UK FAQs
1. General
Q1.1 What is DVB? 'Digital Video Broadcasting'?
Q1.2 Do I need to change my browser?
Q1.3 Do I need to change my ISP?
Q1.4 What is the benefit of having
just a fast download path?
2. The OPENSKY™ Service
Q2.1 What is OPENSKY™ ?
Q2.2 What exactly is the service?
Q2.3 What about two way via satellite
Internet access?
Q2.4 What enhancements are planned?
Q2.5 Is the service simple to set
up?
Q2.6 Where is the service receivable?
Q2.7 Can I receive the service on
a Sky Digital receiver dish?
Q2.8 Does the service use a Virtual
Private Network (VPN)?
Q2.9 Can I use it to play interactive
internet games?
3. What do I have to do to receive the OPENSKY™ service?
Q3.1 How can I subscribe for the OPENSKY™
service?
Q3.2 Where can I buy a dial-up account
for high-speed internet via satellite?
Q3.3 How much does the service cost?
4. What equipment do I need?
Q4.1 What do I need to receive high-speed
Internet via satellite?
Q4.2 What size dish do I need to receive
the signal?
Q4.3 How much is a satellite receive
dish?
Q4.4 How can I find a satellite dish
installer?
Q4.5 What PC cards and USB boxes work
with the system?
Q4.6 How much is the PC card / USB
box?
Q4.7 What PC do I need?
Q4.8 I want someone to install everything
for me -satellite dish, PC and set up the whole system. Do you offer this
service?
Q4.9 Are there receiver cards for
computers other than PC?
Q4.10 Can I use the service with
ADSL / ISDN cable or LAN?
Q4.11 Which PCI slot should I install
my DVB card in?
5. Subscribers
Q5.1 What are the transponder settings
for my PC card / USB box?
Q5.2 How do I login to the service?
Q5.3 How do I receive the video streams?
Q5.4 How do I optimise Windows Media
player 6.4+?
Q5.5 How do I optimise Windows Media
player 7.0?
Q5.6 How do I change the settings
on Internet Explorer (IE5.5)?
Q5.7 What do I do if I change my equipment,
payment or other details?
Q5.8 What do I do if I have lost my
login or password?
Q5.9 What happens after I have used
up my maximum download in a month?
6 Troubleshooting - what to do to solve common problems
Q6.1 Uninstall Procedure for OPENSKY™
1.4
Q6.2 Missing PID
Q6.3 Too many PIDs
Q6.4 Wrong MAC address
Q6.5 Proxy when logging in
Q6.6 My browser does not work any
more - unless I login to the service
Q6.7 My telephone line return path
disconnects after I have logged in.
Q6.8 Why is my download rate not very
fast
Q6.9 Forced logout
Q6.10 Missing logout
Q6.11 ISP problems
7 Miscellaneous
Q7.1 How do I become a reseller for
the OPENSKY™ service?
Q7.2 Is the service available for
small businesses?
1. General
Q1.1 What is DVB? 'Digital Video Broadcasting'
A: DVB is the European standard for digital TV and, as such, provides a very high-speed, robust transmission chain capable of the many Megabits per second needed for each of several hundred MPEG-2 digital TV channels. DVB has been developed to allow the MPEG-2 data packets to carry TCP/IP traffic at the same multi-Megabit/sec speed as digital television.
Q1.2 Do I need to change my browser?
A: No. Since the DVB Internet system is completely transparent to TCP/IP data, it is compatible with all standard browsers which support proxy use.
Q1.3 Do I need to change my ISP
A: No, but you do need un-restricted Internet access that does not force you to use the proxy service of your ISP.
Q1.4 What is the benefit of having just a fast download path?
A: Most people's requirements are met by a fast download and slower upload. ADSL / ISDN and cable are examples of this. Over 90% of the data people deal with, is downloaded or sent to them.
2. The OPENSKY™ Service
Q2.1 What is OPENSKY™ ?
