In October 2003 Hughes released the "self-hosted" DirecWay DW6000 system. While the DW6000
used the same .74m satellite dish as the DW4000, that's about where the similarities end.
The DW6000 was the first home user satellite modem to have it's software built into the modem. This
makes it a true stand-alone device and allows it to be used on various O.S. platforms (Windows, Mac,
Linux,
etc.), as no driver software is required to be loaded on the users computer.
Unlike prior model D'Way modems, the DW6000 does not connect to the USB port. Rather it connects
like
a cable-modem would, via a standard RJ45 connector to your computers networking card. This makes networking the DW6000 much
easier than networking prior model D'Way modems, as standard routers & hubs can be used.
The DW6000 also
features an "Advanced Configuration & Statistics" control center, which is accessable through the users web browser. This control
panel allows the user to monitor many features of the modem including signal strength, firmware updates, various logs & statistics,
and much more.
Although Hughes no longer activates DW6000's for new service, a few are still in service on
old accounts.
Hughes / DirecWay DW6000 2-Way System
Front & Rear of the DW6000 Modem
The system complies with the industry's DVB-S standard and, therefore, it is very easy to customize the wide range of
outroute data rates by choosing different symbol and FEC coding rates.
The downstream is scalable up to 48 Mbps
and up to 256 kbps for the return channel. The DW6000 provides an integrated broadband LAN solution to Windows, UNIX, MAC, and other
platforms running IP over Ethernet.
The DW6000 terminal passes IP data packets to and from any IP device
on the LAN and has the functionality of a typical IP router. The DW6000 offers the HNS advanced Performance Enhancing Proxy (PEP)
feature, which increases throughput performance.
Accessing the DW6000 User Interface : The various functions, features, & statistics of the DW6000 are accessable through the
"DW6000
System Control Center". To access the control center you need to open up your web browser (I.E.: Internet Explorer, FireFox, etc.)
and type the following into the address bar : http://192.168.0.1 . Doing that should bring up the System Control Center screen.
The Control Center has a number of useful logs, information, and the like. From there you can view your signal
strength, check which firmware version you have, view various connection logs, configure ranging, and much more. The Control
Center interface is not available on older systems like the DW4000.
A look inside the DW6000
Curious about what it looks like inside the DW6000 satellite modem ?
Here's a quick look under the hood ! Click on a section name to magnify that section of the modem.
DW6000 Data Sheet :
You can download the DW6000 Data-
Sheet by clicking on the image to the left.
File is in Adobe PDF format.
(Size 85k)
DW6000 Tips & Tricks ! :
Interested in some DW6000 tips & tricks ?
Don't forget to check out the Tips-N-Tricks page !
Curious about the differences between the DW6000 & DW7000 ? : You can view a side-by-side comparison of their technical specifications
by clicking HERE !
