Frequently Asked Questions
1 Q. How does eXtendSM Wireless Broadband compare to dial-up?
A. Dial-up operates at 56 kbps. eXtendSM operates from 768 kbps to more than 1,500 kbps depending on the subscribed service plan, which is a performance improvement of five to 25 times better than dial-up. eXtendSM service is 'always on' so you don't need to re-establish your connection each time you want to use it. Additionally, eXtendSM does not require any phone lines.
2 Q. How does eXtendSM Wireless Broadband compare to DSL and cable?
A. Unlike DSL or cable, eXtendSM does not depend on the availability of legacy telephone or cable TV infrastructure. This enables eXtendSM to reach those locations where DSL and cable providers are unable or unwilling to go. The eXtendSMservice plans offer performance comparable to DSL and cable modem but with some important differences.
- eXtendSM offers better upload speeds than comparably priced DSL or cable service. This is important when uploading pictures or emailing large files.
- eXtendSM offers quick installation-often in a matter of days, not weeks or months.
3 Q. How does eXtendSM Wireless Broadband compare to satellite?
A. eXtendSM Wireless Broadband is sometimes confused with satellite because they are both forms of wireless communication. The difference is eXtendSM is a terrestrial microwave system which uses short-range wireless links. The latency on these short-range links is comparable to wired links like DSL and cable service so the performance remains high. Satellite links have a large propagation delay due the roughly 23,000 mile (or greater) distance to geosynchronous satellites. This latency imposes a huge performance penalty on two-way interactive applications, regardless of bandwidth speed. For this reason, satellite should only be considered as a last resort for Internet service. Satellite service also has limits on the total amount of data that can be transmitted in a month.
4 Q. How does eXtendSM Wireless Broadband compare to cellular 3G/4G?
A. Typically, cellular 3G/4G is not available outside of metropolitan areas. While the cellular network is providing Internet access in rural areas, it is at what is referred to as “1X speed,” which is comparable to dial-up.
5 Q. How secure is Pixius Communications' eXtendSM service?
A. Due to recent press, security questions may arise about LAN technology known as 802.11b or Wi-Fi. If a user applies the default settings with most Wi-Fi products, outsiders have an easy time getting onto your network. However, just changing a couple settings can make the network very secure. eXtendSM is not Wi-Fi. The wireless system Pixius uses is completely different than 802.11 or Wi-Fi technology. Pixius uses a proprietary system developed by Motorola. This Motorola system has three features making it very secure:
1. Proprietary: The Motorola system uses completely proprietary technology for the radio frequency signals as well as the data protocols. A potential hacker would first have to reverse-engineer the Motorola radio equipment.
2. Authentication: No Motorola radio can communicate with our tower radios without first having its MAC address (or Electronic Serial Number) authenticated against our list of valid radios.
3. Encryption: The Motorola Canopy encrypts the user data over the air using 128 bit DES encryption. These characteristics make our service at least as secure as DSL or cable systems. As an example, it would probably be easier to tap into your phone line outside your home than hack through the encryption.
6 Q. Does the weather affect the eXtendSM service?
A. No. The effects of weather on microwave radio signals vary based on the frequency used and the distance the signal travels. With the frequencies and distances in our network, signal degradation due to heavy rain, snow or fog are negligible. The degradation due to heavy rain is less than .2 db, and our system is designed with at least a 10 db signal fade margin.
7 Q. How large is the antenna used to provide your service? Will I need a permit or HOA approval for the antenna?
A. One antenna we use within a two mile range of an Access Point is approximately 11.5" tall x 3.5" wide and weighs less than one pound. To extend out to 10 miles, a small elliptical reflector is added measuring approximately 18"x24". Another antenna option measures approximately 18" tall and 12" wide.
Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits restrictions on the use of "Over-the-Air Reception Devices" from government (cities or counties) or non-government (landlords or homeowner associations) entities.
The ruling pertains to antennas less than one meter in diameter and less than 12 feet above roofline. You may still want to contact your homeowners association or landlord for any guidelines they may have on placement of the antenna. For more information, you can get a fact sheet from the FCC at www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html or contact us with any questions.
