Q: What do I use as mail and DNS and servers?

Q: Is this a satellite service?
A: No, your antenna will be pointed at a nearby tower. Satellite based Internet services are typically no faster than dialup in the upstream direction, making them unsuitable for most applications other than web browsing. HughesNet and WildBlue satellites are in a geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the earth or about 10% of the distance to the moon. A packet and its acknowledgement must traverse this distance 4 times. Roundtrip ping times are 700 milliseconds to over a second, which is too high for online gaming, uploading files, or working from home via a VPN.

Q: How is this different from a WiFi hotspot?
A: WiFi refers to 802.11 wireless LAN technology, which can be used to link computers within 100-300 feet of a wireless access point to form a local area network. Some airports and coffee shops provide WiFi "hotspots" so their patrons can connect their laptops to the Internet. Unless your house is next door to a Starbucks, this won't help you connect to the Internet at home. In addition, many hotspots charge as much as $5 per day, and there are security concerns about being on the same wireless LAN with everyone else on the hotspot. You may want to look at WiFi technology as an alternative to running Cat5 cable to create a home network. Just make sure you change the SSID, disable SSID broadcast, and enable encryption.

Q: Is this the same as a broadband card from a cellphone company?
A: No, we don't use cell towers. If you have a notebook computer and want to get on the Internet from anywhere, a mobile broadband card may be convenient. Our service is faster, less expensive, allows simultaneous use by several computers, and does not have a 5 GB per month usage cap.

Q: Will the signal go through trees and buildings?
A: In most cases you will need a clear line of sight to the tower. Microwaves at frequencies of 2.4 and 5.8 GHz do not travel well through foliage and solid objects. We have 900 MHz non-line-of-sight equipment in a few areas (marked in yellow on our coverage map).

Q: Will rain affect performance?
A: Unlike satellite TV which operates in a higher frequency band, our service is not affected by rain fades.

Q: Is my data secure even though it goes over a radio link?
A: Yes. This is not a wireless LAN and other subscribers cannot see your traffic. Proprietary formats, encryption, MAC address authentication, and PPPoE authentication are used to insure that unauthorized users cannot establish a connection to the base station or intercept subscriber data.

Q: Can I install the equipment myself and save the installation charge?
A: With the exception of a few locations where NLOS equipment can be mounted inside the building, we require professional installation. The radio and antenna must be properly mounted, aligned, grounded and protected from lightning. Special tools and materials are required, such as shielded UV-resistant Cat5 cable.

Q: Can I buy the radio rather than rent it?
A: That would help our cashflow but wouldn't be good for you. We don't think it is fair for customers who live farther from the tower to pay more for the equipment. And if the equipment fails, or if we upgrade from one type of equipment to another, it is better for us to bear the replacement cost.

Q: What equipment is provided?
A: In most cases we will mount an unobtrusive outdoor radio/antenna unit on your roof, outside wall, or chimney pointed at our tower. Depending on distance from the tower, we may need to use a higher gain external antenna similar in size to DirectTV dish. We will properly ground the outdoor equipment and install a lightning protector, and run outdoor rated cable from the antenna to your computer or router location. A low voltage power converter and a small connector box will be installed to power the radio over the cable.

Q: Will this interfere with my cordless phone?
A: Broadband wireless equipment uses the same non-licensed bands as some cordless phones. However we mount a directional antenna on the outside of your building, so there will normally be no interference between the two systems. If you are buying a new cordless phone, we recommend you look for a "DECT6.0" phone which will not interfere with our system or other wireless products such as baby monitors.

Q: My laptop has wireless LAN capability, can it connect directly to your service?
A: Our system is not the same as a wireless LAN, so you still need a radio and antenna to connect to our service. You can add a combination router and wireless access point to create a home LAN connecting all your computers, but the range will be limited to about 300 feet from your access point.

Q: Why do I need a router with firewall and PPPoE support?
A: If you have multiple computers, a router with NAT firewall is required to share the public IP address and protect against hackers. We use PPPoE to assign IP addresses and implement speed tiers. If you only need to connect one computer, you can connect directly to our equipment if the computer has Windows XP and an Ethernet interface. Windows XP includes a PPPoE client and a firewall. Otherwise, a device typically called a "cable/DSL router" will be required.

Q: Can I change to a different package after installation?
A: Yes, we can switch you to any speed tier supported by the equipment on your local tower.

Q: If I sell my house, does the new owner have to pay another installation charge?
A: If the radio is still installed, we can activate service to the new owner for a $50 activation fee, including Windows XP or router setup via phone support..

Q: Isn't KWISP a cereal?
A: No, that's Quisp.