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| Frequently Asked Wireless Questions |
- What is wireless broadband, how does it work?
- Where does Red Shift offer wireless broadband service?
- How does wireless differ from DSL?
- How does wireless differ from cable?
- Can I connect more than one computer to my service?
- Can I use a wireless LAN equipment with wireless broadband service?
- How secure are Red Shift's wireless broadband connections?
- Can I run servers through a Red Shift wireless broadband connection?
- How scalable is wireless broadband service through Red Shift?
- How will I know if I can get Red Shift wireless broadband?
- What will the antenna look like? Is it ugly?
1. What is wireless broadband, how does it work?
Wireless broadband offers high-speed internet access to users in suburban or hard-to-reach areas, where traditional connectivity options may not be available or economically feasible.Wireless broadband uses radios to send packetized data between the distribution point and a client system. Red Shift will install a small antenna on your house which connects by cable to your computer's network adapter. Installation usually takes about two hours, but can vary depending on the type of roof, building, etc.
2. Where does Red Shift offer wireless broadband service?
Red Shift has wireless base stations in the following areas and cities:
| Castroville |
| Castroville - Oak Hills |
| Greenfield |
| King City |
| Los Laureles Grade |
| Salinas |
| Salinas - 101 North area |
| Salinas - CreekBridge |
| Salinas - Indian Springs area |
| Salinas - Las Palmas |
| Salinas - Las Palmas II |
| Soledad |
| Spreckels |
3. How does wireless differ from DSL?
Wireless is much faster, more widely available in rural areas and is less expensive. DSL is limited to the copper plant in use by the Telco. Wireless speeds range from 256 kbps up to 1100 kbps. When and if DSL does arrive, it will not be deployed outside the zones that are close-in to the Telco hub (18,000 foot limitation from the Central Office). Wireless will go anywhere a relay point can be created.
4. How does wireless differ from cable?
Cable access speeds varies depending upon the provider, some cable companies are still using one way cable where the uploads are still over dial up, two way cable providers are now starting to catch the vision of fast speeds to the end user, most are fairly fast download speeds and upload speeds are usually quite a bit less. Some cable speeds are capable of 1 Mbps speeds downloads. However, Cable has it own problems, if you are fortunate enough to be near the head end you could experience great speeds nearly all the time, but as kids come home from school and as more users log on in your neighborhood your speed will denigrate to the speed of dial up we have many who call up and had Cable and the speeds where great for a while and then they are back as dial up speeds at various times of the day.
5. Can I connect more than one computer to my service?
Yes. A variety of devices (Red Shift can provide) can be used that allow multiple computers in your home or business to share the internet connection simultaneously. For more information or to order additional networking services at the time of your wireless installation please contact sales@redshift.com or call (888) 473-3744.
6. Can I use a wireless LAN equipment with wireless broadband service?
Yes. Red Shift's wireless broadband service runs at a different frequency that the 802.11b frequency commonly used for wireless networking hardware. Red Shift offers a full product line of wireless networking hardware available for purchase and installation at the time of wireless service installation.
7. How secure are Red Shift's wireless broadband connections?
Red Shift uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). FHSS is more secure and reliable than other types of wireless frequencies.
8. Can I run servers through a Red Shift wireless broadband connection?
Yes. However, the running of servers of any kind is prohibited with a Residential wireless account. Servers are only allowed as Commercial accounts. Please notify your Customer Care representative if you are planning to run a server on the wireless connection.
9. How scalable is wireless broadband service through Red Shift?
Red Shift firmly believes that all Internet solutions offered by us should be fully able to grow with the needs of our consumers. The hardware we use for our wireless broadband applications was carefully selected for reliabilty, quality and scalability.
10. How will I know if I can get Red Shift wireless broadband?
A site survey will be performed for almost all potential customers to evaluate the line of site signal to our base stations. If you know where our antennas are and you can see one, chances are good you can receive Red Shift wireless broadband. A site survey must be done prior to installing any wireless hardware. The ability for the antenna units to see each other without obstruction is called clear line of site. If we can't achieve good signal strength from your rooftop, service will probably not be available for you. With that said there are always exceptions. Reception points within a half-mile (give or take) have been shown to operate without line of site, but these are conditions where the signal is capable of either penetrating or reflecting. Many factors influence and affect the radio signal. Building materials such as "Low-E" or other coated glass as well as foil insulation are barriers to the signal. Concrete can be penetrated in close proximity to the antennas. Wooden buildings can also be penetrated. Trees are mostly water and stop the signal very effectively, but again, if proximity to the antenna is close enough, the signal will penetrate some foliage. BUT, and this can not be stressed enough, the signal will not penetrate any volume of trees at a distance. Distance is defined as more than a 1/2 mile, but again, it isn't a black and white issue. There are cases where ISPs have literally burned through trees using amplifiers and highly directional antennas, but these are exceptions not rules. In some cases, trees can be overcome by using more frequent installations of access points in a micro-cellular deployment. Pine trees are easier to penetrate than oak or maple trees. Installations performed during winter months may stop functioning during leaf out in the spring.
11. What will the antenna look like? Is it ugly?
Red Shift uses a variety of antenna types that are lightweight and unobtrusive. The antennas range in size from an 11" x 11" x 1" flat panel directional antenna to a 24" x 36" grilled directional unit. Red Shift pays particular attention to customer's concerns about aesthetics and at the time of your install, our installers will hold a consultation with you regarding antenna placement prior to actually installing your service. Proper placement of our antenna would be on the facia or the gable of the house using a roof mount and if needed a tripod mount. For business locations we us a non-penetrating roof mount or a side of the building mount.
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