8 Q. Are there any health concerns with the eXtendSM wireless signal?
A. No. The technology used by Pixius operates at very low power levels, similar to a cell phone, and much less than the amount emitted by your microwave oven. Also, radio frequency power drops dramatically as you move away from the power source (AP- not the subscriber unit).
Our antennas are typically placed at the top of towers and high-rise rooftops with controlled access and not where any person would be able to stand right in front of it for any significant period of time.
9 Q. What are the requirements for my PC to use Pixius' service?
A. Your PC must have a 10BaseT or 100BaseT Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC). We do not provide this or load any software onto your computer. All your PC needs is TCP/IP software and a web browser. Windows 95 or newer and MAC OS 8.5 or greater include TCP/IP and a browser.
10 Q. Can more than one computer share the eXtendSM connection?
A. Yes, eXtendSM is capable of providing broadband service for multiple computers.
11 Q. I have placed my order – what happens next?
A. A certified install will contact you within two business days of your order. When the installer contacts you, they will schedule a time convenient for you to have the installation done.
12 Q. What if I do not hear from them?
A. If you do not hear from your installer within two business days, then please contact your dealer or our Technical Support Department at (316) 260-2347 local, (800) 578-4483 toll-free and they will taken care of you.
13 Q. Do I need to be at home during the installation?
A.Yes, a person over the age of 18 must be available to sign paperwork accepting the installation.
14 Q. Can I install it myself?
A. No, a certified installer must do the installation.
15 Q. What if I need to change my appointment?
A. Contact your installer directly to reschedule or contact our Technical Support Department at (316) 260-2347 local, (800) 578-4483 toll free.
16 Q. How long does the install take?
A. A standard install takes approximately two hours.
17 Q. Where is the radio installed?
A.The radio is installed on the roof or wall of your house. In the case of a non-standard installation (see circumstances requiring non-standard installation below), a tripod or pole may be used.
18 Q. What is included with a standard installation?
A. Radio equipment (radio, mounting pole, antenna) • Surge Suppressor (located on outside of house) • Power supply (located on the inside of the house) • Wiring (both CAT5 and ground wiring) • Free Router (setup fee is on first month’s bill)
19 Q. What do I need to plan for my installation?
A. Think about where you would like your router installed in your house.
- The surge, which will be located on the outside of your house, needs to be placed near an entry point on your home.
- A house ground needs to be available to properly ground the system; otherwise, a ground rod will be needed. (Additional charge for a ground rod will apply – Approx. $15.)
- You will need to make sure your computer has network capabilities (10/100 Ethernet).
20 Q. Is there anything that could prevent my installation from working?
A. Your location and the nearest towers available determine what equipment is installed. In most cases, we use LOS (line-of-sight) equipment, which runs on a 5.7ghz/3.65ghz. When that does not work, or is not an option, we will install a 900MHz radio. With LOS equipment, trees are the biggest issues faced. The 900MHz equipment, is an open frequency, meaning anything can use this option, including baby monitors, cordless phones, tractor GPS, etc.
21 Q. What happens if the installer cannot get an approved signal by a standard installation?
A. The installer may be able to mount the radio on a pole on your property or use a tripod or other kind of mount on your roof to get the service installed. Installing poles, tripods or other mounts incurs additional fees. The installer will be able to advise you on what options will work best with your situation.
22 Q. What circumstances would make a non-standard installation necessary?
A. Any work beyond a standard installation will incur additional charges which will need to be paid directly to the installer at the time of installation. Speak with your installer about pricing for these items. Cost may vary by region and amount of work required.
Common reasons for non-standard installation:
• LOS (line-of-sight) issues
• Customer does not want anything mounted on their roof
• Tile or other non-penetrable roofing
Other situations that may cause a non-standard installation include:
• Chimney mount
• Tripods
• Extension poles
• Specific mounting locations (such as barn or other building)
• Internal cable runs (attics, crawl spaces, wall fishing, etc)
Once the installation has been completed, the installer will make sure everything is up and running before he leaves. The installer will ask you to sign a Network Information Form, which states you are accepting the installation and are happy with the way the install has been done. If a non-standard installation was needed, you will also be asked to sign a Non-Standard Installation Addendum as well.
