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QUESTION: What is the Magellan MSS from Ground Control?
ANSWER: The Magellan MSS (Mobile Satellite System) is a mobile Direcway dish. "Direcway" is a service provided by Hughes Network Systems (HNS) for broadband satellite Internet access. The Magellan itself is the mechanism that makes the Direcway Dish deploy and lock onto the Direcway Satellite. There are two technologies working here... The satellite dish, and the mount that moves the satellite dish.

QUESTION: How fast is it when you're connected to the Internet?
ANSWER: Speeds of the Internet connection are normally between 400 to 1500 Kbps (kilobits per second)... or about 20 to 30 times faster than a dial-up modem. Upload speeds are slower at between 30 to 80 Kbps... which is about twice as fast as a standard dial-up 56K modem.

QUESTION: How expensive is it?
ANSWER: Prices vary from dealer to dealer and Ground Control does not publish the MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price). Retail prices average round $4500 and installation costs normally run $1000 per installation. The Installation fee is not shared with Ground Control if the product is sold and installed by the dealer. Monthly bandwidth charges for the mobile account are $99 a month and are purchased through Ground Control, who resells a business level service intended for mobile use.

QUESTION: Who do I (or my customers) buy my monthly access from?
ANSWER: Your monthly Internet service is from Ground Control, a business grade Hughes Direcway service provider that specializes in mobile systems with 24-7 support for the mobile Direcway systems. Normally before the system is installed, you or your installer will coordinate with Ground Control, either by phone or by the 24hour online automated server to set up the monthly access.

QUESTION: What are the Minimum Computer Requirements?
ANSWER: None. The Magellan MSS is self contained. A connected computer must be able to connect via Ethernet or Wireless. The computer may be Mac or PC or not a computer at all. Any TCP-IP device may connect to the MSS router and connect to the Internet. You may access the MSS from any browser window by typing in the URL (Address) of 192.168.1.2

QUESTION: Can anyone physically install the Mobile Dish?
ANSWER: No. Only a certified mobile installer may install the system. This is a requirement from Hughes Network Systems.

QUESTION: How does the dish find the satellite?
ANSWER: The dish is on a completely motorized and internally controlled. Pressing the "Find Satellite" button from a remote panel starts it in action. It will deploy, search the sky, lock to the satellite automatically connect to the Internet in about 3 to 7 minutes. Onboard GPS (global positioning satellite) allows the Mobile system to know approximately where the satellite is located and thus is able to roughly determine what area of the sky to search in to find the satellite.

QUESTION: Is the dish transmission a danger?
ANSWER: Yes and No. Transmission strength is about 1 Watt, (a cell phone is .8 watts). However there is a danger area between the Dish radio LNB (the electronics at the end of the dish arm) and the dish face where the wattage is concentrated. DO NOT WORK NEAR THE DISH IF IT IS OPERATIONAL. Obviously, for the customer inside the rig, it is not an issue because the transmissions are directed away.

QUESTION: Can I be traveling down the road and be online at the same time?
ANSWER: No. You must be parked. However, we find that this is not a major problem with many who are seeking high-speed Internet connectivity in a mobile environment.

QUESTION: How does weather affect the dish?
ANSWER: It would have to be a heavy wind or rain to affect usability of the MSS. Transmission will be suspended if signal quality dips below 31 on the Direcway Modem, which is rare and happens only in a downpour.

QUESTION: Can the Magellan be used in a mobile environment like an RV or bus?
ANSWER: Yes, it was designed for mobile applications. Trucks, Trailers, Cars, Vans Busses... As long as you have space on top of the roof, However, the vehicle must be parked in order for the system to operate.

QUESTION: Would the Magellan fit on a small trailer?
ANSWER: The Magellan can fit on any mobile platform that gives it room to turn around in place. Statistics of size can be found on this web site. The bottom of the dish rim must be at least 6' off the ground to legally transmit.

