General Wireless FAQ

Q: Is VoIP (Magic Jack, Vonage, etc.) supported by the wireless service?

A: Unfortunately, we do not officially support VoIP services. Many individuals are able to successfully use the VoIP service. However due to the nature of wireless service, we cannot troubleshoot problems with the VoIP service.

Q: Do you have wireless services in my area?

A: Currently, wireless services are in Avoca, Brockway, Brown City, Buell Hill, Burtchville, Clyde Twp, Croswell, Fremont Twp, Grant Twp, Greenwood, Jeddo, Lextingon, Melvin, Peck, Roseburg, Speaker Twp, Worth Twp, and Yale.

Q: How do I know if I can get the wireless service?

A: We offer a service called a "Site Survey". There typically is no charge for this service. Site Survey charges can occur if it's determined that we cannot service your location and you still wish to proceed with a survey, or if you chose not to proceed with an installation after a Site Survey results in a reliable signal.

Q: Do I have to be able to see your tower?

A: Most of our tower locations offer both "Line of Sight" and "Non Line of Sight" Services. Line of sight requires an unobstructed view of the tower. The non line of sight does not require an unobstructed view, however has a much shorter range (the more obstacles there are, the shorter the range).

Q: Do you plan on offering roaming wireless?

A: We currently offer roaming wireless in all our tower locations with the exception of the Melvin Area. If you are a business and are interested in setting up a Great Lakes Internet hotspot at your location, please contact us at support2@greatlakes.net.

Q: How many computers can I connect to the Internet if I get your wireless services?

A: (Short Version) You can connect as many as you like. However, In order to utilize more than one computer on our service, it will require the purchase of a router.

Q: Just how fast is it?

A: It depends on the connection speed you select. The lowest connection speed we offer (256 Kbps) will perform at anywhere from 5-10x faster than dialup. The middle plan (512 Kbps) will perform at anywhere from 10-20x faster. Finally the last plan (1024 Kbps) will perform at anywhere from 20-40x faster.

Q: Will rain/snow/fog/sleet/etc affect my wireless connection?

A: It is not very likely. Our fade margin allows for various weather conditions. Generally, the only weather which COULD affect your service would be freezing rain/Icestorm. In other words, the installation requirements take into account weather, and are designed to allow for the wireless to work in most conditions.

Q: Do I have to sign a contract?

A: Yes, however this does allow us to warranty the equipment we install (radio, PoE and cable) for the duration of the contract you chose. Our contract lengths range from one to three years, and their duration affects your one-time installation cost.

Q: What if I want out of the contract?

A: There is a $250 early termination fee that gets added to any amount currently due. Any equipment that has not been fully paid for must be returned to us in working order and within 30 day of canceling your service, or the full price of the equipment will be added to the currently due balance.

Q: Can I run peer-to-peer applications such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Overnet, eDonkey200, etc. on my computer with the wireless services?

A: We do not block outgoing traffic (except for certain known virus ports under port 1024). However, due to a large volume of complaints from the RIAA and MPAA lawyers, it is now against our Acceptable Use Policy to use your connection for these programs. Anyone found illegally sharing copyrighted materials may have their account terminated without warning. Refer to our Terms of Service for information on how this termination is handled. We do investigate all instances of illegal use that are brought to our attention.

Q: I have heard that wireless is not secure. Is there any truth to this?

A: The Internet in general is not secure. Any traffic you transmit via ANY method of connecting to the Internet (dial-up, Wireless, cable, Satellite, DSL, T1, T3, Oc-3, OC-12, etc) can be viewed by any party who has access to the network between you and the place you are transmitting the information. The only way to prevent these parties from viewing that data is to use some form of encryption (a VPN or SSL encryption) between you and the place you are connecting to. This is why banks are now required by law to use 128-bit strong encryption on all web pages that deal with confidential financial information. We, therefore, recommend that you do not send any confidential information across the Internet via any connection method unless you have taken steps to make sure it is encrypted and can only be decrypted or viewed by the party you intend it to reach. Any web sites that come up with https:// at the beginning of them are encrypted with SSL. Most browsers have an icon in the lower right corner that looks like a padlock that can tell you what type of encryption is used. Make sure it is 128-bit encryption.