Wireless High Speed FAQ
I keep hearing about wireless, when will it be available?
Will you be putting wireless in my area?
What if you can't reach me or if I need more bandwidth than a standard installation?
What is wireless internet and why choose it?
What the heck is an internet telephone?
What do I need to have wireless internet?
What if I want a buried cable from an antenna mounted on a post or pole to my house?
Will wireless internet work through trees?
What will this cost? Include everything - I don't like surprises!
How long a contract must I sign?
How many computers can I use on my wireless connection?
What about viruses and spyware?
What happens if the radio breaks?
I keep hearing about wireless, when will it be available?
The wireless system is now available from towers at the Private Beach Club and from the north Diamond Lake water tower, from Cook's Mountain, and of course, service is still offered from the tower on our building in downtown Newport!
*We are now installing wireless service for clients in Diamond Lake. The signal is very strong and the first connections are strong. Call us at 447-3067 and ask for a site survey.
Will you be putting wireless in my area?
The wireless system will expanded every year. Our goal is to provide top quality wireless and phone service to our rural as well as town areas. If you want wireless in your area, give us a call and have us add you to the "interested in wireless" list. The areas with the most interest, will be the first areas where wireless is added. Those phone calls count!
What if you can't reach me or if I need more bandwidth than a standard installation?
We can adapt to special requirements and provide custom installations, even private towers if necessary. Please call to arrange for a quote.
What is wireless internet and why choose it?
Wireless internet is a connection between a radio mounted on a tower and a radio mounted at your home or business. It is faster than DSL and does not depend upon telephone wires. In fact, most wireless connections are fast and stable enough to run an internet telephone, bringing telephone service to those without phone lines. When a wireless internet radio is setup on your premises, it is then connected to a router or hub which can connect any number of computers to the internet.
What the heck is an internet telephone?
An internet telephone, also called IP phone or VOIP, is a regular telephone, that plugs into a special box and uses your internet connection instead of telephone wires to connect to the rest of the world. With an internet telephone you can get all of your local and long distance calls for one low monthly fee, usually in the $20 to $25 a month range. It will work on wireless and DSL connections but not on dialup or satellite connections. Over wireless, you can eliminate your regular telephone, while with DSL you must still pay the phone company.
POVN will be offering internet telephone service at a reduced rate to our clients in the coming months. Many other providers, like Vonage, are available now.
What do I need to have wireless internet?
The first requirement for wireless internet is line of site to a wireless radio on a tower. At present, our only tower is in downtown Newport, WA and wireless is available to anyone with clear line of site to the tower. Click here to view a map of areas in range. This includes most of Newport, some of Oldtown and part of Diamond Heights. We are planning to have a second tower functional on Cooks Mountain, north of Newport during June or July 2007. That should make wireless internet available to most of Newport, much of Le Clerc Road, much of Blanchard and Hoodoo Loop, parts of Diamond Lake. Other towers are planned after the Cooks Mountain tower is operational. You must also have a computer equipped with a network card or a wireless card and router.
What if I want a buried cable from an antenna mounted on a post or pole to my house?
We can mount the antenna on any stable object of adquate size with a clear shot to our tower. If you want the cabling run underground, please have the trench ready before the installer arrives. If you want the cable through conduit, you must also supply the conduit. If weather interfers with trenching, our installer will add enough length to your cable for you bury it later, just be sure to let him know your plans.
Will wireless internet work through trees?
The equipment we will install on Cooks Mountain will work through trees. It cannot go through dirt or rock so, trees aside, you must have a clear line of site to the tower. We will be locating more towers as the network develops to provide availability to customers through most of Pend Oreille County and into Bonner County.
What will this cost? Include everything - I don't like surprises!
Your setup fee is $250, the monthly fee will range from $30 to $75 per month. This includes use of the radio and the cable that goes into the house and the amount of bandwidth you choose on your plan. When you move, simply call POVN and we will pickup the equipment or move it to your new location if it is local.
The radio can connect one computer directly to the internet with the furnished cable. Any additional equipment beyond that is your responsibility. Additional items you may want could include a switch and additonal cables for more computers or a wireless router and wireless cards. These items can be purchased from POVN or anywhere else you choose and are at your expense. A wireless router can cost between $50 and $250, wireless cards from $30 to $60, cables $5 to $20 each, switches can run from $20 to $150.
How long a contract must I sign?
POVN does not require contracts. If we cannot keep you as a customer by providing good service, we do not deserve you as customer and you are free to leave.
How many computers can I use on my wireless connection?
That is entirely up to you. You are welcome to use as few or as many as you choose. Your computers will be sharing your bandwidth but a half a megabyte is a lot of bandwidth so they will all be fast.
What about viruses and spyware?
Wireless is a twenty-four hour a day connection to the internet. Virus and Spyware protection is extremely important. We recommend a router with a firewall as well as software protection. For software protection see our Download options.
What happens if the radio breaks?
If the radio is defective, POVN will replace it at our cost. If there is evidence of physical damage, however, the client will be responsible for the replacement cost.