23 Q. Do I need to have a separate ISP with Pixius' service?
A. No, Pixius is a full service ISP. We provide IP addresses, email accounts and storage space as part of our service plans.
24 Q. Can I keep my AOL service?
A. Yes. At last check, AOL offers a 'Bring Your Own Access' service. Contact AOL directly for information on this service.
25 Q. Does the Pixius provided router act as a firewall? Do I need a firewall?
A. The Pixius-provided router is an administrative demarcation point between the Pixius network and the customer's network. It is not to be considered a firewall. eXtendSM Wireless Broadband is an "always on" service, therefore it is recommended that you install and maintain a firewall. The firewall helps prevent unwanted, and often times unknown, attempts to access your computer. This is a normal situation Pixius has no control over. Please consider installing a firewall to protect your network. Many quality products are commercially available, easy to install and are free at reasonable prices.
26 Q. Why does Pixius manage its network?
A. Pixius manages its network with one goal: to deliver the best possible broadband Internet experience to all of its customers. High-speed bandwidth and network resources are not unlimited. Managing the network is essential to promote the use and enjoyment of the Internet by all of our customers. We use reasonable network management practices, which are consistent with industry standards. We also try to use tools and technologies that are minimally intrusive. Much like how the Internet continues to change and evolve, our network management practices adjust to address the challenges and threats on the Internet.
All Internet service providers need to manage their networks, and Pixius isn’t any different. If we didn't manage our network, our customers would be subject to the negative effects of spam, viruses, security attacks, network congestion and other risks and degradations of the service. By engaging in reasonable and responsible network management, Pixius can deliver the best possible broadband Internet experience to all of its customers.
27 Q. How does Pixius manage its network?
A. Pixius uses various tools and techniques to manage its network, deliver the service and ensure compliance with the Acceptable Use Policy and the Pixius Terms & Conditions for Residential Services available at http://www.pixiuswireless.com/terms_conditions_res_wireless.php. For Business Services customers, the terms and conditions are available at http://www.pixiuswireless.com/terms_conditions_biz_wireless.php. Like the network and its usage, these tools and techniques are dynamic and do change frequently. For example, these network management activities may include:
- Identifying spam and preventing its delivery to customer email accounts
- Detecting malicious Internet traffic
- Preventing the distribution of viruses or other harmful code or content
Pixius may use other tools and techniques in order to meet its goal of delivering the best possible broadband Internet experience to its customers.
28 Q. Does network management change over time?
A. Yes. The Internet is highly evolutionary. As the Internet and related technologies continue to develop and advance, Pixius' network management tools will adapt and keep pace to deliver a superb, steady and safe online experience to all of our customers.
29 Q. How does the system work?
A. The network congestion management practice works as follows:
If a certain area of the network nears a state of congestion, the following technique will ensure all customers have a fair share of access to the network. The network management practice will identify which customer accounts are using the greatest amounts of bandwidth, and their Internet traffic will be temporarily managed until the period of congestion passes. Customers will still be able to do anything they want to online with many activities unaffected, but they could experience things like longer times to download or upload files and slower speeds while surfing the Internet or playing games online. Typically, however, customers are unaware of any changes in their experience.
The system does not manage congestion based on the online activities, protocols or applications a customer uses. It only focuses on the heaviest users in real time, therefore the periods of congestion could be very fleeting and sporadic.
It is important to note the effect of this system is temporary and has nothing to do with aggregate monthly data usage. The system is dynamic and based on prevailing network conditions as well as recent data usage.
