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Frequently Asked Questions
What level of support do you offer?
What's the installation process?
How much does the equipment cost?
How much experience do you have with the Internet and networking?
Do I need an additional phone line?
Are there time limits for my connection to the Internet?
Why is two-way wireless communication important?
How will rain, snow and lightning affect my service?
Is service available in all areas?
I have e-mail through another provider. Do I need to change?
MCC Technology delivers you uninterrupted connectivity at up to T1 speeds for a fraction of the cost by using point-to-multi-point microwave technology. We connect your Local Area Network (LAN) to one of our wireless POPs (point of presence - an antenna site) strategically located throughout our coverage area. The wPOPs are then connected through our Network Operations Center (NOC) to our backbone to the Internet--some through high-speed wires and some through point-to-point microwave radio links.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless utilizes "Spread Spectrum" microwave technology. It was developed to be very secure and practically impossible to intercept and decode. It is made more secure by a security technique known as "wired equivalent privacy" (WEP), which is based on the use of the popular RC4 encryption algorithm. Users without knowledge of the current key (password)
will
find themselves excluded from network traffic. As an added level of security, every multi-user installation comes with a firewall box that allows only out-going connections. By using Network Address Translation, your private network is virtually invisible to outside intruders.
Data transmitted over phone lines is not typically encrypted and is therefore easier to "hijack."
The specifics of network security--whether for wired or wireless LANs and WANs--can best be explained by one of our networking specialists. Please contact us to arrange for a security consultation.
We continuously monitor the line-quality of our Internet access network, including all microwave links, via an automated process. In the unlikely event of a failure, we are alerted to it--and respond to it--24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll also work closely with you to ensure that your Broadband Wireless Internet access is performing as well as you expect.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless service offers an alternative to telephone company leased or dial-up lines for subscriber access to the Internet. Your business can be connected in as little as a few days. There’s no digging and no new hardware to purchase. We provide all the necessary hardware and software. One low fee covers installation at your company.
After we qualify your location for Broadband Wireless service, MCC Technology provides a complete, professional installation. A small radio-link antenna (one-foot square and three inches deep) is placed on your roof or the outside wall of your building and is aimed at one of our wireless POPs. Our networking professionals will connect the Broadband Wireless service to your network via an Ethernet Bridge and optional Firewall box.
For business-class service, you don't have to buy any equipment. MCC Technology owns and maintains all the hardware necessary to connect you to the Internet. If the radio, antenna, cables or firewall box is damaged due to normal use or adverse weather conditions, it will be replaced at no charge. For residential service, the price of the radio is listed on our residential pricing page.
MCC Technology has been serving the networking needs of clients since 1979. We have been a traditional ISP for many years, offering services such as: dial-up access, web & e-mail hosting and high-speed dedicated connections. MCC Technology is also the first Internet Service Provider in the area to offer bi-directional, Broadband Wireless Internet access on a large scale basis. For more information, click here to go to the MCC Technology home page.
When compared to other high speed access lines, MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless Internet access is very affordable. Whether you're looking for a little more power at your SOHO, or want to provide Internet access to everyone on your LAN at the same time, MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless service can be of benefit to you. Please click here for our general pricing structure.
Unlike satellite offerings, MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless uses two-way high-speed wireless technology. You do not have to have an additional phone line, cable connection, or any other wire. MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless does it all!
No. Unlike a dial-up connection, with Broadband Wireless you have an "always on" link to the Internet. There's no need to worry about how many hours per month you're on-line. You have unlimited access with no time limits. With your connection speed so much faster than with a dial-up, the time you do spend on the Internet will be that much more productive, too.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless two-way capability means you do not need an additional phone or cable line or the expense of a traditional dial-up ISP in order to receive Internet access. MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless service provides high-speed data in both directions, upstream and downstream.
