Dishes and Modems
Satellite Internet – If you think it is frustrating waiting for your slow computer to boot up, then try being in the middle of the jungle attempting to find a satellite somewhere low in the eastern sky. That was the dilemma Peter Scarborough and I were facing. We were trying to upgrade the internet connection in order to get the internet speed increased to a level where we could show detailed images of patients to doctors anywhere in the world via the internet. It would greatly increase our ability to help patients with the advice of specialists.
We were advised to purchase new equipment and then to connect to a satellite on the “C” band. Sounds simple enough for a couple “tech-challenged” but willing characters. The new dish and modem arrived in good shape. It did take time to get it assembled and set on a stable base—this is not a small dish. Peter and I adjusted the dish and used the basic alignment tools we had and finally connected with a satellite. We were excited and amazed at ourselves—we did it. The next day we realized we were aligned with the wrong satellite, so we were back to where we started. It took a few hours, and several trees were cut until we finally locked into the correct satellite. We were reluctant to celebrate too soon but were pretty sure we had found the right one this time. Now the next challenge was apparently the modem we had did not have the right settings. So we were now at a standstill—it honestly made us wonder if it was going to happen. It did have some humorous moments—what else could we do other than laugh.
The provider recommended we purchase a new modem for the new satellite dish and come to Australia to retrieve it. We were in the jungle of northeast Indonesia, and the part we needed was in Australia. It was a costly and hard decision, but I went to Australia to get the new modem. That might sound like an expensive way to get this modem, but if we were to have it shipped to Indonesia, it could have been months and had a good possibility of getting caught in customs. The flight was easier and assured us of getting the equipment we needed. We did not have anyone else who could pick it up, and I also had some business I did at that time in Australia. Finally, I returned two weeks later with the new modem. It was installed, and we were now using the new system. We were all excited and proud of our perseverance. We now had the connection and were testing its speed and capabilities. The next day I noticed a red light on the modem. It was now off, and we worked for a couple hours trying to find the problem. We had the connection for only 24 hours, and we were now offline. After two more days of frustration, we realized the new modem must have failed. It was run thru a check, and it was not working. How could we get this operating? We had to take the new modem back to the provider in Australia for testing and repair. We knew of someone who was going to Australia in the next weeks and asked them to take it back for us. The tests proved the unit had failed, and it was not our fault—it was a problem in the unit. It had to be rebuilt and then brought back to Indonesia. It was about three weeks ago that it was hand carried back to the base and installed. The connection was made with the satellite, and the system was back online. We have been testing it for the speed needed to show the live video of patients. We have found that it is too slow, and the speeds that we need (and were promised) just cannot be reached. It is hard enough to get technical equipment to work when you have all the support in the same city, but we are in a very remote area and can get equipment and help from faraway places. We either need a miracle that will give us the speed we require or an open door for a new system or provider who can help us—such is life at the end of the earth.