htech007
join:2006-10-18
Lincoln, NE
 ·Windstream
 ·VOIPo
·Qwest.net
| new user questions
I'm going to be ditching my cable modem for 1.5/1.5 fixed wireless through a local wisp. I have a couple questions for those of you that have had this technology.
Am I crazy to ditch my cable wired service? It's a lot slower for the same price I will be getting. I guess it depends on how reliable the local provider is. I guess is there anyone who has ditched dsl or cable for fixed wireless and think it was a good move? I looked at wireless connections as for those out in the country with no other means but now i'm taking the plunge to try it.
One other question, how reliable is the wireless access in the winter? does snow effect the radio? If the radio is covered with snow will it still work? It will be mounted high on my roof so I don't see myself climbing up there to get at it. |
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rawgerz
In Debt we trust
Premium
join:2004-10-03
Grove City, PA
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| said by htech007  :does snow effect the radio? If the radio is covered with snow will it still work? It will be mounted high on my roof so I don't see myself climbing up there to get at it. No, yes.
You only have to worry if you have a yagi antenna freezing rain will impair their performance. |
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Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23
·Embarq
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to htech007
so, you're saying your cable is slower for the same price?
The 1.5 upload speed seems a little...iffy, but if it's truly around that, that's really good. Anyway, generally speaking, wired is more reliable than a WISP, simply from the fact that there are a ton of variables than can effect the signal strength/quality/etc.
However, your WISP equipment is mounted properly, and you're not dealing with a wannabe WISP, your service could technically be just as good as wired.
Check out the "Wireless users, READ THIS!" thread and take to heart many of the things said there. |
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bigfitch
Premium
join:2005-06-01
Murrayville, IL
clubs:
1 edit | Factors with your wireless could be
1.) Distance from you to the tower
2.) Line of sight
3.) Type of Equipment
4.) Instalation placement of set equipment
If you get good equipment from your wisp and they have their tower setup correctly it comes down to line of site, distance, and placement of equipment. If you spend that extra 5 min to walk around and find the best place to mount the antenna you "Proably" will get a better signal that will less likely be affected with weather. Trying to nail a signal say 1 mile away compared to 100 feet.
Example
»[OT] Back up and running
Easy to hit that target 
Compared to a tower 1 mile away that you can barley see. |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| reply to htech007
said by htech007 :Am I crazy to ditch my cable wired service? It's a lot slower for the same price I will be getting. The correct answer to this is not known at this point?. If Your WISP has their proverbial "shit together"?, You will see a connection that is as good as or better than Your cable connection. The reason I say it may be better is that cable on average has a latency of around 50 to 60ms when pinging Yahoo.com. All of my customers can ping Yahoo at 20ms on average, so things like gaming work great. Depending on how Your WISP has their system set up, Your experience will vary?. I would ask if You can try it out for 30 days with a $$ back guarantee, as that is how we do it. Pay the install fee and the first months internet usage, but make sure that if You call up and tell them to remove it, they come with a refund check and do not ask any questions(Well, maybe some?, as I would like to know why You were not happy with it I suppose?  ). Any other scenario would not be good for the end user. If You sign a contract for instance?, You are stuck paying for one year of access that may or may not be a very good experience?. Try and schedule the install after say 3:30 in the afternoon?. This is when all of the kids are home from school and when a lot of adults are getting off of their 7AM to 3PM day shift, and usually when the peak usage starts?. Once the installer has completed, ask him or her to run some ping tests and a speed test or two. If the results are dismal?, You pretty much know what You are in for?. Running a WISP is not a hobby, although some folks seem to think it is?. The main problem with wireless is that any idiot can buy the radios and put the settings in to make them talk and pass data, but what separates the idiots from the intelligent ones is the knowledge of WHY the data moves and the link works. 
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»www.wavecrazy.net Join WISPA today! »www.wispa.org/ |
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htech007
join:2006-10-18
Lincoln, NE
·Windstream
·VOIPo
·Qwest.net
| Thanks for the great information. I had my install last night around 3. It works great! Ping times were good and speed tests showed good bandwith all night. During the peak periods I didn't notice much of a slow down compared to cable. I would say it's as fast as a good dsl connection. Early this morning it was blazing fast as no one was on. At this point, I'm happy I made the switch. I guess I didn't realize how much of a lag my cable modem had because pages are so fast now. The WISP seems to really know what they are doing. I was able to talk to the tech (and bug) him, he wasn't just a wannabe. VOIP works good. I forgot I had unplugged my cable modem and it was using the WISP and I got a call. Didn't think of it till later and it sounded just the same if not better! |
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underscore_
join:2004-02-25
Holland, MI | reply to htech007
oh my god, you got your install within 2 days? It's been almost 3 weeks since I called my local WISP and they haven't even been out to test my house yet. |
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htech007
join:2006-10-18
Lincoln, NE
·Windstream
·VOIPo
·Qwest.net
| Ya they are on it! They seem to know what they are doing. After looking at the equipment. I can see how so many people start running wisp's. It doesn't seem too complex to get something like that running however, the knowlege behind the scenes (routing, QoS, connection, support) is what takes knowlege. |
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