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superdog
I Need A Drink
MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA

superdog to prestonlewis

MVM

to prestonlewis

Re: Wireless users, READ THIS!

said by prestonlewis:

Perhaps you could post a short checklist of questions to ask before ordering a WISP connection in terms of equipment, distance, etc. It would be nice for us who are less informed than you are.
OK, I thought about this, and then I asked myself: "If I moved into an area that had 2 or 3 WISP's offering service, Which one would I use?". After thinking for awhile, I came up with this:
1.What type of radios are You using for Your point to multi-point subscribers?(This is the last mile to Your home, and #1 on the importance list!).
The following answers are acceptable!
Alvarion, Trango, Motorola, SmartBridges, Deliberant, Tranzeo, Raylink, Demarktech, Mikrotek, StarOS and a few others on a case by case basis, send me an IM if You are unsure?.

2.What type of radios do You use to backhaul Your towers or PoP's?(where Your access points are located-this is the 2nd most important thing as these radios carry Yours and every other users data back to the NOC so it can get out to the internet and it is one of the main places bottlenecks can occur)The following answers are acceptable!
Alvarion, Trango, Motorola, Tranzeo, Redline, Orthagon, Microtek, StarOS, SmartBridges(Nexus line), Airaya and a few others(IM me if unsure).

3.What is the size of Your main pipe going to the internet, and how many users do You allow until You will upgrade to a bigger one and do You have a QOS(Quality of service) policy in place?The following answers are acceptable!

This is a tough one?, as depending on how many users they have, and the speeds they are offering, a T1 could be fine, and a DS3 could be not enough?. If they are small, and only have a few users(under 50) and have the proper bandwidth throttling policies in place, a T1 is usually fine, which really leads to a second question: "Are You throttling Your users?", If the answer is no?, MOVE ON!

4.Can I test drive Your setup for a day or two?

If the answer is NO!, and they want You to sign a contract upfront before doing anything else?, Run, and DO NOT WALK. Any WISP that cares about their service should have no problem doing this if they have a quality product....... If You have no other option but the only game in town(Which happens a lot!), follow the installer, and when he or she hooks up their notebook to see how well the radio is performing(which will happen 99% of the time), ask them to run a speed test from this website and have them ping a few places to see what happens. If it sucks?, You know what You are in for!.

5.Call their customer service or support phone # listed on the website BEFORE doing anything else. If no one answers the phone during normal business hours?, BEWARE!

The list above is really only a guideline, and may or may not hold truth to the type of service You will receive?. As in any other business, the people running it may or may not care if You are happy?. Read the customer reviews on this website, ask Your neighbors, call the better business bureau and be a smart consumer!. With any new technology, You will have some issues in the beginning. When I first started in the wireless business, I guess I really didn't have a clue for the most part as to what I was doing(No one did at that point:D), and I am man enough to admit it. I guess the true answer lies in the fact that some people are willing to answer the phone and work with You to make You happy, and some just don't give a rat's ass. You will have to make the decision as to who You are dealing with?. The USA is full of nice people, and it is full of idiots that try and capitalize on every new fad that comes along, I hope Your internet experience is filled with honest people, and the village idiots move on to the next town!!!:D

Rfsjr2
Shop on Top
Premium Member
join:2001-08-11
Ferndale, WA

Rfsjr2

Premium Member

said by superdog:

4.Can I test drive Your setup for a day or two?

If the answer is NO!, and they want You to sign a contract upfront before doing anything else?, Run, and DO NOT WALK. Any WISP that cares about their service should have no problem doing this if they have a quality product...
Thank you for making this point. I was trying to figure out the verbiage to use when I go set up my account. "Test Drive" wins!
Pictor Guy
join:2004-06-21
Sammamish, WA

Pictor Guy to superdog

Member

to superdog
said by superdog:

said by prestonlewis:

3.What is the size of Your main pipe going to the internet, and how many users do You allow until You will upgrade to a bigger one and do You have a QOS(Quality of service) policy in place?The following answers are acceptable!

This is a tough one?, as depending on how many users they have, and the speeds they are offering, a T1 could be fine, and a DS3 could be not enough?. If they are small, and only have a few users(under 50) and have the proper bandwidth throttling policies in place, a T1 is usually fine, which really leads to a second question: "Are You throttling Your users?", If the answer is no?, MOVE ON!

Wow! `A' T1, DS3 or even OC48 would not be fine in my book. There should not be `A' SPOF like that. Now you did say ``main pipe" but I wanted to point out that this is another area where I see a lot of corners cut. And it's not just with WISPs.