data volume, the more the connection will be throttled.

Data limits are calculated on a 28 day sliding window. You can upgrade to the next data level at the next monthly anniversary when you make your payment but you must advise us you wish to upgrade at least 30 days in advance, or buy a 1GB temporary upgrade token.

Will I need to buy any extra software?

As our satellite broadband connections are 'always on', Italia Wi-Fi Satellite strongly recommends that you install a (software or hardware) firewall to protect you from any unwanted attempts to access the files on your computer. We also suggest you install quality antivirus software. For example, ZoneAlarm is a handy personal firewall application, free for personal use (seehttp://www.zonelabs.com). For free antivirus software, you could try AVG (see http://free.avg.com/).

You will also need software as for any other service such as your Internet Browser and Email Client Software. Commercial and free packages are widely available.

I've heard of latency issues with satellite – what does this mean?

Due to the distance travelled by the signal to/from your computer and the Internet Hub via the satellite, some older satellite technologies exhibited a noticeable lag between communications. Our Satellite Broadband services employ the very latest software and hardware techniques to minimize this lag, including a Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP) and web acceleration. In use, when a web page is requested for example, the hardware strips out surplus protocol data and requests, and retrieves the page in fewer larger 'pieces', than a typical dialup connection for example, which assembles the page piece by piece. Similarly this technique is ideal for handling large file or email downloads.

If ultimate speed is important to you we can sell you a further software acceleration tool which you install on your PC which will further improve the user experience.

Can I fax over the service?

You can obviously use email based faxed services like Efax over the service and these work very well. You cannot connect a fax machine to the service.

Who handles the platform operations?

Located in the SkyPark teleport in Turin (Italy) the platform and hub operations for the Italia Wi-Fi Satellite network are operated by Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary Skylogic. Skylogic employs more than 50 people on site and operates 14 hubs using capacity on eight Eutelsat satellites. Dedicated staff will work at the teleport to maintain the highest availability of service.

Can I use Italia Wi-Fi Satellite to connect to my work via VPN?

Although there's nothing technically to stop you connecting to your company's corporate VPN with Italia Wi-Fi Satellite there are some things you need to understand.

Check with your IT department at work and find out if your company's VPN is an IPSec type of VPN. If it is, these often require a static, public IP address to function.

If your corporate VPN does need a fixed, public IP Italia Wi-Fi Satellite is not suitable as a method of connection.