WirelessVT Residential Internet Service

What is the Speed I will get?

Brookfield, in the beginning, will be serviced by One T1. You will have that full speed. Like cable networks, this bandwidth is shared, so if everyone jumps on the internet at once, the speed will decrease. As the number of people increases, so will the T1s. More T1s means more bandwidth for everyone.

What is a T1

A T1 is 1.544 Megabits, or 1544 Kilobits (compared to 52 kilobits on Dial-Up on a good day). Each T1 adds to the total bandwidth. We will increase the bandwidth as needed for Brookfield. In a town like Burlington, where people are used to the high bandwidth, we can put between 50 and 60 people on a single T1 without anyone feeling like it is slow. With towns where people are not used to the higher bandwidth, we can usually put up to 100 people on a single T1 (which is the standard ratio across the country for Wireless ISP's like ourselves). We will watch the usage patterns and grow as appropriate, but will assume that 80 users per T1 will be fine until the usage patterns tell us otherwise.

What is Wireless?

Wireless is the method we use to deliver the internet to your home or business. It doesn't really effect you at all. Your computers will not be directly interfacing with our wireless network, but instead a device will attach to your network and link it to ours. This device is the equipment you need to purchase, called CPE (for Customer Premise Equipment). The wireless we are using runs at 2.4 GHz.

What is a Network?

A Network is a group of computers which can communicate with each other. If you have more than one computer, and they can communicate, like sharing a printer, then you have a network. If your computers connect directly to each other (meaning you can follow a cable from the back of one computer directly to the back of the other computer without passing through another device) then you don't have a true network. You will need to purchase a Gateway from us to make everything work and allow both computers to access the internet. If you have a gateway or already own a router, then you don't need one.

What is a Router or Gateway?

A Router is a device that allows two networks to talk to each other. These are referred to as a 'Gateway' for products you can purchase at your local electronics center. While a gateway does more than a router, for purposes of this FAQ, you can consider them the same thing. Your network is the computers in your home or business, and our network is the group of homes and businesses in Brookfield. We then have a router that links this Brookfield network to the Internet. For security purposes, if you have a network, you need a router or gateway. We will not hook directly up to a Hub. Gateways are cheap and also act as a Firewall these days.

What is a Firewall?

A Firewall is just like what it sounds. It is a wall that blocks threats from neighbors and the internet. This wall keeps out all traffic that should not be in your network. It is like your front door with a deadbolt on it keyed on both sides. You can leave the house anytime because you have the key, and your computers have the keys to get out, but no one outside has the key to get in but you and your computers. We recommend everyone has one of these for security reasons. The internet is a dangerous place, and you never know who your neighbor may have over who wants to break into your network and computer. The firewall protects you from everyone outside of your home. We will set this up for free during installation, you just need to purchase it, and we have these with us during installation for purchasing. It is part of the Gateway.

What equipment do I need?

The CPE consists of a box about the size of your hand, an antenna that connects to this box which most likely will reside on the outside of your home, and a cable that connects the two together. In some cases, you may also need a pole on top of your home to get extra height to reach the most visible Access Point. The antenna is no larger than 12" x 12" and can be painted to blend into your home (although if you are going to paint it please consult with us first, as the type of paint could be an issue).

What is an Access Point?

An Access Point is the place where the internet signal resides, which other people connect to. In Phase 1, there will be 7 Access Points around Brookfield (and in one case, in Stannard). Your home or business needs to be able to see one of these Access Points to get on the internet. We point the antenna at this access point and you get internet. Depending on how far you are from the Access Point will dictate the type of antenna you need. That is why the equipment costs vary.

How much does the equipment cost?

The equipment costs between $200 and $300, depending on the antenna we need to use. If you are prepared to pay the full $300 for installation, then you may be surprised at the lower cost when you are invoiced. Any payment over the equipment cost will be applied toward the monthly internet fees. It is a rare thing that you don't need an antenna of some sort.

What is the process for me ordering this service?

You must fill out the form with all of the questions, and identify one of the access points. If you cannot see one of the points, then you will have to wait for a later Phase, but you should still fill out the form because we use that information to determine the access point locations for the next phase. Once you can see one of the access points, we will send you a contract. The contract is for 1 year. Upon signing the contract, you will be required to send us the contract and a payment of $150 for the equipment deposit. We will give you an installation date and time (coordinating it with you of course) and the contract year starts the day internet starts to flow into your home. The deposit will automatically be applied to the first bill when the contract begins.

What is a Phase?