QUESTION: How difficult is it to use the Magellan?
ANSWER: Press the "Power Button", wait for the blinking lights to stop blinking, and then press the "Find Satellite" button. The MSS will automatically go up and lock onto the correct satellite between 3 to 7 minutes. Once connected, any connected computer the the MSS router may begins browsing the Internet.

QUESTION: Is it easy to stow and reconnect the satellite dish when one moves from one location to another?
ANSWER: Yes. Just press the buttons on the remote panel. The Magellan is completely motorized and finds the satellite automatically. There is no physical labor involved in setting up the dish. Once the satellite is found, connected computers are online. Simply run your web browser or email program. If you are wireless, you will need to connect to the mobile wireless access point by opening up your "Network Connections" from the Control Panel (For Windows Users).

QUESTION: After parking the rig, how long does it take to set up?
ANSWER: If the Magellan is on, it will take from 3 to 7 minutes for the dish to raise, and lock on satellite.

QUESTION: What kind of visibility is required to connect to the satellite?
ANSWER: A view of the Southern sky. If there are objects between the dish and the satellite, such as a building, or a thickly leaved tree, it will not find the satellite. It is wise to carry a handheld compass to roughly know where the satellite is located to find an appropriate parking spot.

QUESTION: I have a Direcway dish at home... Do I have to have two accounts if I buy a system?
ANSWER: No. You only need to have one Direcway account for both your Mobile System and your Home system, but the account must be a mobile account with Ground Control. It goes against Hughes regulations to use a Direcway modem commissioned for non-mobile service in a mobile environment.

QUESTION: Can the dish be used as a telephone?
ANSWER: Yes... VOIP (telephone communication is commonly called VOIP when used over the Internet) is being used by many customers.

QUESTION: What else comes with the system?
ANSWER: In addition to the dish mounted on the roof, the Magellan ships with the Direcway Satellite Modem, a Linksys Wireless Router and a small Remote Control Panel that may be mounted to any surface inside of the vehicle (such as a dashboard). The Direcway modem, the Magellan dish and the Linksys Router are plugged into 110 AC power, normally to one Power Bar with an on-off switch. Computers connect directly to the Linksys Router via Ethernet, or wireless with a Type B or G wireless access card.

QUESTION: Does Magellan use the Starband Network?
ANSWER: No, the Magellan uses the service two-way satellite service from Hughes DirecWay.

QUESTION: Do you have to dial-up by phone to get on-line?
ANSWER: No phones are needed for commissioning the Direcway satellite modems. Once dish is aligned and locked on to the signal, it supplies an always-on, two-way, send-and-receive Internet satellite connection.

QUESTION: Can a local area network be used to share Internet access?
ANSWER: Yes. The Linksys wireless router allows you to connect multiple computers to the system.

QUESTION: Does it work on Macintosh computers?
ANSWER: Yes, as well as any other TCP-IP based system. The Magellan is completely self contained and requires little users interaction.

QUESTION: How often can I use the Internet connection?
ANSWER: Always. If the dish is locked on satellite, and your computer is turned on, you are online. There are no "per minute" fees, and no "idle disconnects".

QUESTION: Does the computer have to be on to stow the dish?
ANSWER: No. You may stow the dish by pressing the "Stow" button on the Remote Control panel. However, you do have the same options inside of the Magellan main screen that may be accessed by any connected computer on the network.

QUESTION: Can I get a Static IP address?
ANSWER: Yes, Public Routable IP addresses are available. Please request this of your installer prior to installation.

QUESTION: Does the system support VPN (Virtual Private Network).
ANSWER: Sometimes... Most VPN applications are very slow over a satellite connection because of latency issues that are inherent to Satellite communication. Ground Control may have a VPN solution that will allow for using your existing VPN.

QUESTION: Does the Magellan work anywhere in North America?
ANSWER: Take a look at the coverage maps that are located on this web site. These maps show the "footprints" of the Direcway satellites on North America which includes the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico.