General Questions
1Who are ReliaLink?
ReliaLink is a trading name of Prime Satcom Consulting Ltd specialising in mobile network and satellite broadband services. Prime Satcom Consulting have been in business since 2003 and have served both consumers and businesses. We are agents for Bentley Telecom.
2How do I order?
Contact us with your requirements. We will discuss what is available that meet your requirement, advise what is best and answer any question you may have. If you wish to order, we will pass your details and what we agreed to Bentley Telecom who will contact you so you can place your order with them with us as your agent.
3How do I pay?
You will be invoiced by and pay Bentley Telecom for the equipment, installation and services you order. Bentley Telecom will pay us a commission for this therefore we will remain available in case you wish to contact us.
4What support is provided?
Bentley Telecom provides industry-leading support services that go further than the broadband link. They can assist for local network issues, some applications and any questions about the service that you have or issues that need resolving. You can call us on 01582 806892 or email at support@primesatcom.com if you feel your query has not been adequately resolved.. Note we will not keep you hanging on the phone if we cannot respond immediately. You can leave a message with details including contact and we will start to look at the issue as soon as possible and call you back.
5Is Relialink an ethical Supplier?
ReliaLink as part of Prime Satcom Consulting Ltd operates a strict ethical policy that includes:
- We do not supply equipment or services that have links to countries that have poor human rights records
- We seek to minimise Carbon output and polution as much as is currently possible. We do this by minimising and always seeking to reduce our carbon footprint directly and not via offset means so that reductions are real.
- We will recycle everything that can be recycled and keep waste to a minimum.
- We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender nor disability with our employees, customers or suppliers.
- The health and safety of our employees (including sub-contractors) and customers is paramount and we will always seek to operate as safely as possible when completing jobs and leaving sites clean and safe for the use of the equipment and services.
Mobile Broadband Questions
1What speed can I get on a 4G broadband Link?
In theory you can get up to 150 Mbps down and up to 50 Mpbs up of a standard 4G link or up to 300 Mbps down and 150 Mbps ona 4G+ (CAT 6) link. However, the reality is much lower than this with speeds affected by the strength of signal you receive, the quality of signal you receive, the gain of your antenna and how many people are using the mast you are on. We would expect most to get an average speed between 20 and 30 Mbps down, but more if close to a mast and less if the mast is far away. The installers will always seek to position antennas to provide the best speeds possible.
2Do I need an outdoor antenna and why?
Your building walls will attenuate the mobile signal and affect its quality so you will always get a lower speed inside your house than outside (if on the same side as the mobile mast). So if the signal is relatively weak to start with you will find that the performance of the link is poor without the use of an outdoor antenna. Also the gain of the antenna is important as is its positioning. Note that if the signal quality is poor outside, then high antenna gain will not help to improve your signal. We can advise if you need an outdoor antenna and whether it could improve performance.
3Can I install the mobile broadband equipment myself?
Our mobile broadband equipment can be self-installed. If you do not need an antenna, then it is a simple matter of plugging in the 4G router in the good place for the 4G signal. If you need an outdoor antenna installed, then you will need to put the antenna up on a mast on your building wall or chimney and bring the cable indoors to your router. We will provide assistance via telephone and support papers as required. Most, though, prefer us to install outdoor antennas and Bentley Telecom provide a professional installation service which you can order if required.
4What is the difference between an omni and directional antenna?
An omni-directional antenna provides coverage over 360 degrees in the horizontal plane and between 30 and 60 degrees (depending on gain) in the vertical plane. A directional antenna is like a lens that focuses the coverage in a beam in one direction. The most common 9 dBi gain directional antenna provides a beam of 60 degrees in both horizontal and vertical planes. Directional antennas are mostly used where there is a line of sight to the mast used as signal direction varies due to weather conditions when it is reflected off hills, buildings, the ground and even the sky thus you may lose the signal in certain conditions. Also if a mast goes down you are less likely to pick up a signal from an alternative mast. However, directional antennas pick up less noise than omni-directional antennas so if there is a high level of noise around then the directional antanna may be better even if the mast is not in the line of sight. We can advise on the best mast to use for your building and location and recommend the best antenna.
5Do I need a phone line?
No, you do not require a phone line to receive broadband via mobile broadband. You can use VOIP telephones over the mobile link if you do not wish to have a phone line..
6Do I need a site survey?
We can often work out what you require and the best service by looking at coverage data and what people near you get. Also you can use mobile phones to do speed tests inside and outside your building to get an idea what may be possible (phones have small antennas so may give lower speeds than we can provide). However, signals at exact locations are not easy to predict and you may get a better or worse signal than a building 50 metres away and you may want to know which network has the best signal at your exact location. We can provide a site survey that will determine the signal strengths at your building for all the networks and where best to locate your antenna and which type. You can order a site surve from Bentley Telecom..
7How big is a mobile broadband antenna?
Mobile broadband antennas are generally small from about 6 inches (15 cm) tall to just over a foot tall (30 cm) and typically 3 - 6 inches (7 -15 cm) wide and deep. The 9dBi Directional antenna is circular with a diameter of about 5 inches (13 cm) and 4 inches (10 cm) deep. Higher gain antennas are larger than lower gain antennas.
8Can I extend the Wi-Fi signal inside the building?
Yes, you can. If you have an indoor router this has a wireless signal which you can use, however, this may not reach everywhere you need it in the building and we provide several options for extending this throughout. If you have an outdoor router embedded with an antenna, then you will need a wireless router (and extensions if required) indoors. Just order what you need amongst the optional hardware. Do contact us if you need our advice on what to order.
9How long does it take to install a mobile broadband system?
The professional installers can typically install a mobile broadband system within 1 hour, though they allow up to 2 hours in case of complexities such as height of antenna or finding the best position for the antenna.
10Is 5G faster than 4G?
In theory, yes, in practice, maybe not. 5G is not available everywhere yet and in many places coverage is not good even if it is claimed that a signal exists at your location. We would always recommend an outdoor antenna for a 5G broadband system due to the higher frequencies used that are heavily attenuated even by relatively thin walls. If the signal is strong where you are, then you can get much faster speeds than 4G, however,, this also depends on whether the mast backbone to the Internet has been upgraded. if not, then you will be contending this backbone with all users and the speed you get not different to what someone on 4G gets (especially if 4G+ is available on the closest mast). 5G equpment is more expensive than 4G and we can help you decide if the extra expense is worth it. You need to also consider what speed you really need for your Internet access.
11Do you provide multi-network SIMs?
Yes, Bentley Telecom do provide multi-network SIMs. These are particularly useful if you are mobile and want to always pick up the best signal. Our multi-network SIMs work throughout Europe and can be extended to other countries if required. These SIMs are also useful if you have many sites and wish to put them into your own network while using different mobile networks at different sites. A Private APN can be set up on the multi-network SIMs so that all users (including outside the UK) can be within a single corporate network for security and common application use.
12Can I put a mobile broadband system on a vehicle?
Yes, special vehicle routers and antennas can be mounted on all kinds of vehicles. This includes Caravans, trucks, mobile kiosks, busses, cars, etc. You can integrate the system with your vehcle location service too. You can order these from Bentley Telecom for self-install, however, installation needs to be quoted based on your vehicle and location. We would be pleased to liaise with your on your options.
13Can I have a fixed public IP?
Yes, an UK fixed public IP to your 4G router can be provided. This will be across all networks on the multi-network SIMs and the IP address is sent direct to the router or device with the SIM installed (e.g. CCTV camera). The standard offering has one fixed IP provided, but if you need more, please contact us and we can arrange a quote.
Geo-Satellite Broadband
1What speeds can I get on Satellite?
Our satellite packages vary from an up to speed of 15 Mbps to 50 Mbps down and 3 Mbps to 10 Mbps up dependant on service selected. However, like all shared broadband services, they are contended with other users so the actual speed will vary depending on network demand. Weather can also affect the maximum speed you can get - fog and rain can lower the maximum speed available during these periods. The satellite systems we use have advanced systems to keep your link running as long as possible and you would only lose service completely in the heaviest rain storms and then for only the short times these tend to last. We expect that for most of the time you will receve good speeds.
