Some of your competitors are offering very different packages than you do, why would we pick your service?

There are many different services out there, some are available in areas that we cover, while many are not. There is too much to go into here. For a more detailed comparison, please click here.

Do I need a phone line for this service to work?

No telephone line is required. All data is sent and received via the wireless system. We have done several installs where there is no telephone service in the house at all.

I heard that cordless telephones cause interference to the wireless connection, is this true?

In some cases a 2.4GHz cordless telephone can cause some interference if the base for the telephone is placed near the radio equipment. As long as the telephone base station is at least 20 feet away from the radio equipment we have not seen any issues with the wireless connection to our system. It is more likely that you would have problems with a wireless gateway router inside your home. Try switching the telephone to a different channel. Some brands of routers are more tolerant of cordless phones as well. In some extreme cases you may have to replace the 2.4GHz cordless phone with a 900MHz or 5.8GHz (the 900MHz will give generally better range).

I heard that microwave ovens jam the wireless connection, is this true?

If your microwave causes interference to the signal from our access point to the antenna on your home, there is something wrong with the microwave oven, or you are holding it up in front of the antenna.

Is the service effected by bad weather like my satellite TV service is?

Generally, no it is not. Since our signal travels a much shorter distance than a satellite in earth orbit (a satellite is about 22,500 miles above the equator), it is not really effected by weather. However, if there was buildup of heavy wet snow, or freezing rain on the antenna, it can cause an interuption of service. Unlike the satellite dish, our antennas point along the horizon and are not tilted upward to hold the snow. I have seen antennas built up with two inches of freezing rain on them and the connection was still working. I have also seen them with one inch of wet sticky snow on them and the connection is unstable. Generally this is only a problem when the temperature is right around zero making everything stick.

How much faster than dialup is this service?

Rural dialup is often not much faster than 33k at the best of times. Many rural areas that are near the end of the telephone service area can only get 19.2k connections. When our system sees that you are drawing more than the alloted data rate it will trim the data rate back down the rate you are paying for. For residential service, that rate is 512k. Therefore the sustained speed is typically about 15 times faster than dialup, although the burst speed can be many time that.

Do I have to change my email address?

If your current internet provider is not on our system, then you will either have to continue paying your current provider for email, or get a new email address with an internet provider on our wireless system. However, if you are using some sort of free web based mail service (such as yahoo, hotmail etc) nothing has to change, it will just work faster.

What if the equipment is damaged by a lightning strike or power surge? Do I have to pay to replace it?

After we do the install, you own the equipment. Therefore, if it is damaged by a lightning strike or electrical power surge, you are responsible for the repair cost. We recommend the use of a good quality surge protector such as a PanaMax or a TrippLite IsoBar. Bear in mind that, unless the lightning directly strikes the antenna itself, the typical result of a strong power surge is a failed power supply which costs less than $20.00 to replace. The actual system is a collection of several components that can be replaced individually and it is rare that all the parts would be damaged. If you have been hit with a large power surge or lightning strike, this would be covered along with any other damaged equipment on your homeowner's insurance. However, if this is the only item damaged by a surge, the damage is usually less than your deductable on your insurance.

I have wireless service from another company right now, can I use that equipment on your system?

If you own the equipment that you are using right now, and it is based on industry standard 802.11b/g protocols, there is a chance that you can use some or all of it, although you would have to contact us with details about the equipment to be certain. Some of our newest sites are operating in a mode that is not compatible with 'standard' 802.11b/g devices and that will eliminate the ability of most other hardware to connect to these sites.

If I get wireless service from your company, and then move somewhere else can I use the equipment with another provider if the area I move to isn't in your coverage area?

The equipment we provide can be set to be fully compatible with industry standards and is usable in many areas with other providers that support 802.11b/g. The other option is to include the equipment with the sale of the premises you are moving from, or sell it to the next tenant if it is a rental unit. We can often work something out to sell the equipment to someone else for you.