Not with a standard service plan. Broadband Wireless service packages are to be used only for client-side access to the Internet. Client-side access is IP or UDP protocol traffic originating from computers on your LAN. You may not use MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless for serving content though FTP, HTTP, Game Servers, or streaming Audio or Video servers. If you want to host your own server, contact us about special plans.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless service is not affected by significant rain or snowfall, like that which often causes interference with satellite TV reception.
Lightning is a phenomenon that is very unpredictable and is just as likely to affect a cable or Telephone Company connection as a wireless connection. All wireless installations are well grounded to prevent the static charge build-up that can lead to actual lightning strikes. In addition, a lightning arrestor is placed on the antenna cable between the antenna and your equipment to reduce the likelihood of any static discharge affecting your equipment. A well installed antenna system will not be a target for lightning.
Additional protection devices are available to protect the Ethernet connection to your computer system(s).
With DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) you have to be within 3 wire
miles of a Telco Central Office. Since the COs are not on every corner, many businesses are located beyond DSL's range of service. You also have to be in a building that doesn't have too many phone lines since there is a high incidence of interference or leakage.
Our wireless Points-of Presence are strategically located throughout our coverage area. Broadband Wireless can serve subscribers who are unable to connect using DSL over existing copper wire because they are beyond the critical distance from the phone company's central office or who choose not to wait weeks or months for installation.
As with any Internet connection, wired DSL providers share bandwidth among it's customers. Wired DSL providers charge enticingly low rates for what they call "high speed access", because they share their bandwidth among up to hundreds of customers. You typically will find that your wired DSL connection slows drastically when other people are using it heavily. You get what you pay for. With Broadband Wireless, we limit the number of subscribers on each of our Internet connections based on the number of computers at each subscriber's location.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless reaches areas not serviceable by other high-speed technologies. The only requirements for a Broadband Wireless connection to the Internet is that your building be "visible" to one of our many wireless Points of Presence.
MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless utilizes microwave radio links to deliver service to your site. While we have microwave cells strategically located up and down the Fox River Valley, microwave equipment needs to be within a clear "line of sight" (LOS) to properly communicate. A clear LOS exists when no physical objects obstruct an imaginary straight line drawn connecting the antennas on either side of the link. Tall buildings, trees, hills and terrain all have an effect on LOS and could degrade the signal below the point a reliable connection can be maintained. The best way to know if Broadband Wireless service is available at your location is for us to do a site survey. We will come to your business and perform a FREE Site Survey to verify "visibility" and radio reception range.
Once visibility has been verified, we will schedule installation to get you connected at high-speed.
Even if Broadband Wireless service is not available in your area today, it may be soon. Please contact us about conducting a Free site survey.
You are welcome to keep your existing e-mail account, but it is not necessary. We offer a number of e-mail and hosting options, depending on your business needs. If you choose to keep your current account, your provider may offer discounts when you access their service through our high-speed network.
There are many factors that affect speed. Among these are current load on your LAN, our network and the Internet backbone. Other factors include the speed of the site that you are connected to and their load. Many web sites limit the speed that you can connect at, to allow for more users being connected and not have a few "high speed" connections consume all of their bandwidth. With all of these outside factors, MCC Technology can not guarantee that you will have a constant throughput. We do promise that you will get the fastest connection possible under the conditions of the moment, up to your maximum speed.
| Here's
what you get with MCC Technology's Broadband Wireless: |
|
| Bandwidth | 1.5 Megabits (2-way)* |
| Security | RC4 encryption & Firewall |
| Access Type | Dedicated (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) |
| IP Addresses | 254 Internal IP Addresses & 1 or more Static, Public IP Addresses, depending on the plan selected. |
| DNS Hosting | Your domain name (yourcompany.com) listed on one of our DNS servers. |
| E-mail Addresses | 5 POP3 e-mail addresses at yourcompany.com or on one of our domains, depending on the plan selected. |
*Listed speeds are half-duplex and burstable. Actual sustained rates are subject to LAN network traffic conditions, bottlenecks on the Internet and distance from cell site.
You can call MCC Technology at 630-584-9505, send e-mail to wireless@mccnow.com, or click here to go to our contact page.