Excede and Wii

[Staceylt40]

We have had Excede since May and for the most part, have been happy with it. I was a long time subscriber of Hughesnet even when they were direcway. It was one problem after another. We moved into town and was able to get cable. We moved back to the country and I as so dreading the whole satellite internet thing. Cable had me spoiled for sure. But, as I said, we have been happy so far. My question is, my son was able to connect his Wii to the cable to play his games and now I cannot get it to connect no matter how or what I do. Am I missing something? Why is he not able to connect? He can connect to the wireless here at the house but when he tries to connect to the internet to play, it will never connect. Any ideas?

[CA3LE]

Are you positive that the Wii has connection to the Internet?

If you don't already know how, here are instructions on how to browse the Internet from the Wii. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/ht_channels.jsp?menu=internet&submenu=rvl-ht-chn-browse-internet

First check to make sure that you can not only connect to the wifi but can also get some kind of useful connection and we'll troubleshoot from there.

[Staceylt40]

Are you positive that the Wii has connection to the Internet?

If you don't already know how, here are instructions on how to browse the Internet from the Wii. http://www.nintendo....browse-internet

First check to make sure that you can not only connect to the wifi but can also get some kind of useful connection and we'll troubleshoot from there.

Thanks. I know how to browse the internet on it. I can go anywhere, in this case I went to facebook and even posted. But it will not allow him to connect when he tries to play Call of Duty or any of his other games that have other player interaction via the internet. It will connect to the wifi, but will never connect to other users or a room with other users. Just says "Getting game quality" and "searching for room". Back and forth between the 2.

[CA3LE]

On your computer that's connected to the same connection run ping to a few locations... let's see what you get.

To ping a host...

• Windows Start > Run > type CMD [enter] > from the command prompt type ping google.com and/or ping testmy.net
• Linux / Mac Under Applications/Utilities open 'Terminal' > type ping google.com and/or ping testmy.net

Paste those results here.

[Staceylt40]

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

Copyright © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Stacey>ping google.com

Pinging google.com [74.125.224.195] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 74.125.224.195: bytes=32 time=680ms TTL=51

Reply from 74.125.224.195: bytes=32 time=607ms TTL=51

Reply from 74.125.224.195: bytes=32 time=604ms TTL=51

Reply from 74.125.224.195: bytes=32 time=605ms TTL=51

Ping statistics for 74.125.224.195:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 604ms, Maximum = 680ms, Average = 624ms

C:\Users\Stacey>ping testmy.net

Pinging testmy.net [174.120.187.140] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 174.120.187.140: bytes=32 time=642ms TTL=51

Reply from 174.120.187.140: bytes=32 time=642ms TTL=51

Reply from 174.120.187.140: bytes=32 time=640ms TTL=51

Reply from 174.120.187.140: bytes=32 time=638ms TTL=51

Ping statistics for 174.120.187.140:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 638ms, Maximum = 642ms, Average = 640ms

C:\Users\Stacey>

[CA3LE]

... ehhh... ouch.

Don't quote me on this.. because I'm not 100% positive. But with 6/10th of a second of lag the game servers may be ignoring you. That kind of lag effects not only your own gaming experience but others that you're playing with.

Here's a topic I found on Gamespot about Satellite Internet and Gaming -- note that the topic is from 2007 and today many of the newer games probably auto kick for high ping. You'll also see replies on that topic saying that your high ping doesn't effect others... but it does, if your character is lagging out and causing you to jump all over the place it will make you very hard to hit... making the gaming experience bad for other better connected players.

Satellite is definitely not ideal for gaming. I'm sorry to say this... but you might not be able to play online games reliably on that connection. Unless you're able to rope the satellite and bring it closer to Earth there isn't much that you can do to improve that ping. The round trip delay of sending and receiving data into orbit is too great. I'm sure that there are games that you could play but FPS (first person shooters) are going to either ignore you, kick you once you connect or be so laggy that it's not fun. I've never tried to play on a connection with that much lag but I've played on servers with 300+ms lag and it really takes the fun and realism out of the game. Like I said, to combat that problem I'm sure that newer games (and updated older games) have an auto kick / ignore built in to keep the game fun for the majority.

