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What is Wireless Broadband technology? 1) What is Wireless Broadband technology? Wireless Broadband brings high-speed Internet into your home or business using radio waves instead of a phone line or cable TV line. NO PHONE LINES OR CABLE TV LINES NEEDED! DC Access Wireless Broadband is "always on". There is no need to dial-in. Our equipment is based on 2.4GHZ Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) using radio technology from various manufacturers. The technology used is called WiFi or 802.11b. Click here for a short history of wireless networking. DC Access offers three different levels of service. Our lowest service level (500kbps) is four times the speed of dial-up. Our standard service has a maximum speed of 1.5Mbps. That's many times faster than dial-up. With the added benefit of never having to "connect." Our wireless broadband speeds are comparable to DSL and cable speeds. If you need faster speeds to the Internet or need to connect several locations on Capitol Hill, custom packages are available - just ask.
Check out the Coverage Area by clicking here. Our first Wireless Point of Presence (WPOP) has been established on Lincoln Towers (just south of Lincoln Park). We have additional WPOPs thoughout Capitol Hill.
Wireless is as secure as the Internet itself. Because important data like credit card numbers are encrypted when you order something on the Internet, that same data will travel our network encrypted. In addition, DC Access uses standard wireless encryption on all of our radio links. For any computer connected to the Internet we recommend that a firewall be used. The firewall can be software running on the computer or hardware running on the LAN. DC Access can help you setup a solution that is appropriate for your situation.
Wireless Internet access is more affordable than most broadband options. Especially when you consider that no additional phone lines are necessary. Yes. Our wireless network has been designed to provide reliable wireless data connections to the areas we service. By design, weather conditions do NOT affect our wireless data network.
Cell phones and 900MHz cordless phones have no impact on DC Access Wireless service because they operate in a different frequency range. Any device such as a phone or baby monitor that operates at 2.4GHz may cause interference, but not to the extent that you would notice. Also, the DC Access antennas are mounted on the roof. Other equipment that operates in the 2.4GHz range is generally used in the home and has lower power.8) Can weather affect the wireless Internet signal? Short answer, No. The only time you could experience any type of minimal signal loss would be during heavy rain. Speed may decrease slightly during torrential downpours of 6" per hour or more. Luckily, this type of rain is very rare in our coverage areas. Wireless links are not affected by fog, smog, snow or non-torrential rain. Our type of system successfully operates in rainy, tropical areas, with no significant degradation of service.
You do need what is called a "radio line of sight." Radio line of sight differs slightly from visual line of sight. Our signal can pass through various types of buildings and obstructions, (depending on your distance from a DC Access network antenna), so you may be able to get service even if you can't see the antenna.
No. Wireless uses ground based antennas to transmit data to your location. And while satellite systems usually require you to use a regular phone line and modem to send data, our wireless system is two-way transmission. Also, satellite systems have higher "latency" (the time it takes data to travel between 2 points) since the data has to travel from your location up to the satellite 22,300 miles over the equator and back down to the Internet. This can make surfing seem sluggish and video conferencing and gaming unbearable.
The customer antenna is a one foot square panel. It is mounted on the roof (usually attached to a chimney). The antenna has an embedded radio that converts the signal to regular ethernet. An outdoor ethernet cable is then fed into the building and connected directly to one computer or into an existing LAN. Pictures can be found on our picture pages.
Yes. The wireless portion of the connection is from the DC Access network antenna to the roof of your building or home. An outdoor ethernet cable runs from the antenna on your roof to your computer.
Once we have completed a free site survey to pre-approve your site for wireless, the installation can usually be schedule within 5 - 10 working days. The actual on-site installation time can vary from 1 to 4 hours.
Yes. DC Access wireless is available on a one-year term. You can find our service agreement here.
Yes. An email account is included with our standard plan. Additional addresses are also available.
Yes. DC Access also offers domain hosting. See our services page for more information. Prices start a $29 per month. Click here for full pricing.
Any standard browser like Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer will work with our system. Since the wireless network relies on the same protocol as the Internet, TCP/IP, any program designed to be used on the Internet can be used on the DC Access network.
Yes. DC Access provides one IP address. But with an additional router/firewall you are able to share your DC Access connection among several computers on your LAN. The DC Access service can not, however, be resold. The connection sharing is limited to one organization at one location.
Yes. However, an email account is included with a standard DC Access wireless account. If you want to keep your old email address, you can either configure your email client to continue to use your old address, or you can have your current ISP forward all your mail from your old address to your new one.
Yes, it is unlimited access. In addition, wireless Internet is a full-time always on connection; your computer is connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our standard service does not offer static IP addresses (necessary to run servers). Our Pro service levels offer static IP addresses which can be used to run your own servers. Click here for information on our wireless service plans.
Go to our wireless contact page to send us a site survey request.
Additional information about broadband wireless technology can be accessed at the following web site: The Wireless LAN Association - http://www.wlana.orgBack to top |
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