Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Standard Installation
Q: Do I need a
dedicated telephone line?
A: Nope. Wireless Internet does not use a telephone line like
dialup or DSL does. The antenna on your roof is connected to a
router via a CAT5e network cable.
Q:
Where does the antenna get installed?
A: A typical install is where the antenna is mounted to the
chimney or anywhere on the roof or eves that has a clear
line-of-sight to a transmitter. Some customers have chosen to cement
a pole into the ground and run cable to the house. Home Depot
carries 1.5" EMT conduit (10-ft length) which is the perfect
diameter for our antenna. Of course, we can use any pole/post to
mount the antenna to.
Q: What does
the roof-top antenna look like?
A: Visit
this link to see the antenna we use.
Q:
How long does a typical wireless installation take?
A: A typical installation takes ~2 hours.
Q: Do I own the equipment or
does Yolo Wireless?
A: Yolo Wireless owns and maintains the wireless Internet
equipment supplied at installation (e.g. Motorola wireless receiver
and power supply). If we also provided you with a router at the time
of installation, we will replace the router (during the first year
only) if it is found to be defective.
Q: Does
Yolo Wireless
provide dialup Internet as a backup?
A: No, sorry.
Q: Can I get my money back
if I don't like the service?
A: Yup. If you don't like the service for any reason, just
contact us at anytime during the first thirty (30) days and we'll
come collect the equipment and refund you the installation and first
month's charges.
Q: How do I find
out if wireless Internet is available at my location?
A: To request a free site survey, please visit
this link.
Comparison to Dialup and Satellite
Q: Is wireless Internet the
same as satellite Internet?
A: Nope. Although both technologies use a roof-mounted antenna
to connect you to the Internet, the delivery of the signal is very
different and more stable than satellite Internet. With satellite
Internet your signal travels 25 miles up to an orbiting satellite,
and then 25 miles back. That time delay is why satellite Internet is
unsuitable for Internet telephone (VoIP), VPN connections and gaming
and may be affected by weather conditions. Wireless Internet travels
between your rooftop and the mountain top tower or local
neighborhood relay.
Q: How does wireless Internet
compare to dialup or satellite Internet?
A: Click here for a comparison
chart.
Q: How does the speed of
wireless Internet compare to my current dialup Internet or satellite
service?
A: Internet "speed" is measured in units of kilobits per
second (kbps). By comparison, if you currently have a 56K dialup
modem and typically get around 28 kbps download speeds, compare that
speed to up to 3,000 kbps or 5,000 kbps (depending on plan) with our
Internet service! If you have a hard time envisioning kbps,
substitute "mph" and you'll get the idea!
The speed of your connection depends on the distance you are from our transmitter(s). Please visit
Residential or
Business plans, as appropriate, for
more details.
Q: Does weather affect the
Internet connection?
A: Nope. Heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. does not affect your
wireless Internet connection. Environmental factors that can affect
wireless Internet include strong solar flare-ups (the same that
affect FM radio and cell phone signals), electrical storms,
sand/dust storms and dense smoke.
Q: Do
building walls affect the signal quality?
A: The general rule of thumb is that the radio signal will
pass through anything that doesn't contain water or metal. Trees and
foliage contain moisture, so they absorb microwaves. Plus, they
break up the Fresnel Zone, causing multi-path interference.
Q: Does
smoke from wildfires affect the
Internet connection?
A: Yes. The smoke from the numerous California wildfires is
affecting signal transmission quality. As much as 3
dBm
loss in signal strength has been observed in customer antennas
connecting to mountain-top transmitters. The same effect has not
been seen for those connected to neighborhood relay towers.
Also, click
here to view our extensive comparison information and
summary table.
Features
Q: Can I setup a Virtual
Private Network (VPN) connection to my computer?
A: Yup. Although we do not provide setup support for VPN
connections, we will provide you with a static IP address. For
options, please click here.
Q:
Can I use voice over IP (VoIP) telephone(s) with this service?
A: Yup. Just let us know if you do so that we can make a
configuration adjustment to the antenna.
Q: Can I connect
more than one computer to the Internet?
A: Yup. The monthly service charge
allows you to connect up to four (4) computers at the monthly price
of the plan you subscribed to.
