Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What Are The Security Issues with Wireless?

A: Because of the hardware used, most fixed wireless broadband systems are more secure than your telephone. That is, until you get to the Internet. Then you have the same exposures that everyone has to deal with. For more on security, click here

noWYR uses a proprietary protocol that ensures your privacy over our network. We also have AES/256 available on our network

Wi-Fi is probably the biggest offender. If you set up an internal network with just the default settings, it's very easy for an outsider to hack your network. A few changes can make the network very secure. Worse are "hotspots" at your favorite coffee shop. You have no control over the security settings and most are insecure.

Q: What kinds of High-speed Internet services are there?

A: The fastest (and most expensive) is fiber optics. One fiber connection can easily handle 1 Gigabit per second throughput. If you are near a fiber hub and can afford the connection (it often involves digging a trench) and the service, you'll have all the speed you could conceivably want for the next ten years.

Fixed wireless broadband is generally slower than fiber (but not always). It also has the widest range of plans available, ranging from DSL speeds up to special installations that can carry 1.25 gigabit/sec or more over short distances (up to 1.2 miles). Fixed wireless is generally less expensive than any other options with the possible exception of some dial-up plans. Installation is often rapid and very inexpensive. On a dollar per megabit/sec scale, it is generally the least expensive service available today. You do have to be within range of a supplier's access point and often have to have a line-of-site view, but not always. Generally, fixed wireless can't handle multi-channel television service economically. Cable and satellite are still the best alternatives for TV if you want more than just local broadcast television.

Cable broadband is the main competition to fixed wireless and DSL. It's generally a better deal than DSL, but still falls short of Fixed Wireless' value. You have to be near a television cable run that offers the service. If you already subscribe to their television service, you'll probably get a better price for broadband than if you only subscribe to their broadband service.

Fixed wireless and cable both offer an avenue for telephone service via VoIP which can save subscribers quite a bit of money on their telephone bill.

DSL service is only offered over telephone lines and only if you are within a specific range of the telco's local "switch" (usually a substation located in a building) or booster station. Speeds offered by most telcos is 256 Kbps to 1.5 Megabits/sec. It's usually more expensive than anything except satellite and cellular although some telcos are attempting to compete with cable broadband (and conversely). A few telephone companies are starting to offer television service in selected areas.

The battle between Cable and DSL is heating up with both services creating attractive "bundles" of services to attract subscribers. Fixed wireless, when available, is still the least expensive service for both home and business subscribers.

Cellular broadband is being rolled out by the cell phone companies. Advertised speeds range from 4 Kbps to 2 Mbps depending upon the cell site and how far you are from it. Average advertised speeds for Verizon are "400 – 700 Kbps". Costs are fairly expensive and coverage is currently limited (check before you buy).

Satellite Internet service is generally slow and very expensive. In addition, the trip from the ground up to the satellite and back down introduces time delays (latency) that can be very annoying and often fatal to some applications (such as voice over Internet (VoIP) telephone service).

Comparing prices is often difficult. Most providers advertise their base price, then add on such things as taxes, equipment rental, franchise fees, and so forth.

"Bait and switch" prices seem to be a current fad. The provider advertises a discount rate that lasts for a month to a year, then you get bumped up to the real rate which can be significantly higher.

Bundling is another method of advertising a lower price. For instance, if you subscribe to television and Internet, the service provider gives you a better overall deal than if you just use one service. This can work to your favor if you want all of the bundled services.

Cable - Internet - telephone bundles are being touted by many providers to attract customers. Just make sure that the "real" price you'll pay after the introductory period is a true saving over what you might pay if you create your own bundle of services. For instance, the television portion of the offering is usually quoted for the "basic" service with upgrades to more channels available for a higher price. The Internet portion may also be the basic (often 256Kbps) service.

Cable companies offer the 3-way bundle on their service. Telephone and Fixed Wireless companies usually team up with a satellite provider such as DISH or DIRECT for the television portion of their offering.

noWYR offers a superbVoIP plan for businesses from home offices to Fortune 500 companies. Our television offering is through DISH network. Call our sales office for details.

Q: I've got an error "Watchguard 1034" on my screen. What is this?

A: Our security appliance has detected a virus or other nasty program on your computer and is blocking your access to the Internet. This is a way of quarantining you so you don't infect other computers.

Your infection could be a virus, spy ware, a "zombie" program, or some other prohibited bug.

You need to purchase one or more security programs to disinfect your computer. Some good programs are free, but others may cost a few dollars. Investing in good security is a bargain considering the costs to you in time and trouble as well as the cost to others you may inadvertently infect.

Q: I have trouble connecting to the Internet

1. Unplug the noWYR modem's power block from its wall (or UPS) socket
2. Unplug your router
3. Reboot your computer
4. While your computer is rebooting,
   1. Plug your router back in
   2. Plug the power block to the noWYR modem back in.

Nine times out of ten this will correct your problem.

Q: What speed should I subscribe to?

A: Often speed isn't as important as you think. What good is a full-race Corvette if you only drive around town? Sure it can go 160 MPH, but in town you can't go faster than 30- 40 MPH (slower during rush hour).

Let's consider a typical heavy-content web page of around 159 megabytes. Specifically one of our coverage maps. Over dial-up, the page would take around 23 seconds to download. With a respectable broadband 1 Mbps plan, the same page would take around 1.25 seconds. Increasing your plan to 3 Mbps only gets the download down to 1/2 second. You probably won't notice the difference.

In addition, the server at the site you are visiting might not allow you to use that much speed since it has to service many visitors at once. Even at 5 Mbps, your download might take up to 3 seconds because of the server's limits. Think of the server as a traffic cop on a residential road. Your Corvette isn't going to blast down his road at full speed.

So, when you purchase a given rate from your provider, that's the maximum speed you'll get between your computer and the Internet itself (assuming your provider is honest about the speed). After that, you will be stuck with the speed limitations of whatever place you choose to visit and the limitations of the route between it and your provider.

If you have several people using your service at once, you may actually be able to use higher speeds. Also, there are occasions where higher speeds make good business sense, but those applications often involve communications between two points controlled by the same outfit such as two school campuses. Naturally, ISPs and WISPs require a lot of bandwidth.

noWYR can provide just about any speed you want.

Q: How can I get faster response while working on the web?

A: Increase the size of your browser's cache.

In Internet Explorer: click on "Tools", then "Internet Options". Click on the "General" tab. In the "History" section, increase the number of "days to keep pages in history".

In Navigator: click on "Edit", then "Preferences". Click on "Navigator" and increase the "Pages in history expire after xx days" number.

This way, the pages you've visited within that period will remain on your computer and be immediately available to you. If you believe the "real" web page has changed since you last visited it, do a screen "refresh" or "reload".

If this doesn't work, you can subscribe to a faster access plan.

Bear in mind that sometimes the problem may be at the site you are visiting.