Satellite Modem:

... is the controlling heart of the satellite system. Our client’s think that they are buying the right to transmit Mb to and from the satellite. This is not strictly true, for the satellite owner does not sell Mb, the satellite operator sells Megahertz instead.

In other words we are assigned a start frequency and an end frequency, and using the satellite modem as a translator we must find a way to squeeze the maximum megabytes into the assigned frequency range.

The description of Forward Error Correction, and modulation, becomes quite technical and so we will not go into it at this time. A full featured and unfortunately more expensive modem can make the transmission of data more efficient than an older cheaper modem. Better efficiency means less MHz bought from the satellite and therefore a lower monthly bandwidth bill.

Router:

Although a router is not strictly a satellite component, one is required in most cases. Clients need Internet for their remote computers and often VoIP service or video conferencing as well. Computers work in IP, telephony is a VoIP application and therefore an IP device like a router is essential to translate IP data into modulated radio frequencies.

Unless very heavy VoIP traffic is being translated and passed to the satellite, a low cost standard router will work well. We always recommend Cisco because of the convenient serial option available on all of their routers. The newer satellite modems have IP facilities already on-board and in those cases a separate router may not be necessary because the translation of IP to a modulated data carrier is accomplished automatically within the modem. In other words the device is a combination of modem and router within the same box.