Because we cannot roll out the entire town on Day 1, we are designating phases for rolling out the different parts of the town. Phase 1 is the two Access Points defined on the form. As the phases roll out, that form will be updated to include the new locations. When you can see one of the locations, you are ready to access the internet. We will then schedule you for installation. Additionally, the trees play a part in when phases are rolled out. The leaves on the trees block the view to our access points. We wouldn't want to set you up then have the trees fill in and you loose the connection. Therefore, we tend not to deploy access points in the late fall, winter and early spring.

Can I get it?

If you can see an Access Point, you can get it when that phase is complete. Just fill out the Form.

What kind of Computer do I need?

Any computer with network capabilities will do. If you have just one computer, if it has a Network Card, you are all set. A Network Port looks just like a telephone port, but there is only one (not the two side-by-side), no telephone icon next to the port, and it is larger (about 2x the width) of a standard telephone plug. A telephone cable will appear to "fit" into this port but will be real loose.

How many computers at my home can be on the Internet?

All of them. As long as your computers are networked, we just plug into your network router or gateway.

How much does it cost?

$40 per month, with a 1-year contract.

Is the Internet Safe?

Yes and No. You need to keep your information safe from Hackers, Viruses and Spyware. All can be done by following simple rules. If someone you don't know sends you an email message telling you to run something on your computer, Don't Do It! That's like someone coming up to your home and asking you to put this new door on your home which locks and this person has the key. Additionally, if you are browsing the web and a box asks you to install something on your computer, Don't Do It! Same analogy as before. We do our part to keep you safe. If you have email with us or a domain with us, we protect you from email viruses as best we can. We also protect you from spam. However, not all viruses and threats come from email. They can come from visiting a web site. Additionally, they can come from your neighbor! We suggest getting the firewall from us for your home, which will protect you from your neighbor. We suggest getting the FREE Anti-Virus from us to protect you from Viruses. We also recommend you get the free Anti-Spyware from us. We will install all of these for free during installation.

What is Anti-Virus?

Anti-Virus is a program designed to combat Viruses. It needs to communicate daily with its' maker to get the latest defense against threats. We have two programs which we install one of for free onto our customer's machines during setup if they wish. You may already have some program and not need ours. You can read our anti-virus FAQ here.

What is Spyware?

Spyware is a program which spies on you. It reports back to someone what you are doing. You get these from browsing the internet and/or installing programs you download from the internet. There are programs which detect these programs and remove them from your computer. We install two of these on your computer during setup if you want us to, which will protect you from these programs if you listen to the program. It will tell you if something is wrong and ask you what to do. As long as you don't tell the program it is OK to allow the spy, you will be protected. This program needs to periodically connect back to its' maker for updates. You can read our Spyware FAQ here.

What can I do with Email

You get two email addresses with us for free with the service. Email allows you to communicate electronically with other people. Additionally, we give you space to host a personal web page, which is accessed via http://www.wirelessvt.net/youremailaddress/ . We also allow you to have your own domain name with us. In that case, you do not access the web site by that link, but instead by your domain name. This is a more professional email address and web site if you have a business working through that email. For personal email, the first is fine. We can purchase domain names at a great price and can do that for you if you want. Simply let us know what name you want and we will try to get it. You can read our email FAQ here.

What if I have problems, what are your support hours?

We are open 8:30AM - 7:30PM Monday through Friday, and 12PM - 5PM Weekends.

What do you help me with if I call you?

If there are problems with our network, all support is free. If there is a problem with the equipment you purchased from us (in that setup fee), all support is free. If we determine that our equipment is working properly (because we can communicate with our equipment when it is working properly), then we will attempt for 5 minutes to assist you in your internet troubles for free. After that, we will give you the option to be "passed" over to our pay-for-support team. We support for free the equipment needed for our service (the CPE) and that is it. We also support problems with your email program for 5 minutes free. After that, it is a problem with your computer unrelated to the internet. If your problem is with a Virus, there is a toll-free number we can give you to contact Microsoft (if you have Windows) and they will assist in the removal of your Virus and fixing of your Windows. If you call with a printing problem, you will immediately be transferred to the pay-for-support team. We do not supply 5 minutes of free support, only 5 minutes of free support if it affects your internet capabilities.

What is VoIP

Voice over IP is a technology which allows you to communicate with your telephone or computer to another person on a telephone or computer, but instead of the call going through the traditional telephone lines, the call goes over the internet! Companies who offer VoIP services often cost significantly less than traditional telephone providers. For example, a basic service from Vonage costs $14.99 per month and long distance to France or Russia is only $0.03 per minute...better rate than any long distance carrier. Local unlimited calling (and local is anywhere in the US and Canada) is only $24.99 per month. Same long distance rates apply. (rates as of Feb 1 2005)

What if I can't see any neighbors and I am surrounded by Trees?