A: OPENSKY™ is a service - still being enhanced - that gives you a high speed Internet access by using the power of satellites to overcome the internet congestion when sending data to you. You can also use the service to view video streams - without connecting to the Internet.
Q2.2 What exactly is the service?
A: Currently the service provided is:
1) A proxy service for HTTP and FTP requests. After correct set up, requests
for data from you are sent over the Internet to a server on the remote
satellite network. This fetches the data you requested and routes the
data back over the fast satellite link network to your computer.
2) For this you have a monthly limit of 300MB of data.
3) A selection of free to air TV channels are currently multicast as network
streams. Using the station descriptor files available from the BeyonDSL
web site download point, the TV channels can be viewed using an appropriate
media player.
Q2.3 What about two way via satellite Internet access?
A: This is not yet available. However, the DVB technology the service uses will work with the DVB - RCS standard that is on the way.
Q2.4 What enhancements are planned?
A: Multicast file transfer, offline mail delivery and an enhanced network connection which will allow more services, like News, Chat etc, to work with your computer.
Q2.5 Is the service simple to set up?
A: Yes, but you are if intending to do it yourself, a reasonable amount of PC expertise is needed.
Q2.6 Where is the service receivable?
A: Throughout all of the UK, most of Europe and much of the Eastern seaboard of North and South America.
Q2.7 Can I receive the service on a Sky Digital receiver dish.
A: No.
Q2.8 Does the service use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
A: No.
Q2.9 Can I use it to play interactive internet games?
A: No. It can only be used for HTTP and FTP at the moment. A game connection needs to makes a direct connection. Most internet games are also sensitive to the round trip time (RTT) of the network packets. The faster the better. With a satellite link, the RTT is high due to the actual distances involved. Configuring your computer for the OPENSKYtm satellite service will not disable the ability of your computer to play internet games.
3. What do I do to receive the OPENSKY™ service?
Q3.1 How can I subscribe for the OPENSKY™ service?
A: The service is being supported and distributed by a number of companies. To find out whose these are please go to the distributors page on this site.
Q3.2 Where can I subscribe for high-speed internet via satellite?
A: Once you have the information from one of the distributors you will be able to complete the Registration and Payment Form (register) on this site to register for the service.
Q3.3 How much does the service cost?
A: The monthly cost for the service is £29.99 including VAT. This is paid at the start of every month. The charge for the first month is reduced - pro rata - for the number of days remaining in the first month.
4. What equipment do I need?
Q4.1 What do I need to receive high-speed Internet via satellite?
A: You should already have a computer, modem and ISP in order to access
the Internet. In addition to these you will need the following:
1 Registration to the OPENSKY™ service.
2. A satellite receive dish with an Universal LNB.
3 A DVB Internet receiver device.
Q4.2 What size dish do I need to receive the signal?
A: Please contact your local satellite dish installer for advice on this. The dish size needed is dependent on your location. For most of the UK, an 60cm good quality metal dish with a 0.6dB or better LNB should be sufficient.
Q4.3 How much is a satellite receive dish?
A: Depending on the site, a domestic installation costs typically £50 - £100 excluding VAT. Your local satellite installation specialist will be able to advise more precisely.
Q4.4 How can I find a satellite dish installer?
A: Call the Confederation of Aerial Industries or consult your local Yellow Pages. Look for the CAI logo as these installers adhere to industry standards and a customer care code of conduct.
Q4.5 What PC cards and USB boxes work with the Service?
A: You will need a PC card or USB box that is DVB compliant. There are a number of these easily available in high street shops. On our Partners page (partners) are the names of manufacturers whose cards are known to work with the service. In addition, our distributors of the OPENSKYtm service will be able to advise you which card or box will best suite your needs.
Q4.6 How much is the PC card / USB box?
A: DVB Internet PC cards or USB boxes cost typically between £100 and £250 depending on the specification - with / without digital TV etc. These are readily available and details can be obtained from a manufacturer or distributor.
Q4.7 What PC do I need?
A: Any PC with a PCI slot that can accept a DVB PCI card or a USB port for an external USB box. Preferably a 300MHz processor with 64MB of memory is recommended. For further technical information please contact the DVB card distributor.
