Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Wireless Broadband technology?
Wireless Broadband brings high-speed Internet into your home or business using radio waves instead of a phone line or cable TV line. NO PHONE LINES OR CABLE TV LINES NEEDED!
Click here for a short history of wireless
networking.
How fast is it?
Our service has a maximum upload and download speed equal to a 4mb
download and 1mb upload but subject to distance from our antenna, your
location within our coverage area, latency on the Internet, etc. However,
we never throttle your bandwidth. Our backbone is a directly connected to
a fiber backbone.
What is your current coverage area?
Check out the Coverage Area List by clicking here.
What equipment is needed?
Residential and Business plans both require a minimum of 1 PC with an
existing Ethernet network interface card (NIC) (Not provided by AeroSurf).
Existing home networks or businesses require a router (not provided) to
share connection to multiple workstations.
See pictures of our equipment on our Pricing page.
AeroSurf is not responsible for connecting multiple computers or support
for LANs or home networking. If you need help with setting up a network or
sharing your connection we can refer you to a local company that
specializes in PC computing.
How secure is Wireless Broadband Technology?
Wireless is as secure as the Internet itself. Because important data like credit card numbers are usually encrypted when you order something on the Internet, that same data will travel our network encrypted. And just as it is possible to view data traveling through the Internet, it is possible to view data traveling through the air over our radio links. However, wireless Internet is no more likely to be hacked than any other type of Internet connection.
Do I have to change my Internet Service Provider (ISP) and e-mail address?
Yes. However, on the My AeroSurf page you
can create your own free e-mail addresses (yourname@aerosurf.net) If you want to keep your old e-mail address, you can either configure your e-mail client to
continue to use your old address, or you can have your current ISP forward all your mail from your old address to your new one.
Can I have more than one email address with my AeroSurf account?
Yes. You can create your own e-mail addresses on the
My AeroSurf section of our web site once your account is activated.
Do I need a phone line?
NO PHONE LINES ARE NEEDED. You will be able to send and receive data through our wireless link.
If I have Wireless Internet, can I still use my dial-up 28.8 kbps or 56 kbps modem?
Sure! Although we have no idea why you'd want to. Once you've experienced the speed of
our Wireless Internet access, you'll never again want to wait for traditional dial-up services.
Is Internet access unlimited?
Wireless Internet is a full-time connection; your computer is connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Why does AeroSurf charge by data transmitted?
Residential accounts include up to 5GB (Gigabyte=approx 9 CD's or 4000 diskettes worth of data) and Business accounts include
9GB of transmitted data. This is more than enough for the average Internet user using e-mail and browsing. The problem lies with the popularity of services similar to the now-defunct Napster file-sharing service - these services allow you to upload and download music and video to and from other users on the Internet and if we had no limits on bandwidth, the minority of customers using these file-sharing services could possibly slow down our backbone connection for the rest of our customers. So by charging a small fee for these types of huge data transfers, we are ensuring that we can continue to upgrade our backbone so these services do not affect the rest of our customers.
Can I run a server on your system?
Yes, with our Static IP address option.
I have more than one computer. Do I need more than one Wireless
Internet installation?
Our Residential Service package connects one computer to the Internet, but if your computers are connected via a network,
you can install Internet sharing software to share the single connection with your other
computers. However, if you choose our Business Service package, we plug our firewall and bridging equipment right into your network and all computers are able to access the Internet immediately.
How long will it take to install?
Once we have completed a site survey to pre-approve your site for wireless, the installation is usually completed within 5 working days. The actual on-site installation time can vary from 1 to 4 hours.
What is the downside to wireless Internet?
Wireless Internet requires direct line of sight from your site to one of our antennas, if you don't have line of sight (which is rare) you may not be able to use our service. Another downside is that while our radio signals will travel through a wall, they most times will not travel through live plants
Can weather
affect the Wireless Internet signal?
Short answer, No. However, your speed may decrease by up to 50%
during torrential downpours of 6" per hour or more. Luckily,
this type of rain is very rare in our coverage areas. Wireless
links are not affected by fog, smog, snow or non-torrential rain.
What can
affect the Wireless Internet signal?
Our signal will penetrate the walls of most buildings. It will not
pass through live trees, but is unaffected by plastic trees. The
general rule of thumb is that the radio signal will pass through
anything that doesn't contain water or metal.
Is Wireless the same as "satellite" Internet?
NO! Wireless uses ground-based antennas to transmit data to your location. And while satellite systems usually require you to use a regular phone line and modem to send data, wireless systems are 2-way transmissions. Also, satellite systems have higher "latency" (the time it takes data to travel between 2 points) since the data has to travel from your location up to the satellite 4 miles up and back down to the Internet, see
www.speedguide.net/editorials/satellite.shtml for more information.
How does this Wireless compare to Cable and/or DSL?
Cable is frequently oversubscribed, meaning that the cable company doesn't use enough high-speed connections to the Internet backbone for the number of users on their
system which causes Internet access to slow down. DSL is limited by distance. DSL
speeds decrease the farther away from the telephone company's central office
(CO) you are, and doesn't work at all if you are more than 18,000 feet away (About 3 to 4 miles).
Why should I choose Wireless Internet access over other high-speed (broadband) options such as Cable, DSL or ISDN?
There are a couple of reasons. First, Wireless Internet access is one of the fastest options available today. Typically, users experience speeds of 1,000 - 1,500 kbps or more. ISDN runs at a constant speed of 128 kbps. DSL speeds vary depending on how much you pay, but top out at about 1,500 kbps. Cable modems typically run at speeds of 400 kbps but depending on your cable company, can go as high as 1,500 kbps or more. Second, Wireless Internet access is more affordable than most broadband options. Especially when you consider that no additional phone lines are necessary.
How much does it cost?
Click here for full Residential and Business Pricing
What does the equipment look like?
Many customers will only need our USB network card, however an optional antenna may be necessary based on distance from our transmitter antenna. Our antennas are
11" wide x 8" tall x 1" thick and can be painted to match the color of your home or business.
See pictures of our equipment on our Pricing page.
What frequency does your wireless equipment use?
Our equipment is based on 2.4GHZ Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
using radio technology from Cisco. It is 802.11b or "Wi-Fi"
compliant.
Where can I learn more about broadband wireless technology?
Additional information about broadband wireless technology can be accessed at the following web site: The Wireless LAN Association -
http://www.wlana.com