We do have an option for you people. It's not nearly as good as everyone else but we don't want to leave you out. Please call us to discuss your options. We will make a custom solution for you.

What is the speed of the network?

"The Network" is a term that needs splitting up to answer this. There are actually two networks. The first is the "Wireless" network which links us to you and you to your neighbors. This network operates at a speed of 11 Megabits. Then there is the connection from the internet to the wireless network. This connection only runs at the number of T1s we order. Initially, the Phase 1 group will only have 1.544 Megabits, but by June the second and maybe third T1s will be in, which will double or triple that speed. So, by July 1, the internet portion of the network could be up to 4.632 Megabits.

Why do you ask all those questions on the form?

We need to plan where more access points need to go for the other phases. For that to happen, we need to know what you see. We need to know what equipment you need. Additionally, we get discounts which we pass along to you when we order larger quantities of equipment. If we know we will need an additional 50 whatever, we will purchase a larger amount in the beginning and save everyone some money.

What happens if my internet is down outside of support hours?

If "The Network" is down, i.e. you and your neighbors can't get on the internet, WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT, and we will fix it as soon as possible. We have monitoring software which alerts us if any access point goes down. However, if it is just your computer or one of your computers, you will either have to wait for our support center to open or you can use our pay-for-support group and get immediate assistance. Feel free to leave a message and you will be the first one called when the center opens. The pay-for-support group is a group of people who support business networks in Burlington and not the people you normally speak with at the center, so it has to be pay-for-support service.

What does it mean for you to use me as an Access Point?

The entire network works because people act as Access Points throughout Brookfield. If the two Phase 1 people didn't agree to be access points, you would not be able to get onto the internet. Without your neighbors, there is no network. This is a community effort. We bring the signal in to town at the School. We then need to bounce it to our access points so they all have it. Then you connect to an access point and share it. We sometimes need to use a home as an access point in order to extend the network or for the next phase. We just add a small box to the outside of your home which contains an extra couple pieces of equipment to allow for the re-transmission of the wireless signal. Two antennas attach to the home in a visible spot. As a thank-you for assisting your neighbors and community, we give you a monthly discount. The only responsibility you have is to not turn off power to your home. Since our equipment is on the outside of your home, we never need to get inside your home for anything. Additionally, you no longer need the CPE so we take that back and refund you the amount you paid for the equipment. Of course installation and placement of the Access point is coordinated with you.

Will I get better Cell Phone Reception?

While we and your cell phone share the term "Wireless", it means very different things. We have no relation to your cell phone and therefore you will not get any cell phone benefits by using our service.

I need more email addresses. Can I have them?

Yes, for a fee of $3 per month per additional address. Additionally, these addresses do not get a private web space for a web site, but they do get their own mail space.

What is a private mail space?

With each mail account, you get 10 Megabytes of space to use for email and a web site. However, additional email addresses do not get the web space, but they do have their own private 10 MB of mail storage and do not share with another account.

Can I get to my computer or network from Outside of Brookfield?

If you work outside of Brookfield but live inside Brookfield, there is no way for us to let you get into the network from the outside world. We have our own firewalls in place and it would be a huge breach in security to allow entrance. We recommend you use a service such as GoToMyPC.com for about $15 per month. That service will allow you to access your computer from anywhere that has their program installed.

Can I get to my computer or network from Inside of Brookfield?

Yes. If you have a router or gateway, it will have to be configured to allow the traffic. If you work and live in Brookfield, or are visiting a friend and want to get back to your computer, and your computer is running a system capable of allowing remote access (such as Windows XP Professional or a program like PC Anywhere or VNC, or SSH or Telnet on Unix), we can assist you in creating a tunnel through your firewall. Of course this means you have a hole in your firewall and are not as safe from your neighbors. Or you could subscribe to a service like GoToMyPC.com for about $15 per month.

Would you ever lock me out of the network?

Yes. If you abuse the network, are found to have done anything illegal over the internet or network, or if we find you have a virus that is attacking other computers, or Spyware that is attacking other computers, your CPE will be deactivated until the issue is resolved. It is a requirement that all computers on our network use Anti-Virus software. There is no excuse for not using it since we give it away for free. There is also no excuse for Spyware since that program is also free and available from our help staff anytime. If your computer is generating lots of viral or spy traffic, we will shut you down until you clean your computer. If you bulk email or spam people from your PC or violate the terms of use, you will be permanently deactivated and the contract terminated.