Q: What is "line of sight"?
A: If you can see our tower at a distance say 5 or 6 miles away, you have line of site. If there is something blocking your view like a hill, trees, buildings, or any structure then you do not have line of sight.
Q: I have a satellite dish that I no longer use. Could your Planet Connect antenna use the same cables to connect me to the internet?
A: The satellite cables (coax> are completely different when compared to the Internet cables (Ethernet) needed for our antenna.
Q: Will the radio cause interference with other 2.4 or 5.8 GHz devices, such as cordless telephones?
A: No. The internet signal is sent and received with an antenna that is mounted on the outside of the home or business. The antenna is directional which means the signal is directed away from the interior of the building. This reduces the potential for interference with phones or other 2.4 or 5.8 GHz devices.
Q: Does weather affect the Planet Connect signal like it does with satellite internet?
A: No. The frequency of our signal is 2.4 or 5.8 GHz. If it were a higher frequency, say 12 GHz like those used by small digital satellite systems, it would fade out during heavy rain or cloud cover.
Q: Does the system require a phone line?
A: No. The wireless system is two-way. It transmits and receives. No phone line is required.
Q: What is Wireless Broadband or Fixed-Wireless Broadband?
A: Wireless broadband is a fairly new technology where your connection to the Internet is made by a radio connection to one of our antennae. This allows us to do some pretty amazing things. First, we are not limited by cables like DSL or Cable Broadband. Our connection to you passes through the air. Since we are not trying to make older technology (like television cable) work for data, we can achieve incredible speeds both from the network to you, and from you out. The connection to your computer to the radio and antenna we place on your roof is via a regular Ethernet cable.
Q: Is Advanced Wireless Broadband more reliable than satellite Internet?
A: Yes, satellite Internet by nature is reliant on satellites orbiting in line with the receiver dish. This greatly affects the speed and reliability of the connection.
Q: Is Advanced Wireless compatible with all operating systems like Macintosh, Linux, Unix, OS/2, Windows, etc.?
A: Yes, any system that uses standard Ethernet will work with our network.
Q: What is the installation process?
A: Our installers will mount a small parabolic dish-type antenna on your roof, on an exterior wall or within your attic, and run the Ethernet cable inside your house. This cable connects directly to a wireless router. This creates a WiFi signal in your home. An average install takes about three hours.
Q: Do I need to purchase any additional hardware to use your system?
A: As long as you have an Ethernet adapter in your computer, we supply everything you need to get a single computer up and running. If you need an Ethernet adapter or WiFi router for multiple computers, these will need to be purchased separately.
Q: Your system is wireless. Can I use my laptop anywhere in my house?
A: The wireless signal is only from our broadcast location to your house. Once the signal reaches your house, the connection to your computer is supplied by an Ethernet cable. We are happy to setup and install a wireless network in your house for an additional fee.
Q: Can I pay my bill online?
A: Payment via Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express can be made online. For customers paying month-to-month, the payment will automatically be withdrawn each month using the payment method you selected.
Q: Do I need to commit to a long-term contract in order to subscribe to one of your consumer plans?
A: Not at all. Our Residential Plans are offered with no contract.
Q: What type of equipment is needed for installation?
A: A typical installation consists of an externally mounted antenna and radio unit (usually a small parabolic dish 400mm in diameter). Any equipment mounted externally must be mounted with a clear line of sight to our nearest base station, so this usually requires placement on the rooftop or upper floors of your home or office. Our installers will strive to find a location which enables a strong signal, yet is as inobtrusive as possible. We provide a single Ethernet jack on the internally mounted radio power supply that you can plug into your router, as desired, for distribution to your in-house network. Each radio requires an AC outlet and we recommend a surge protected outlet for power.
Q: Can I install the equipment myself?
A: No - FCC regulations require the equipment to be professionally installed by a trained installer similar to Satellite TV. Our installers make sure you are connected with the highest possible signal available.
Q: Is a 'Line of Sight' required to obtain your service?
A: Maybe. In order to establish the best connection to our network, the antenna mounted on your home or office should have a clear line of sight to one of our transmitters. Obstacles such as dense foliage or buildings could impact your line of sight and prevent a clear signal.
Q: Does your plan have usage caps on the amount of data transferred like Cellular data or Satellite Internet plans?
A: Currently customers that are served from a tower site utilizing unlicensed frequency band line-of-site radio equipment have no hard usage caps, however, service is subject to Planet Connect's discression.
Q: What is your service restoration policy in the event of an outage?
A: Like all utility companies (telephone, electric, cable) we prioritize service responses based on the number of customers affected by the outage. Internet backbone issues affecting multiple tower sites are priority 1, Outages at a single tower site are priority 2, Commercial business customers with a service level agreement (SLA) are next, followed by outages at single residential customers whose service is sold on a "Best Effort" basis.
Q: What is your policy on billing credits?
A: Residential Internet service is provided on a best effort basis, just like DSL, cable, or Cell data plans. Planet Connect may provide pro-rated billing credit when an outage is caused by a failure on our part. To qualify for a credit, the following conditions must be met: 1. Customer called in the outage at the time of occurrence and worked with customer service to determine if the problem was caused by customers equipment such as home router or computer. 2. Outage was not caused by an act of God, such as a thundertorm that causes the electric utility to lose power. 3. Your account balance is NOT Past Due. 4. Your request for credit is made within 30 days of the event.
Q: I just found out that Planet Connect service is not yet available in my neighborhood. Is there a way to find out when service might be available in my area?
A: We are growing daily and are focused on expanding into areas that are in need of local internet services. If you are in an area that does not have an internet option available, or if you are just interested in finding out when we will be reaching your neighborhood, drop us a line and we welcome hearing from you.
Q: Once setup, can I network the equipment to other computers?
A: Yes - under our Residential plans you can utilize a router to share the connection with additional computers in your home. However, you may not share the service with other homes, businesses, or additional third-parties without the explicit written consent of Planet Connect.
Q: I would like to connect additional home computers to my network but don't know how. Can Planet Connect help?
A: Yes - once installed with primary service, Planet Connect staff are available for additional support and custom configurations at a rate of &75/hr. If you would like additional support, please feel free to contact us.
Q: Are there restrictions I should be aware of relative to the Planet Connect service?
A: There are no unusual restrictions associated with service apart from the normal items and conditions associated with any internet connection. For details, please reference your subscriber agreement and accptable use policy.
Q: What type of radios do you use for the Residential Service Plans?
A: The specific type of radio we use for each home/office varies depending on the type of plan selected as well as the idstance from the tower. Depending on your local tower, we have four radio options for the residential plans. 1) A 900 MHz radio capable of supporting up to 4 Mb/s data speeds, 2) A 2.4 GHz radio capable of supporting up to 4 Mb/s data speeds, 3) A 3.65 GHz WiMax radio capable of supporting up to 6 Mb/s data speeds and 5) A 5 GHz radio capable of supporting up to 20Mb/s data speeds.
Q: I've noticed that when I'm surfing the web, certain web sites are slower than others. What causes this behavior?
A: No matter how fast your connection speed is to the internet, there are certain factors that can affect your download performance times on the internet.
Factors that govern such speed include: