Rendon High Speed Internet Options
WiFi is a nickname for IEEE 802.11x standards. These come in a variety of versions of a, b, and g. WiFi runs from 1 MBit to 54 MBit speeds. It can be used for home networking and it can also be done used to provide Internet access to wide area. All that is required is an antennae and line-of-site to the ISP tower. The signal can go through trees but it cuts down the range. WiFi has more delay (latency) than DSL and Cable Modem so some games may not work. I have had mixed success working with PlayStation and Nintendo DS. It is also subject to packet loss when the network gets busy. Most protocols can recover from some packet loss and the user does not even know there's a problem. This is a great option for the casual web surfer and email user.
update: I have switched to Dot 11 with great success. Their tower is right behind the Johnson house. I am getting a great signal. PS2 and DS are working great -- even voice over IP is usable. The problem was the trees behind my house were blocking the Web Rocket signal.
Web Rocket
Ask for Wade Fowler
$44.99/month for static IP
$39.99/month for static IP with automatic bank draft
$139.95 Professional Installation
$59.95 Service Activation
http://web-rocket.net
Phone: 817-483-0620
Email: sales@web-rocket.net
Dot 11 Networks
Ask for Cameron
$42.50/month for basic service
$55.00/month for static IP address
$199/setup
http://dot11net.com
214-207-0516.
Email inquiries: info@dot11net.com
Sales information: sales@dot11net.com
Dial-up
Dial-up is not high speed and it is not your only choice
Satellite
Options such as Starband are out there. Sometimes they offer uploading through the dish and sometimes you have to use a dialup connection to send data upstream. The transmission delay (latency) is so long that real-time protocols are out of the question. This means that gaming most likely will not work. Many chat options will not work either. This is fine option for simple web surfing and email. Once the request goes out to the server the web page is downloaded very quickly. Most web pages consist of dozens of requests. The cost of satellite is upwards of $65/month the last time I checked.
ISDN
An ISDN line provides you two 64KB connections bound together as a single 128KB connection. This is a rock-solid business option at a cost. You pay $70/month just for the phone line. You will need an ISDN router and someone to call. An ISP service will cost as much as $250/month. ISDN is very reliable and available anywhere that you can get normal phone service.
Cable Modem
Charter Cable does not yet service our area. Keep calling and request service. Once cable reaches our area it is a great Internet option. It is very reliable. You will definitely need a home firewall because it is a shared connection.
DSL
DSL is comparable to cable modem and also not available in Rendon. It is perhaps more secure but a little more tempremental based on my experience. DSL service runs over existing home service and is available from many different companies although Southwestern Bell maintains all the lines. DSL is limited by distance. You must be within a specific distance of a telephone company "central office" (CO). That means that DSL is not an option for Rendon in its most common format. Other flavors of DSL may be available. Covad used to offer iDSL which is a combination of ISDN and DSL but they pulled out in 2001. Southwestern Bell has a project called "Pronto" which will put a "remote terminal" (RT) capable of providing DSL even in remote areas like ours. The original project goals were to provide DSL everywhere by 2000 but they appear to be behind schedule.
