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Internet FAQs

GENERAL INFO ON BROADBAND AND ISPs

What is a WISP/ISP?

  • ISP – Internet Service Provider
  • WISP – Wireless Internet Service Provider
  • A wireless Internet service provider (WISP) is an Internet service provider (ISP) that allows subscribers to connect to a server at designated hot spots (access points) using a wireless connection such as Wi-Fi.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Internet_service_provider

What is DSL?

  • DSL – Digital Subscriber Line
  • A DSL is what the telephone company uses to supply internet services
  • It requires a modem to interpret the internet signal from the phone line so your devices can understand it

What is Broadband or Broadband Internet?

  • Broadband is a high-capacity transmission technique across multiple channels (frequencies).
  • Broadband Internet refers to any high-speed internet access that is always on.
  • LCDC transmits broadband internet using radio signals.

Where is LCDC’s internet signal coming from?

  • The Broadband Internet signal begins at a fiber line in Lawrencetown and travels by cable up to the radio antennas on the transmission tower.

How does the signal get from LCDC’s towers to me?

  • The 6 multidirectional antennas on a tower transmit scrambled radio signals that are received by the small antenna dish on the exterior of your building.
  • The small antenna dish unscrambles and transfers the radio signal to its cable that plugs into a small PoE (Power over Ethernet) box inside your building.
  • A second cable plugs into the other outlet in the PoE to run to your computer, or router.

EQUIPMENT QUESTIONS

Do I need a modem?

  • No the equipment provided by LCDC serves as a modem

What is a Router and why might I need one?

  • A router is a traffic directing device used by networks.In your home, an incoming internet cable comes into a router and then lines to multiple devices come out of the router.Computers read data that come from the router, and send their own data out through the router (two way communication).
  • If you have more than one computer that you want to hook up to the incoming internet cable, you MUST have some type of router or switch to split the signal to multiple outgoing cables.
  • If you want to use wireless devices (like wifi-enabled tablets, cell phones and printers) in your space, you MUST have a wireless router.This type of router will transmit wireless signals for a limited distance.
  • You can buy a router that handles both wireless and wired (uses outgoing cables) communication.This is a common type of household router.

Where can I buy a router and what type do I need?

  • You can buy one online, or at stores that sell electronic equipment.
  • If you want to broadcast wirelessly in your space, make sure the router is capable of wireless broadcasting.
  • In most homes, you would only need a router with the basic number of outgoing ports (4). This allows you to hook to 4 computers by direct cables.This wireless devices you use do not need a wired cable.
  • Routers commonly use 2.4GHz and 5GHz electromagnetic wavelengths to communicate wirelessly.We recommend using the 2.4GHz wavelength for your wireless transmissions and to avoid using 5GHz routers because they may conflict with your antenna dish.

LCDC INTERNET SERVICE

What do I need in order to get the LCDC Internet Service?

  • Co-operative membership.All our customers are members.
  • LCDC equipment (bracket, dish, cabling, PoE). We supply this equipment.

What is included in the installation?

  • A scoping visit to determine signal strength and direction
  • An antenna dish
  • A bracket for the dish
  • A PoE
  • Up to 50 feet of cabling
  • An installer to install the bracket, affix the dish, align the dish for best signal reception, run cabling from the dish to the PoE, and test that the internet signal is received correctly at the PoE.

How do I pay for my Membership and Internet Services?

  • Payments can be made by cheque, cash or by etransfer
  • Cash or cheques can be delivered to the Village office for payment
  • Etransfers can be set up with the Village clerk for payments

How will I know when and how much to pay?

  • Services are billed for the month coming up. If you started your service April 15, you will be invoiced for the period of April 15-May 15 for your first month’s bill.
  • Membership, installation and the first month’s service is billed immediately after installation. If your equipment was installed on April 15 and your service began on April 15, your first invoice will be prepared within the next few days following April 15.
  • You will receive monthly invoices by email.
  • Payment will be required within 21 days.

Can I keep my existing Internet Service Provider’s email address?

  • If you cancel your existing internet service, you cannot keep your email address from them.That address and space to store your emails belongs to the Internet Service Provider.

How can I set up a new email account?

  • There are many companies who provide FREE email services. They include Gmail (by Google), Hotmail (from Microsoft) and Yahoo!
  • Before you cancel any internet service that supplies you with an email address, create a new email account and let all your contacts know that you want them to use the new account.Give them a little time to start using your new email address before you discontinue it.
  • To set up a Gmail account, click on the link www.gmail.com and follow their directions to Create an Account.
  • To set up a Hotmail account, click on the link www.hotmail.com and click on “Create one!” to create an account.
  • To set up a Yahoo! account, click on the link www.yahoo.com, click on Mail and then click on “Sign up” to create an account.

What happens if I cancel my Internet Service?

  • LCDC turns off your antenna dish’s receiving mechanism.
  • LCDC sends an individual to remove the antenna dish and the PoE.

What is my WIFI password?

WIFI passwords are often forgotten when they do not need to be entered frequently. Default WIFI passwords are often found on the bottom of the router on a sticker or a tag. If the default password has been changed in the past, routers can be reset back to the default password by following the instructions provided by the router manufacturer. If you are having trouble with the password or resetting the router, you can contact LCDC and we will provide direction on how to perform these actions.

What is bandwidth?

  • In computer networks, bandwidth is used as a synonym for data transfer rate, the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second). Network bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps); modern networks typically have speeds measured in the millions of bits per second (megabits per second, or Mbps) or billions of bits per second (gigabits per second, or Gbps).
  • http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/definition/bandwidth

Technical Terms Glossary

  • Bits/Bytes – Storage units for digital information (8 bits can represent a text character). A bit represents on/off (0/1) and there are 8 bits in a byte.
  • Kilobits/Kilobytes – Thousands of bits or bytes. Shorthand is Kb or KB.
  • Megabits/Megabytes – Millions of bits or bytes. Shorthand is Mb or MB.
  • Gigabits/Gigabytes – Billions of bits or bytes. Shorthand is Gb or GB.
  • Data Packet – A unit of data made into a single package that travels on a network path.This is how internet transmissions travel.
  • Packet Loss – If a Data Packet has been sent but fails to arrive across a network.
    Losses can be caused by congestion on a network and the packet must be resent.
  • Network Latency – How much time it takes for a Data Packet to get from one point to another. The closer to zero it is, the faster response time you see.
  • Random Jitter – Unpredictable electronic timing noise that can affect transmissions.
  • Throughput – The rate of Successful data packet delivery over a communication channel.