Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a lot of information about our service.
| Q. | What is "Fixed Wireless Broadband Internet Access"? |
| A. | Fixed Wireless Internet access is a high speed (broadband) that uses a fixed location microwave radios instead of phone or cable lines to bring Internet access to your location. This service is suitable for home or business and is similar to DSL or Cable Internet services. |
| Q. | Is it fast? |
| A. | Yes. Not to be confused with satellite Internet access or other slow cellular phone services, Fixed Wireless Broadband Internet access does not suffer from the latency problems and bandwidth limitations of many other wireless services. With speeds up to 10Mbps in both directions, Fixed Wireless Broadband does not require satellite TV systems, a cable connection, or even a telephone line. |
| Q. | Will it work with my "XXX" system. |
| A. | Our Wireless Broadband is compatible with VPN's, VOIP, Static IP's, online games, Macintosh, Windows, Unix, Xbox, Smartphones, iPad, etc. |
| Q. | How fast is it? |
| A. | Very Fast! It delivers speeds up to 20 Megabits per second (Mbps) , which is up to 600 times faster than a standard dialup modem connection and up to 200 times faster than ISDN. |
| Q. | Is it available in my area? |
| A. | Please take a look at our coverage maps. If you are within the shaded area, we can probably provide high speed access at your site. |
| Q. | Is is secure? |
| A. | Yes. We use state of the art encryption on all wireless portions of our network. |
| Q. | Is it easy to use? Will I have to learn anything new to use the system? |
| A. | It's extremely easy to use. If you know how to turn on your computer and use a web browser, you are all set. The service is "always on". No waiting for a dialup or other type of connection. Just click and go! |
| Q. | What does the equipment look like? |
| A. | Depending on distance from the central site, the radios range from a small, 4" x 6" panel up to a 36" dish. The majority of our installations will use the smaller, less expensive radios and antennae. No router is required. If you need a router (for multiple computers), we can help you pick one out or we can supply you one for a nominal cost. |
| Q. | What path does my data take when traveling to/from the Internet? |
| A. | Click here for a diagram. |
| Q. | Do I need a phone line? |
| A. | No. No phone line is needed for our service. |
| Q. | Is this like "satellite Internet"? |
| A. | No! Wireless Internet is high speed bi-directional unlike satellite solutions, where you download via the dish antenna at fair speeds, but upload speed are similar to modems. Satellite connections are poorly suited to internet access with pings times ranging from 500ms to 900ms making any interactive Internet application unusable (games, telephony, webcams, VOIP, etc). This is because of the distance the data has to travel back and forth from outer space. Our wireless solutions typically have less than 15ms ping times. |
| Q. | Can I run servers on my connection? |
| A. | Yes, on business accounts with static IP's. The running of servers of any kind is prohibited in the basic residential wireless access plan. |
| Q. | Will I still need a telephone modem? |
| A. | No. The wireless Internet connection does not require a modem. However, Alamo Broadband can offer you a dialup account for use as a backup or when traveling or in the event of a service outage due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. |
| Q. | How long does it take to install? |
| A. | Once your location has been surveyed and approved for wireless access, we will schedule your installation (usually within one week). On site time is usually between 1 and 3 hours. More complex installations may take longer. Each location is different and may have different requirements. Most installations are about as easy as installing a satellite tv dish. |
| Q. | Can I get a busy signal? |
| A. | No. Your wireless connection is always on. There is no phone line, no dialing, etc. |
| Q. | Can I upgrade my connection speed? |
| A. | Yes. Subject to network availability and location, you can always upgrade your connection speed. There is no setup charge for the upgrade. If you are at the maximum available speed for your installation, we will notify you and include your request in our network planning. This way we can make that extra speed available to you as quickly as possible. |
| Q. | What happens if I move? Will I be able to take my wireless connection with me? |
| A. | If you remain within our coverage area we can install you at the new location. Standard installation charges would apply. |
| Q. | How much does it cost? |
| A. | Our prices are very reasonable for the level of service provided. Please visit the pricing page for full details. |
| Q. | Is there any addition fee for additional users or computers? |
| A. | Our accounts have no hard per user limits, but you would be sharing your bandwidth with all the computers on your connection. To use more than one computer you will need a router to connect the additional computers. We can supply a router (and even manage it for you) for a nominal monthly fee, or, you can purchase a SOHO router at any electronics outlet. |
| Q. | Can I buy my own wireless equipment and connect it to your network? |
| A. | Unfortunately, no. Our network uses proprietary transmission methods and encryptions. You will need to use the equipment we provide. The equipment we provide is very low cost and reliable. |
| Q. | Do cordless phones interfere with the service? |
| A. | They can. We use the 900MHZ, 2.4GHZ, 3.65GHZ and 5.xGHZ public wifi bands. Many wireless phones can introduce RF noise and reduce the quality of your service. We highly recommend the use of DECT 5.0 cordless phones, which use a frequency which will not interfere with the service. |
| Q. | What if I have more questions? |
| A. | You can send any further questions via email to support@alamobroadband.com and we will do our best to answer them. Wireless Broadband is an exciting new technology and new developments are happening every day. Please let us know if anything should be adding to this FAQ. |