How to determine if connected to Wireless or Satellite

[Fred Hill]

I've posted this in both the wireless and satellite forums as someone may have the answer and only monitors one of the forums.

I'm on dial-up however there are people in my neighbourhood with both wireless and satellite. I was using my son's laptop the other day and his laptop found a network (actually three networks) in my neighbourhood. Since one wasn't secure, I selected it and was very impressed with the speed. So impressed, I'm considering getting the service but I can't determine if it was a satelllite or a wireless one. I've posted a TRACERT to google using the laptop but I don't see any hints? Doing the tracert with my dial-up, I see my provider's info.

Any ideas?

Fred

<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tracing route to www.l.google.com [209.85.225.106]over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 49 ms 35 ms 28 ms 142.46.135.129 (Windsor Ontario)
2 25 ms 24 ms 29 ms 174.35.131.65 (Woodstock NB)
3 26 ms 34 ms 34 ms 142.46.4.25 (Sterling Ontario)
4 27 ms 34 ms 28 ms 142.46.128.9 (Toronto Ontario)
5 35 ms 29 ms 39 ms gw-google.torontointernetxchange.net [198.32.245.6]
6 31 ms 44 ms 39 ms 216.239.47.114
7 46 ms 38 ms 34 ms 209.85.250.111
8 55 ms 68 ms 64 ms 209.85.241.22
9 60 ms 54 ms 109 ms 209.85.241.27
10 60 ms 49 ms 48 ms 66.249.95.138
11 45 ms 49 ms 44 ms iy-in-f106.1e100.net [209.85.225.106]

Trace complete.

[xplornetsuck]

142.46.*.* is Ontario Xplornet wireless(also known as HYDRO ONE TELECOM, as the backhaul) . As far as I know, they do not use that IP range for any other platform or areas.



I deleted the other post...

[Fred Hill]

Thanks for the reply - very appreciated. So wireless was working pretty good the other day in my neck of the woods.

Since there are two towers in my neighbour, is there anyway of determining which of the two I was connected to? The antenni of all but one Xplornet customers on my street are facing towards the south while the last signee is facing north/west. I imagine each tower has a different call sign so is there a way to determine which tower?

Fred

[fasteddy2]

Originally Posted by Fred Hill

Thanks for the reply - very appreciated. So wireless was working pretty good the other day in my neck of the woods.

Since there are two towers in my neighbour, is there anyway of determining which of the two I was connected to? The antenni of all but one Xplornet customers on my street are facing towards the south while the last signee is facing north/west. I imagine each tower has a different call sign so is there a way to determine which tower?

Fred

Just to be sure you understand "wireless", you were connecting to a close neighbour's wireless router (probably within 160ft of your house). If the signal strength was really strong on your laptop, it was probably your "next door" neighbour. So in order to figure which tower, look to your close neighbour's antennas and see which way they are pointing. Typically WISPs do not erect towers close together so I'm assuming the two towers you mention are either competitors to each other or one tower has nothing to do with a WISP.

I understand Xplornet did an upgrade to the Oak Hills network within the last few days and things seem to be running quite a bit quicker in the evenings now...

[Fred Hill]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't aware the router range was so little. I was previously told the range was way larger but your 160 ft range makes more sense.

As for the towers, they are both used by Xplornet according to the neighbours who use them.

Thanks again.

Fred