Astra2Connect ... How it works

Astra2Connect is a 2-way satellite internet service developed by Astra SES, the owner and operator of the Astra group of satellites. The Astra2Connect system uses the Astra1E satellite located at 23.5 degrees east, the hub is at Astra's HQ in Luxembourg where it is connected to the internet backbone.

The system consists of a satellite dish and an interactive LNB. The dish is of a robust steel construction and there's a picture here of the one installed at Big Dish Towers. It measures 80cm in diameter and is coloured dark grey. The LNB is special because it transmits data as well as receiving it in the traditional manner. The LNB (or iLNB as we should call it) has two cables running from it and they connect to the satellite modem.

The satellite modem is the device which sits inside your house and connected to the satellite dish outside. It has two cable connections from the satellite dish, a power supply connection and an ethernet port. The cable that is supplied with the Astra2Connect kit joins the iLNB on the dish to the modem ... each cable is clearly marked 'Transmit and 'receive'. The mains supply for the modem is a transformer unit and you will get the correct mains plug depending on which European country the unit is delivered to. The Ethernet connection on the modem is an RJ45 socket and you can connect that directly to your computer (assuming that it has a network card) or to a WiFi/Router so that several computers can access the internet at the same time.

For a computer to access the internet ia Astra2Connect, you open Internet Explorer (or any other browser) and that will 'find' the satellite modem either directly or via a WiFi/Router ... from there, you are connected to the internet.