From the Mailbag

Gordon just moved to a rural area for work and is having trouble getting decent Internet access. He tried two different satellite providers and was dissatisfied with both. It is particularly frustrating because his nearest neighbor (1.25 miles away) has cable but apparently Gordon does not qualify for service. Gordon if I were you I would approach that neighbor, explain the situation, and offer to pay half their Internet bill if they are willing to let you piggyback on their connection. So long as you have a clear line of sight between their house and yours, you should be able to set up some kind of point-to-point system with antennas. RadioLabs has been around for a long time and offers a nice selection of wireless products, including antennas and amplifiers. See what you can put together and let me know what you came up with.

*** CORRECTION ***

The technology has come a LONG way since the last time I looked at it. It appears that line of sight is no longer required and the Bridge Kits can now cover several MILES. Excellent. Happy shopping Gordon.

Aiden:

Welcome to the cord-cutter fraternity! So long as you live in a major metropolitan area, you probably have quite a few options for over-the-air high-definition content (OTA HD). Start by going to AntennaWeb. Plug in your street address and it will present you with a map showing all of the available OTA HD broadcasts (and the directions they are in). You will also get an antenna recommendation. It is best if you can raise the antenna at least 30 feet off the ground and point it in the right direction(s). However, even if that is not an option you can usually tune in at least some channels even with a modest indoor antenna like a MOHU Leaf. Good luck and be sure to write back with a report on how you made out.