Viasat - A Detailed Review

About Viasat, If you live in rural areas, satellite internet may be your only or main connection source for your online activities.

After all, satellite internet is far-reaching and one of the oldest before cable and fiber.

One company to consider is Viasat, among the three biggest satellite internet providers in the US. Others are Starlink and HughesNet.

This article takes you through my detailed research on Viasat satellite internet.

What is Viasat Satellite Internet Services

As you may already have gathered from the introduction, Viasat is a satellite internet company in the US.

The company started its operations in 1989 in Carlsbad, California. Henceforth, it has gathered users in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

Currently, the company operates a big satellite constellation, which lets it provide service in rural areas.

With this fleet, the vendor offers about 100 Mbps speed, allowing internet access in areas where cable and fiber can’t reach.

Apart from satellite internet, the company also provides phone, streaming, and TV services.

Satellite internet dish

Viasat Internet Plans

Viast has many competitors, such as HughesNet and, recently, Starlink.

For this reason, it has devised various plans to cater to its customers as it tries to ward off competition.

Some of its main internet plans include:

Choice 25

Choice 25 is the cheapest plan which retails at $69.99 per month. However, as a new customer, you get $49.99 monthly for the first three months.

After that, it goes back to the standard price. With this plan, you get a 12 to 25 Mbps download speed, capped at 60GB.

You can use this plan with only one device for light browsing, such as emails and chats.

Choice 50

The 50 choices come with up to 50 Mbps, capped at 100GB. If you need this plan, you must pay $69.99 for the first three months and $99.99 afterward.

You can expect to use the plan with up to 3 devices for light video streaming.

Choice 75

Here, you pay $149.99 monthly, but first-time customers get it at 99.99 for the first three months.

With the plan, you get generous priority data of 150GB per month and up to 75 Mbps download speeds.

Choice 100/300 Mbps

For this plan, expect to pay $149.99 for the first three months, but the normal rate after that is $199.99.

The download speed for this plan is a maximum of 100 Mbps speed but capped at 300GB.

Individuals with this plan can enjoy high-quality streaming and light games on several devices.

Choice 100/500 Mbps

For this plan, you get 500GB of priority data with speeds of up to 100 Mbps. Its initial three monthly price is $199.99, but the standard price is $299.99.

This plan is also good for streaming and other demanding online activities.

Note that Viast offers free professional installation for all the above plans to qualified customers. However, if your credit does not qualify, you must pay the installation fee.

You are also subjected to a contract, monthly fees, equipment lease fees, and taxes.

The good news is that if you deplete your monthly priority data allowance, you get unlimited standard data browsing.

But you may experience slow speeds when there is network congestion.

Viasat Installation and Equipment

Viasat Equipment Fees

It is important to note that the internet fee we discussed above does not include the equipment. Interestingly, you can opt to either buy or lease.

If you choose to lease, it will cost you $12.99 per month. But if you don’t plan to switch internet providers, you can buy your equipment for a one-time fee of $299.

Contains Equipment

Antennae dish for receiving satellite signals
Transceiver for testing internet signal
Brackets assembly to mount the dish

A Wi-Fi gateway modem connects to the dish
A pole for mounting the dish
150 feet RG6 Cable and its wall installation hardware

Wi-Fi modem

Standard vs. Custom Viasat Installation

Most Viasat installations are always custom and free for qualifying customers. But that does not mean that custom installations don’t happen.

It all depends on your location, preference, and technician recommendations. Custom installations are also premium and not as free as standard ones.

Generally, the installation process may cost you between 0 to $300, depending on its type.

If you don’t agree with a technician on custom installation, you can request another technician for a second opinion.

Viasat Wi-Fi Modem Compatibility

One of the devices required to connect to Viasat Internet, as was earlier, is the WI-Fi gateway modem. This device combines a modem and a router for distributing Wi-Fi signals on your premise.

Note that typical third-party modems won’t work with Viasat antennae, so you need the custom Viasat modem. However, you can purchase a third-party router to customize your network.

Remember, you can rent or buy the modem. I would recommend renting since it’s cheaper.

Installation Process

Unlike Starlink installation, Viasat does not allow self-installation. Hence, you do not have to worry about the technicalities, which can be challenging.

For one, the dish must be installed in an open place with an unobstructed sky view.

Second, the technician has to decide whether to install the dish flat on your roof or elevate it using a mount.

Last, they are responsible for skewing the dish in the right direction for optimum signal reception.

For these reasons, Viasat prefers to offer free installation from their trained technician. All you need to do is ensure an adult is present during the installation.

Before the installation, a Viasat representative calls you to schedule the process. Then a technician may see the site and seek your installation preference and options.

A technician installing a satellite dish

Viasat Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks

Like any other internet, Viasat may misbehave by showing errors, disconnecting, buffering, and slow connections.

When this happens, use the following trick to troubleshoot your internet successfully.

Power Cycle Your Modem

The Power cycle involves powering and disconnecting a device from power continuously for a given time.

It is a tried, tested, and functional method to troubleshoot electronic devices such as phones, routers, and gaming hardware.

It clears bugs, solves hardware issues, and speeds up electronic processes.

Consider power cycling your modem to solve slow internet speeds and other connectivity issues. Follow the below steps for this method:

Unplug the modem without switching the mains or the modem’s power
Wait for about five seconds and plug it back
Repeat the process about three times, and your device is perfect.

Check Your Data Limit

We already established that if you deplete your monthly priority data allowance, you go to standard data. In this arrangement, you can browse unlimitedly.

Only you may experience slow speeds at times. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this until your next billing cycle.

To know if you have exhausted your monthly data, visit MyViasat.com, sign in, and check your data usage.

Test Wi-Fi on Other Devices

So you have a new device like an android tv or laptop, and it is not connecting to your wifi? When this happens, you want to know whether it’s your internet or device.

I would recommend connecting with two other devices, laptops or phones. This way, you will know what has a problem and troubleshoot it accordingly.

Check Your Satellite Dish

If you still experience slow internet speeds after power cycling and resetting your router, consider checking the dish.

A damaged dish cannot receive signals appropriately. Hence if it’s damaged, call a technician to repair it.

Additionally, obstacles like ice and tree branches on your dish may interfere with satellite signals.

I would recommend clearing the obstacles and, if possible, wiping your dish. Ensure you do not interfere with its tilting and positioning, as this might worsen the situation.

Troubleshooting a router

Report an Outage

Viasat being a technology with infrastructure, means sometimes an outage can occur.

For example, it can be a power surge that damages some equipment. It can also be a damaged ground station.

If you are sure you have trouble shooted with the above methods and nothing happens, consider reporting it to the ISP.

But before reporting, check if some of your neighbors using Viasat are experiencing the same issue.

If so, it’s a bigger outage you can report via their provided contacts. Normally, you may not need to report since the company resolves some of these issues promptly.

Conclusion

Viasat is a decent satellite internet available to most areas in the US. It also offers several packages to suit different budgets and usages.

Try it if you live in rural areas where cable and fiber are absent. However, the internet may not be fast enough for gaming and other real-time online activities.

If you want an alternative, consider Starlink vs. HughesNet to see which suits you.

Viasat – A Detailed Review

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