Q4.8 I want someone to install everything for me - satellite dish, PC and set up the whole system. Do you offer this service?
A: No. However, your distributor may be able to help you with this.
Q4.9 Are there DVB receiver devices, other than those based on the PCI bus, for computers?
A: Yes. Some manufacturers have developed external DVB receive devices that connect to your computer using the USB port. Again for technical information, please contact a distributor.
Q4.10 Can I use the Service with ADSL / ISDN, cable and a LAN?
A: You can use almost any ISP that connects you to the internet in whatever form. Your connection must be configured to use the OPENSKYtm proxy and not the proxy of your ISP. We recommend your modems are of 33.6kbps or higher.
Q4.11 Which PCI slot should I install my DVB card in?
A: Most DVB PCI cards perform better if they are installed in a PCI busmaster slot with their own IRQ. For most recent PC's, this is normally the second PCI slot from the AGP card. For further technical information please contact the DVB card distributor and review the technical information for your motherboard.
5. Subscribers
Q5.1 What are the transponder settings for my DVB receive device?
A: When you received confirmation that your registration had been accepted
you were provided with these. If you have mislaid them the settings are
as follows:
Satellite position: Eutelsat 8°West
Transponder frequency: 12,649 MHz
Symbol rate: 27.5 MSymb
Polorization: Vertical
FEC: ¾
Unicast PID 1001
Multicast PIDs 1002, 2001, 2002, 2004
Q5.2 How do I login to the service?
A: Go to https://sdr8w.eutelsat.net/servlets/satlogin and enter your login name and password.
Q5.3 How do I receive the video streams?
A: Download the .nsc files from http://www.beyondsl.net/downloads.asp
Each .nsc file represents information that gives Media Player instructions
on how to play a TV channel encoded in MPEG-4 and sent out by the satellite.
These files can be read by Windows Media Player 6.4 and 7.0.
Q5.4 How do I optimise Windows Media Player 6.4+?
A: The default settings of Windows Media player should be able to receive video streams from the Internet. However, it may not be optimised for the best performance of the video settings. To do this you need to change some of the parameters as follows: in View -> Options -> Advanced -> Streaming media -> change -> Buffering and insert "1" in the box labelled Buffer.. seconds of data.
Q5.5 How do I optimise Windows Media Player 7.0?
A: Similarly Windows Media Player 7.0 may not be optimised for the best performance of the video settings. To do this you need to change some of the parameters as follows: in View -> Options -> Performance -> network Buffering and insert "1" in the box labelled Buffer ... seconds.
Q5.6 How do I change the settings on Internet Explorer (IE5.5)?
A: A brief description of configuring the proxy for IE 5.5 follows; this will be different for other browsers. Please look at these FAQs and the forum at our website for more technical detail and possible tips for other configurations.
Open IE5.5 and choose the tab Tools, -> Internet options, ->Connections. Select one of the existing dial-ups used for your internet connection. In the Dial up settings area click on the Settings button.
Tick the box Use a proxy server and enter the proxy server address as;
193.251.135.81 port 8080
Note: If you wish to use IE5.5 to access the internet and not use the OPENSKY™ service, then you will need to deselect the Use a proxy server box.
Click on Advanced
Ensure the same address and port is used for HTTP and FTP.
Complete the exceptions box by inserting the following:
sdr8w.eutelsat.net; (and the address of any other pages you would prefer not to access via your sat link)
Then click the OK button to accept these changes and close the box and return to the front page.
Q5.7 What do I do if I change my equipment, payment or other details?
A: If you change your satellite receive card or USB box (and therefore your MAC address changes), payment or other details you must notify us. Please do this via admin @ beyondsl.net
Q5.8 What do I do if I have lost my login or password?
A: If you have lost, forgotten or want to change your login or password then please use password @ beyondsl.net. We shall issue you with a new login or password - these you cannot choose yourself. We shall send these to the email address you used when you subscribed for the service
Q5.9 What happens after I have used up my maximum download in a month?