[Staceylt40]

I was actually afraid of that. But was secretly hoping for a magic fix to the wii or something. My son (12 years old) will just have to understand....... Its the country life.... get outside and play with the chickens and goats. HA! Not really, but there are lots of woods to play in. He freaks out when I remind him that when I was his age there were no video games unless you went to the bowling alley game room and played pac-man. lol We didn't have cell phones or computers. We actually had to PLAY outside to see our friends. LOL Then when Atari hit.... oh man!! That was the IN thing. I even bought a wii version of the old Atari games so he could get an idea. He actually likes playing them. Frogger being his fave. LOL

Anyway... Thanks for your help.

[CA3LE]

I have a 12 year-old son too, turns 13 in March. They're truly the first digital generation. I'm 31 (in a few days), half of my childhood was non-electronic. We hardly even watched TV in my house growing up and even when we got a Nintendo in 1988 my Mom limited its use. I enjoyed playing outside, riding my bike in the Arizona desert and stuff. I think I had a much more enjoyable childhood as a result. I had friends who played video games all the time... the sad thing is... they still playing and don't have much to show for it. Your son may be healthier with limited connection. -- He can still play the offline aspect of the games, which is far less addictive than the online gaming.

Yeah, the old games still hold up today. Some of the older 8bit games are more challenging than many of the games today if you ask me. Especially if you're playing them on the original consoles without a 'save' feature. I used to leave my Nintendo on for weeks on end with Mario Bros., Zelda, Battle Toads, Contra, Operation P.O.W., River City Ransom... etc. because you couldn't save the game. It was always an ultimate bummer when someone would shut it off or the power got tripped in a lightning storm and lost all my progress, "NOOOOOO!" --- the repetition of having to do it all over again makes you get very good at the game. The games today give you unlimited lives... there really isn't a "GAME OVER" ... back in the day when it said "GAME OVER" you usually had to start from the beginning, it really was GAME OVER. (unless you cheated to get more lives)... Then you've got Pacman, try to beat that... I dare you!

Oh and you're welcome, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I hope you like my site and pass it along to your friends.

[Staceylt40]

Yeah, that's just it. He DOES prefer to be outside and plays every sport in the world. LOL Soccer, baseball (his fave, he is the best pitcher in the league), football, basketball (least fave) and golf. He does very well at all. But when it gets dark, now earlier, he is playing video games. I am slightly older than you. LOL (43) and we were without anything like that when I was kid. Like I said, I was about 12 when Atari came out and man o man, did I think I was cool. I was the first kid on the block to have one. LOL Hell, I remember when we got the VCR and a Microwave. LOL We didn't have tv's in our rooms or phones. Yeah, he thinks its just ridiculous when I tell him things like that. Or its funny when he asked me "what is a VCR?" UGH! )

I remember as an adult, my boyfriend and I playing my niece's Donkey Kong on nintendo and you're right when GAME OVER was there, it was really GAME OVER. lol But it was fun! I have tried to play my son's Wii with him and I just get dizzy. I will stick to the games on facebook. LOL

Again, thanks for your help. He didn't seem very upset when I told him I tried but no luck. LOL its not like he doesn't have a thousand other games he can play. I think he already knew before I did that he couldn't lol. Oh well.

[CA3LE]

first.... this is going to be a long post, read it... don't read it... whatever, I type more than I realize sometimes. Take it as you will. (this was typed after the post)

Oh it's crazy... I'm on my iPhone 5 right now. I have more power at my fingertips right now that I could have ever imagined even a few years ago. 10-20 years ago it would have made my brain melt. It doesn't surprise me that your son knew the limitations before you did... My son is the same way. Kids these days are totally in tune with technology. I tend to think I'm pretty in tune but really.... .... Man, if you compare his rate of development with mine. I'm so old school. Not that old school is bad... But seriously... In a few years he'll be passing me up if he keeps up his pace. And I've been programming pretty much my entire life. The rate of progression between generations is insane. Kids are not only smarter than we were... are... They have the tools online to teach them faster.