If you require more connections than that, please contact us for
additional pricing information.
Q: Does
Yolo Wireless
Internet provide a router or do I need to buy one?
A: We will provide you with a
wireless router. If you already have a router, we can credit you $50
toward the installation and activation costs.
Whether you use one of our routers or your own, Yolo Wireless
requires access to the router for tech support, firmware updating,
etc. Remote Management must be turned on and our office must have a
record of your login.
Q: Do we get email
with any of the plans?
A: Yup. If requested, we can provide you with @yolowireless.com
emails. You also have access to "webmail" (email via a
webpage). All @yolowireless.com email accounts come with
SpamAssassin anti-spam filtering and Dr. Web anti-virus email
scanning.
Q: Do
you provide parental controls?
A: No, sorry. But
visit this link for available tools.
Q: Do I get space for a
website?
A: No, sorry, we do not provide space for a website. However,
if you need space for a website or need a website built, please
visit
Guacamole Press for these services.
Q: Is there a limit to how
many hours a day/week/month I can use the Internet?
A: Nope. Your Internet connections is "always on" and we do not
limit you to X hours per month usage. What we "do" require is that
you observe our acceptable use policy.
Q: Does
Yolo Wireless
limit large downloads?
A: We do not limit file downloads of <200MB. Files larger
than 200MB will automatically be moved to a slower download queue so
as to not adversely affect service to other customers on the
network. If you have large files to download, please start the
download process at night. Please read our
Fair Usage Policy for
more information.
Q: I
am an online gamer. Are there any restrictions imposed?
A: We give priority to five (5) ports: secure socket layers (SSL,
banking, SSH, secure sites, VPN, etc.), web browsing (including
IM/Chat, Internet fax, VoIP, streaming radio), emailing, ftp, and
telnet. All other services are placed on a lower priority at
high-traffic times. These other services include, but are not
limited to, large file and video downloads, streaming TV, live video
conferencing, and other related Internet activities requiring a
consistent or dedicated bandwidth. File downloads of larger than
200MB will automatically be moved to a slower download queue so as
to not adversely affect service to other customers on the network.
If you have large files to download, we ask that you please start
the download process at night. Under no circumstances is file
sharing allowed.
Q: I am a Mac
or Linux user. Will
wireless Internet access work on my system?
A: Yup. Wireless Internet will work on PCs, Macs and even
Unix/Linux-based computers.
Miscellaneous
Q: If I have a
wireless-capable laptop, can I get wireless Internet through that?
A: Not directly. Yolo Wireless Internet provides "wireless
Internet access", not "wireless networking" (the term "wireless" is
thrown around pretty loosely). Wireless Internet access means that
there are no cables (phone line, cable or other physical
connections) between our transmitting towers and relay stations and
your roof-top receiver. We deliver the "signal" to you via wireless
transmission. Your laptop (or desktop computer with a wireless
network card) uses "wireless networking" and connects to our service
via a device called a wireless router. A wireless router transmits a
local wireless "signal" within a 100-200 foot radius of the router
(depending on brand and physical factors), and allows your wireless
laptop/computer to connect to it, as well as other computers on your
local network for the purpose of sharing printers, scanners and
Internet access.
Q:
Does the service allow me to access the
Internet when I'm out of State or driving in my car?
A: No. The service is a point-to-point, fixed wireless
Internet service. That means you have to be within range of your
wireless router at home/work to get Internet access.
Q:
What do I need to have?
A: Please visit this link.
Q: What are the
details of the service agreement?
A: Visit this link for more
information. The duration of the service agreement (e.g.
month-to-month or annual) depends on which plan you select.
Q: Do I need to keep my
current Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
A: If you currently have an AOL, Earthlink, MSN, etc. dialup
account, you do not need to keep that dialup account; it is
optional. Yolo Wireless Internet is a Wireless ISP and provides
you with Internet access and email using software programs already
installed on your computer. We recommend that you keep your dialup
account for at least 1 month to make sure that all the people in
your address book have your new email address (@yolowireless.com).
Q: Is
there any danger from the radiofrequency (RF) energy used to send
the Internet signal back and forth?
A: The short answer is "no." For the long answer, please
visit the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) website to
read about "Questions
and Answers about Biological Effects and Potential Hazards of
Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields."
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