2What is high satellite latency?
Geo-satellites orbit the Earth at about 22,000 miles high so that they can orbit at the same speed as the Earth's rotation therefore staying in the same place that your dish points towards. Radio signals travel at the speed of light and at this speed it takes about 1/8th second to reach the satellite from Earth and another 1/8th second to return to Earth - so a round trip of 1/2th a second. Plus with signal processing and time to travel across the Internet you will tend to get between 600 and 800 ms for a request to go from your Internet device and the response to return to the same device. This time is called latency. For many applications such as web browsing, you will notice a short delay between making a request and receiving the start of the page, but actual download speeds would be at the data rate available over the satellite. The main times when this high latency is noticeble is with interactive applications such as voice or video calls, however, most people get accustomed to this delay and can work with it. Due to this high latency, we do not recommend satellite links for applications such as online real-time tradng or interactive video games.
3Can I get Unlimited Data packages on satellite
In theory, yes, however, due to the more limited amount of data bandwidth available across a satellite, no one actually offers unlimited services and beware of any who claim this (unless for very high prices). All our packages have data limits set for the tariff paid from 10 GBytes to 500 GBytes per month. You are able to purchase GByte Boosters if you need more data in any month.
4Which satellite do you use?
Our current packages use the Ka-Sat satellite located at 9 degrees East from true south. These packages can be ordered online. We can offer services on other satellites such as Avanti's HYLAS 4 . If required we can quote on request.
5How big is the antenna?
The standard antenna is elliptical and equivalent to a circle 29.5 inches (75 cm) diameter.
6Do I need line of sight to the satellite?
Yes, you do require a location on or near your building that has a clear line of sight to the satellite. The signal does not go through trees/branches, pylons, buildings, hills, walls, etc.
7Do I require a phone line?
No, you do not require a phone line to receive broadband via satellite. You can use VOIP telephones over satellite if you do not have a phone line, however, you will notice a delay on the line due to the high satellite latency.
8Can I self-install the satellite terminal?
Yes, you can self-install the standard satellite services offered online. Most request our professional installation services and this also is available to order online. Note if you need a different satellite terminal from our standard offering we will quote these with professional installation as these systems are much more complex to install and their operators do not allow self-install.
9Is there a fair usage policy (FUP)?
Yes, on our standard online packages from TooWay, a FUP is used to balance the usage across all users in a fair and equitable manner. This works by monitoring how much data is used over a period of time and if the data usage exceeds a level set then you will find that the speed is reduced for a time. The speeds are always at a good level, but it will be particularly noticed if several people are using the Internet locally at the same time on the site. Most customers do not have this FUP ever applied and if you are one of the small number that do you will still operate at full speed most of the time. When you reach your data limt, the link will throttle the speed to 64kbps each way until either the reset date or if GByte Boosters are purchased.
10Can I have a fixed IP?
Business (PRO) packages come with a single fixed UK public IP as standard. This is forwarded to your router or other device attached to the satellite terminal via DHCP (automatically get an IP address). Contact us if you require more than one fixed IP address. Note Standard and Prime services do not offer a fixed IP.
11Can I use VOIP over satellite?
Yes, you can, however, you will notice a delay of about 1 second on the speech between the two parties. Note that Vodafone Sure signal and similar devices do not work over satellite due to the high latency. You can use wi-Fi calling on your mobile phone on your wireless signal if your phone supports this.
12Does the satelliite terminal have a wi-Fi signal?
The satellite modem does not provide a wireless signal, so if you wish to have wireless in your building you will need a wireless router and, if necessary, wireless extension to cover all areas where this is required. You can purchase wireless routers and extension equipment on the order page under optional hardware. Contact us if you need any advice on this.
13Can I upgrade or downgrade my service?
Yes, you can. Upgrdes are implemented immediately, while downgrades will be implemented on the 1st of the following month.