We're on the dawn of a knowledge revolution. Kids are going to realize soon that in many cases the collegiate way of learning only drains personal resources. When you have the entire human knowledge at your fingertips the old methods of learning are a really a limitation. When you learn traditionally you learn at the schools pace and learn what they want you to learn. Gaining knowledge outside of the system is something I've practiced for... Well... Since I was five or six. First with the "World Book" my Mom got for our family. I really owe my quest for information to that. It was kinda outdated for some information, like the info on the Soviet Union before the Cold War but a lot of information was still relevant. I looked things up for fun, outside of school just because I wanted to know... the predecessor to the the Internet IMO. Once I was introduced to the Internet knowledge expanded upon that beyond my wildest dreams and it continues to amaze me the vastness of what I can know online. Although online I might be presented with outdated information... or outright MISinformation, with printed text I had no choice what I read, unless I picked up a different book. Online a different 'book' is always an easy option, on any subject. The reader is still subject to opinion on what they want to choose to believe, but the choices are RIGHT THERE and you can easily decide or understand if something it wrong or outdated. It's just better. Once you truly thirst for information then are blessed with ALL information... the limits, they don't exist unless you set them.

That's why I got into the Internet and this is where I reside today. I knew instantly when I saw pre-internet bulletin board systems, in the WAY early days. (you had to dial in... and somehow get the phone numbers to dial into these systems... people that know what I'm talking about or did it, you know what I mean... it wasn't easy. It was work to just get in there... let alone get anything useful.) "This speaks to me. This is the future... not in this form... but this is the future." --- Right now... today... In my opinion, we haven't yet even see the tip of the arrow of what is to become. ... not even the microscopic tip.

I feel traditional school limits the expansion of knowledge and I think this will soon be realized on a broad scale. I dropped out of high school only a few credits short of finishing, I could have easily finished but I saw an opportunity at the time time and I didn't see a reason to finish. The truth is, they stopped teaching me years earlier. I was learning more in my own time than what traditional school taught me....... and I went to a progressive alternative school that didn't limit learning or teaching to a set curriculum. You could finish high school by 16 if you wanted to. But I wasn't ambitious, I did half time... I hated school but loved to learn. At the time, that situation was the best fit for me. I really have my Mom to thank for letting me leave traditional school for an alternative. I went to school half the time and learned 6+ times a much.... haha, seriously.

Maybe I'm an exception... but I tend to think that if most people were given the same opportunity, they would WAY rather learn at their own pace and learn what they want to learn rather than the 'state' curriculum. That was cool but it still pales in comparison to what kids have today. They can know ANYTHING with a simple question. You can teach yourself ANYTHING. Now, if you want to be a surgeon or in the medical field the people that your operating on want you to have proven yourself first. School makes sense for people that want to do that. But there are MANY professions that the people who are doing the hiring, especially in this economy right now, would WAY rather hire someone who has real world experience rather than someone out of college. You get real world experience from being in the real world... not a classroom. You pay your dues by doing...not looking at a blackboard. (maybe just IMO, I don't know...)

I just think about about how lucky our kids are. The rate of progressions between generations is insane. Kids are not only smarter than we were... are... They have the tools online to teach them faster. And it's only going to grow... at an exponential rate. Trust me, if you don't realized this now... it will be realized in your lifetime.

We're on the dawn of a knowledge revolution. Kids are going to comprehend soon that the collegiate way of learning (in many cases) only drains personal resources. When you have the entire human knowledge at your fingertips the old methods of learning are a really limitation. This is Something I've practiced for... Well... Since I was six. First with the "World Book" my Mom got for our family. I really owe my quest for information to that. The Internet expanded upon that beyond my wildest dreams. Once you thirst for information then are blessed with ALL information... Man.

That's why I got into the Internet and this is where I reside today.

I know that this has expanded WAY off topic but sometimes I like to just share my thoughts.

Okay, check it out.... just imagine growing up in a world where all knowledge is known... At your fingertips. All you have to do is ask. In my opinion that's a true Zen state of reality. Our kids get that! We truly can't understand how that feels. Just like they can't truly understand how it feels to not have that. I'm telling you, we are on the boundary of a new mindset in the world and the only thing that could stop it is lack of electricity. I'm telling you, the dawn of knowledge is upon us. Take heed.