A: There is no overall download limit per month. The OPENSKY™ service has a limit for Tier 1 and Tier 2 download speeds depending on the account you choose. Once you have used your Tier 1 allowance, you are automatically switched to Tier 2. Once this has been used, you are switched to "Best Efforts" for the rest of the month. Your account will be reset on the first Monday of the following month.
6. Troubleshooting - what to do to solve common problems
Q6.1 Uninstall Procedure for OPENSKY™ 1.4
When you want to install the latest version of the OPENSKY™ Client, please make sure you complete the following procedure before installing the new one.
If you have a previous version of OpenSky Client Application installed
on your computer, the recommended procedure is the following:
- stop OSListener if it is running (right-click on the taskbar icon and
select "Exit OSListener")
- uninstall the previous version of OpenSky Client Application
- manually delete spurious files that may be located in c:\Program Files\OpenSky
- reboot your computer
- proceed with the install of OpenSky Client Application 1.5
Q6.2 Missing PID
A: Often subscribers have not configured their satellite receive cards / USB box with the correct PIDs. The PIDs for the video streaming and fast interactive browsing are different. The correct PIDs were notified to you when your subscription was accepted and are repeated above at question 5.1. If you are having difficulty setting up your satellite receive card or USB box then please contact your distributor or equipment manufacturer
Q6.3 Too many PIDs
A: Some satellite receive cards do not work very well if you enter too many PIDs. Please make sure you only specify the PID given to you for this service.
Q6.4 Wrong MAC address
A: Re-check you MAC address. For Windows ME/2000/NT, open an MS-DOS or command window and type ipconfig /all. For Windows 95/98, Start Menu -> Run, and type Winipconfig.
You will see details of all your network adapters. Find your DVB adapter and it's physical address. This is the MAC address.
It should be something like 00-D0-5C-12-B3-11. This must be provided by you to us when you register so that network packets can be routed correctly to you. Check you have given us the correct MAC address.
Q6.5 Proxy when logging in
A: To use the service your browser must be set to use a proxy - except for the login page. To learn how to do this for Internet Explorer 5.5 see Q5.6.
Q6.6 My browser does not work any more - unless I login to the service
A: When you connect to the login site you must make sure that you are not using a proxy. If you are using a proxy you will not be able to read this page. So make sure that your browser is set to read this page with proxy off. To set Internet Explorer see Q5.6 above.
Q6.7 My telephone line return path disconnects after I have logged in.
A: Your ISP may log you out if it has not sent you any data for a time - it may think that there is a problem with your connection. You can try using the terrestrial return path occasionally.
Q6.8 Why is my download rate not very fast?
A: The OPENSKY™ service will send you the data it has collected for you at speeds peaking at 1Mbps. It can only do this with data on its network. Like all other fast services (ADSL / ISDN, cable etc) it cannot affect the speed of the internet outside its control. So if you request data from a slow server, then the OPENSKY™ service will receive that data slowly, however, once it has the data it will send it to you fast! Also, checkout these FAQs and forum pages for tips on tuning your system.
Q6.9 Forced logout
A: If you are logged in and the system has been idle for a long period of time, or you have exceeded your maximum monthly download, then you may be logged out. If this is because your system has been idle for a time try logging back in again.
Q6.10 Missing logout
A: If you do not log out from the service properly (and do not adjust your proxy settings on your Browser) then your computer may not function properly when not using the OPENSKY™ service. So remember to take the trouble to logout properly.
Q6.11 ISP problems
A: Not all ISPs work in the same way and some have problems with proxies. Some ISPs may forbid connection on port 8080 some may only allow connections on port 80, which is the most commonly used for web browsing. If you are having problems with your ISP then you will need to contact the ISP or your distributor for help.
7. Miscellaneous
Q7.1 How do I become a reseller for the OPENSKY™ service?
A: We welcome new resellers of the service. To find out more about this please contact us at dealers @ beyondsl.net
Q7.2 Is the service available for small businesses?
A: OPENSKY™ is intended only for single PCs
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