30 Q. Will the system make decisions about the content of my traffic like P2P or other application usage?
A. No. The system is “protocol-agnostic,” which means the system does not manage congestion based on the applications being used by customers. Because the system is content neutral, it does not depend on the type of content generating traffic congestion. To put it another way, customer traffic is congestion-managed, not based on their applications, but based on current network conditions and recent bytes transferred by users.
31 Q. How does the network management system impact me and my use of the Pixius high-speed Internet service?
A. With this system, most customers will notice no change in their Internet experience. The goal of congestion management is to enable all users access to a fair share of the network at peak times, which is when congestion may occur. Congestion management focuses on the consumption activity of individual customer accounts that are using a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. As a result, the large majority of customers will not be affected by it. Our studies of congestion and data traffic show that on average less than 1% of our high-speed Internet customers are affected by the approach.
32 Q. How often does Pixius expect to use this system?
A. Based on our studies of network traffic, we expect select portions of the network will be in a congested state only for relatively small portions of the day, if at all.
Pixius will continue to monitor how user traffic is affected by this congestion management system and will make the adjustments reasonably necessary to that our Pixius high-speed Internet customers have a high-quality online experience.
33 Q. Can you give me some "real world" examples of how much bandwidth consumption would be considered too much? For example, how many movies would I have to download to be affected by this system?
A. Since the technique is dynamic and works in real time, the answer really depends on a number of factors including overall usage, time of day and the number of applications a customer might be running at the same time. First, the local network must be approaching a congested state for our system to even look for traffic to manage. Assuming that is the case, customers’ accounts must exceed a certain percentage of their upstream or downstream (both currently set at 70%) bandwidth for longer than a certain period of time, currently set at fifteen minutes.
A significant amount of normal Internet usage by our customers does not last that long. For example, most downloads would have completed within that time, and the majority of streaming and downloading will not exceed the threshold to be eligible for congestion management. The majority of longer-running applications, such as VoIP, video conferencingand streaming video content (including HD streaming on most sites) will not exceed these thresholds either.
The point of the system is to deliver the best overall online experience possible. The system will help ensure all customers receive their fair share of bandwidth resources to enjoy what all the Internet has to offer, which includes surfing the web, reading emails, downloading movies, watching or streaming video, gaming or listening to music.
34 Q. Does this system apply to both commercial and residential services?
A. Yes.
35 Q. How is network congestion management related to the 250 GB monthly usage threshold?
35 A. The two are distinctly separate. The network congestion management system is based on real time Internet activity. The goal is to avoid congestion on our network being caused by the heaviest users. The system is different from the 250 GB/month, which is the aggregate monthly usage threshold that defines excessive use.
36 Q. What about VoIP providers?
A. VOIP providers rely on the Internet to deliver calls but do not use a significant amount of bandwidth in and of itself. However, if a Pixius customer who is also using a weighty amount of bandwidth use these services during a period when the network management system goes into effect, they may experience a degradation of their call quality during peak times.
37 Q. What about streaming video or video downloads? What will happen to them?
A. During periods of congestion, any customers who are using a disproportionate amount of bandwidth – no matter what type or content of the online activity (for example, it does not matter if the content is coming from a Pixius-owned site or not) – may be affected by this technique.
38 Q. Does Pixius block peer-to-peer ("P2P") traffic or applications like BitTorrent, Gnutella or others?
A. No. Pixius does not block P2P traffic or applications like BitTorrent, Gnutella or others as part of its current network congestion management system. Pixius does not, however, condone these practices as they are copyright infringement programs.
39 Q. Does Pixius discriminate against particular types of online content?
A. No. Pixius provides its customers with full access to all the content, services and applications the Internet has to offer. However, we are committed to protecting customers from spam, phishing and other unwanted, harmful online content and activities. Pixius uses industry standard tools and generally accepted best practices and policies to help it meet this customer commitment. In cases where these tools and policies identify certain online content as harmful and unwanted (such as spam or phishing websites), this content is usually prevented from reaching customers. In other cases, these tools and policies may permit customers to identify certain content that is not clearly harmful or unwanted such as bulk emails or websites with questionable security ratings, and enable those customers to inspect the content further if they feel inclined.