Sorry if I got too deep but seriously......... our children are so fortunate to be afforded such an opportunity. I KNOW that they won't waste it. Mark my word! Let me be clear, I'm not at all telling people to drop out of school. If my son reads this, I hope that he stays in school. I hope that anyone that reads this stays in school... as long as you're learning. If you stop learning... then it's time to move on because you're being held back from what I consider Zen... ...which is gaining as much knowledge as you can while you can. Why waste your time if they aren't teaching you?!? ...it's just a personal experience that I can only imagine is more relevant today than ever.

[mudmanc4]

Epic ! posts ++++

[CA3LE]

Epic ! posts ++++

I know people with 2,4,6,8 years of college and they can't get jobs right now. I feel really sad for them... it's rough out there. The point that I'm trying to get across is that college is in many cases a dying system.

Everyone will always tell you, "College graduates earn ___% more than people with a high school diploma..." What they don't tell you is in some cases they're paying that extra money to school. And have to work a low wage job until they actually find work that's willing to pay them what they think they're worth. So really, if you do the math... you can end up earning less. In my opinion, your better off saving the money and... A: starting your own business. B: starting at the bottom and paying your dues on the job. --- Starting your own business for instance... if you spend the amount of money that you would spend on school on starting something, yes, it's a risk. But how is going to college, putting aside 2,4,6 or 8+ years of your life and coming out to find a saturated job market any different? I personally would rather be making money than spending money.... ESPECIALLY since everything you would EVER want to know is at your finger tips these days.

I guess some people need the structure of someone telling them what to do. So if you can't think for yourself, maybe college is the path for you.

By the way, I'm not at all talking bad on people who have gone to college. Times were different in the past and it served its purpose. For some jobs it's totally necessary. But for many jobs... it's a total waste of your personal resources. You can pay your dues with Benjamins... or pay them with your time and earn money while you do it. I would way rather hire someone that's paid with blood, sweat and tears than dollar bills. I'm not alone, I've been on jobs in the past where the people that had been there for 20-30 years LAUGHED when someone got hired out of technical college. "Oh look, another guy fresh out of school that doesn't know anything but thinks he knows everything... let's start a betting pool for how long he'll last." -- NO JOKE! ... and they were right, they usually didn't last and always had misinformation as to the correct way to do things. .... I started the same job, in a bitch boy position and learned from the masters in 1/20th of the time, made money while I did it and earned the respect of the old guys. Before I knew it, I was promoted. If I had gone to school it would have delayed my future.

... this information isn't coming from an unsuccessful person. I'm not going to be a douche and tell you how much I money I make... but I will tell you this. I bought my first house before I could legally buy my first beer. ... and I haven't had a boss or 'job' in over 8 years. School is over rated and over priced. But what do I know... I'm just a drop out.

[mudmanc4]

WTH did turning 31 do to you , open you up is what it did , I like it !!!! No I lie haha I love it.

The main problem with long term school , is were taught the completely incorrect things. Plate tectonics in a history class ? Coexist in a business major ? Look,

That system imo is broken. Filled with one sided agenda, that has no relevance compared to the specific line made by the student. If it were Any other way, this country would be thriving, and I mean truly setting the planet on fire , leading those of lesser influence to a greater future.

Pure example of how we waste the most precious learning years of our students.....

These past to weeks we've gone to two different local high schools, one of which our youngest will attend. Of course I've been over time , directing him , or influencing him to run along the lines of developer / graphic design / NOT end user , anything where he can control the machine that others access, that other do not care nor want to be a part of.

So small of a opportunity in both these schools, I was literally floored to the point of thinking of moving even sooner to avoid a silly play in the mud puddle Vs. actually learning some real content that can be used to further future advancement.

Speaking to what computing courses are available , in two seperate high schools, whith a combined graduating class of roughly 1400 annually, the furthest they were able to get in either artsy print or digital advertising , in four years , did not even introduce anything close to 3D , no animations, no 3D at all, not even the tools held within any of the two basic adobe photoshop or indesign.

FOUR YEARS , and they cover how to change faces in an image of a couple ! And their proud of this , it's on the wall , as a token for all to knowledge and revel over. Amazing. Simply astounding.

I had to ask myself , what is it that these children are actually learning for 8 hours a day ? How do you fill a day , without actually challenging a child ?