DSL Internet Service on Rattlesnake Island

[Massasauga]

Just wondering if anyone had tried DSL Internet service out on Rattlesnake Island. While one hates to think of work/Internet while on the lake, I spend most all summer on the Island and dial-up is no fun. According to Verizon we should be able to get DSL out on Rattlesnake. If you have tried it, did you opt for the full yearly plan or month-to-month? Also, did you let Verizon supply the modem/router or did you do it yourself? Note, it would only take a few of us with wireless routers and we could provide wireless coverage for the entire Island...

Thanks,
Dave

[Island Girl]

That's what they told me last year. Unless they have added a new CO closer to the Island, the closest one is 43,000 feet. You need to be within 18,000 feet.

I ordered it last summer based on their availability information. They kept sending me delay notices. I kept calling them and finally they gave me the above information.

I just ran my number through their DSL checker and is says unavailable. Go ahead and give it a try... I will be first right behind you if you get it!

[Grant]

Can't get it in our part of Tuftonboro, either. It's a distance thing. The better bet, both on mainland and islands, would be cable. But, being a flatlander, I do not know who offers what up there. We do have cable TV service, so I imagine there are some cable internet access options in the region.

[Island Girl]

There is no cable to the islands. The best best would be to get a petition going from the islands to Verizon to put in a CO closer to us, so we can get DSL.

This does not solve the lack of cable TV issue.

[Grant]

Satellite? Dish Network?

Then again, as I think about the position and topography of the island, this is not a very feasible option -- the folks on the Broads side might have a problem.

Looks like dial-up!

[Island Girl]

And there is a big hill in the way for a large part of the broadside on Rattlesnake Island.

Satellite has latency problems with present difficulties for VPN users. I use a Verizon wireless 5220 card for access. It's speed averages about 60k ... sometimes more sometimes less. You will not get better than 26.6 for dialup on Rattlesnake.

This wireless card does not work on Sleeper's (Rattlesnake side) so I assume it communicates with that tower way off on a hill NE from the broadside of Rattlesnake.

This card costs about $200 with rebates and the service is $80 per month. Since it works most places that you can connect to a Verizon cell phone it is pretty nifty, albeit very slow compared to other solutions.

Now if someone would put a nice wifi router on Wolfeboro or Tunfotboro neck and aim it our way, we would be all set. Anyone, anyone... we can share the costs.

[Grant]

Yeah, that "mound" in the middle of Rattlesnake was what I was thinking of...most dishes point S-SW. No can do on the "Snake Eyes" side of the island!

Hey -- I'm still fretting over the lack of GSM cell service on the entire eastern side of the Lake. I can deal with dial-up and the phone line issues, but the lack of GSM is a royal PITA.

[Bear Islander]

Pine Island has DSL. I'm on Bear, but so close to Pine I can see what they are watching on TV. However the cable route to my part of Bear goes by way of cattle landing, several miles longer than the run to Pine.

If somebody on Pine would put wifi on their dock I would be all set.

Right now I have two way satellite on my roof. It gives me Directv for television and Direcway for high speed internet. The speed is great but the latency takes a little getting used to.

[Island Girl]

Last year in my quest for high speed internet service I came across a map of Central Office locations in the Lakes Region area. I cannot find that anymore.

Any help would be appreciated in finding such a thing.

[osterber]

You could look at something like this:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/coinfo/clli/GLDLNHAB

It has links to Mapquest that map the COs by lat/long.

-Rick

[mcdude]

Will this proposed tower be of any help to you folks on the north side of Rattlesnake? (at least for cell phones?)

"Town pursues cell tower project on Poor Farm Hill Road"
(Granite State News)
WOLFEBORO — Poor Farm Hill is still the best location for a communications tower, according to town officials who continue to pursue the possibility of allowing a private company to build a tower on this town-owned site at no charge to the town....(Subscribers who have paid their on-line subscription cost continue here)

[Island Girl]

Originally Posted by osterber

You could look at something like this:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/coinfo/clli/GLDLNHAB

It has links to Mapquest that map the COs by lat/long.

-Rick

Thanks Rick, that is the map I was looking for. Grrrr... the COs are still too far away. Does anyone know how to encourage Verizon to put one closer?

[upthesaukee]

I have heard figures of a million bucks or more to get a tower up and running. First of all, seldom do the companies (Verizon, Cingular, etc) build the towers. The sites are acquired by third parties, they do the legal stuff (like "yeah, coverage is bad here, but no tower in my town), finally get the approval, build the tower, and then lease space to the companies.


Maybe once the Wolfeboro airport closes totally, they will get a tower up on Wolfeboro Neck (great for the lake and parts of Alton Bay that are hidden from Prospect Mt). Oh, I forgot...while it may make sense, who would want the tower in their McMansion's backyard or even neighborhood.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Who wouldn’t want a tower like that in their back yard? They’re camouflaged so well with those fake branches.

[trfour]

Microwaves cook you from within, let us not rush into "The Oven!"

Remember all of this rocket science!

We still do not know a safe place to put all of the nuclear waste.

We become more impatient with tecknology!

Rode a retired race horse once that loved to race, problem was he didn't want to stop, hence I got all scun up in the eventual crash, took me a while to heal up, but the poor horse had to be put down.

Food for thought.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

My guys thought of putting a dish up on top of the island with a fake cable going in a different direction, so no one can trace it back to us. (not that we would ever do that!)
Maybe us islanders should build a lookout tower like Abenaki and put a community dish on top? The trees obstruct the view from many directions, imagine the views of the lake from that vantage point!

[trfour]

Maybee a fire tower or somthing.... Then Rattlesnake Island would be in line for a Mount Washington dock area so as passengers could climb, view and take pictures from the hights!... I would buy a ticket in a heartbeat!!!!