700 Main St.  P.O. Box 9        Tel: (812) 547-3411        Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm

 

    Tell City, IN  47586                Fax: (812) 547-9557       Closed Sat-Sun


 

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is FAST-CONNECT Wireless High Speed Internet?
FAST-CONNECT is a partnership between the Tell City Electric Department and Perry-Spencer Communications, Inc. (PSCI) to provide you with a new high-speed Internet access service. It utilizes Fixed Wireless technology to provide an "always-on" connection. Because Wireless High Speed Internet does not use your existing phone line, you can surf the 'Net and talk on the phone at the same time!

Because Fixed Wireless technology does have some restrictions such as distance from the FAST-CONNECT Wireless Point-of-Presence and "line of sight" requirements, Tell City Electric Department must conduct a Site Survey of the location of the customer requesting the service to determine if a signal can be received.  Specific distances and actual mileage from our Access Point will vary. There is a $50 Site Survey fee to have a site survey conducted at your location. FAST-CONNECT is offered in Tell City and surrounding area. If your site qualifies for service and you sign a Wireless Agreement within 30 days of the site survey, the $50 fee will be waived. If your site does not qualify for the Wireless service, the fee will also be waived. The only time the $50 fee will be assessed is if your business or residence is surveyed, qualifies and you do not sign-up for the service within 30 days. Fill out the Wireless High Speed Internet Pre-qualification Form and click Submit. You will be contacted by a FAST-CONNECT Representative to schedule the site survey. If you live outside of the Tell City area, CLICK HERE for information about service in your area.

 

What essentials are necessary for Wireless High Speed Internet?
You will need to have an Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) installed in your computer. Tell City Electric Department or PSCI can refer you to a local computer store that will sell and install this card. You will also need a Wireless modem -  provided by Tell City Electric Department. The Wireless modem and antenna will remain the property of Tell City Electric Department and the lease of this equipment will be included in the monthly service fee.

What is the minimum PC System Configuration?
 

  • Pentium II 400 Mhz (or AMD Equivalent) or Faster
  • Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP
  • RAM:
       Windows 98, ME 64 Mb.
       Windows 2000, XP 128 Mb.
  • 2 GB hard drive space
  • Super VGA graphics card and monitor
  • 10BaseT Ethernet Card
  • CD ROM Drive
  • Original Windows Media CD

    What is the minimum Macintosh System Configuration?
     

  • PowerPC G3 or faster processor
  • MAC OS 8, 9 or X
  • RAM:
       OS 8, 9 64 Mb.
       OS X 128 Mb.
  • 2 GB hard drive space
  • 10BaseT Ethernet Card
  • CD ROM
  • Web Browser and Email client
  • Original OS 8, 9 or X Media CD

    What equipment will you install at my location and what does it look like?

    Tell City Electric Department will install a Wireless Modem and a Wireless Flat Panel Antenna at your location. The Wireless modem will be installed in a small grey box outside close to the antenna. The antenna is a 12 inch by 12 inch square. This antenna will be mounted on an existing TV antenna tower if available or additional mounting hardware will be used to mount the equipment on a high point on your business or residence. The actual location of the mounted hardware will vary depending on your location. A Category 5 cable will be run from the Wireless Modem (grey box) into your business or residence. This cable will connect to your Ethernet card in your computer or existing network hub. The antenna must be in a location that has visibility to the FAST-CONNECT Wireless Access Point. When you have a site survey done, the technician will discuss the installation options with you. CLICK HERE to see pictures installed by PSC.

     
    All services include one email address and 5Mb of disk space for a personal home page.
    Additional email addresses are $1.95/month.
    An IP Address will be dynamically assigned. Static IPs are available for an additional fee. Call for pricing.
    Twenty hours/mo. dial-up access is available on any package for an additional $9.95/mo.
    The Wireless Modem and antenna are the property of FAST-CONNECT. Upon termination of service, they must be returned to FAST-CONNECT within 30 days or customer will be invoiced actual cost of hardware.
    Early termination of a one year contract is equal to 3 x the monthly service fee. Early termination of a two year contract is equal to 4 x the monthly service fee. Early termination charges are due within 30 days of termination date of contract.

    Will FAST-CONNECT send a technician to my house for installation?
    Yes. After a successful site survey has been done and you subscribe to the service, Tell City Electric Department will schedule a time for a technician to install the wireless modem and antenna. Rescheduling may be necessary in the event of inclement weather. The technician will also assist with the configuration of a single computer connected directly to the wireless service. Adding additional computers to the Wireless service is the responsibility of the customer. The customer is responsible for installation of the Network Interface Card (NIC) in their computer.

    Can I host Internet Services on my Wireless Connection?
    FAST-CONNECT prohibits the hosting of Internet service (e.g., web site, DNSing, FTP, E-mail) via a wireless connection.

    Why is high-speed wireless Internet access more economical than a dedicated wireline circuit?
    Wireline dedicated circuits use telephone company copper or fiber lines to connect your location to the Internet. These provide symmetrical speeds (same in both directions), a dedicated bandwidth, 24/7 monitoring and maintenance at no additional charge to the customer, and generally cost more to deploy and maintain.

    Is FAST-CONNECT Wireless Internet Service secure?

    Yes. While wireless Internet service does poses new risks about Internet Security, FAST-CONNECT uses new technology that makes it as secure as any other Internet service in existence.  CLICK HERE for security precautions taken with FAST-CONNECT Wireless Internet Connection technology provided by PSCI.

    On the Rate Packages, it states that residential service is asymmetrical and business service is either asymmetrical or symmetrical.  What does that mean?

    The difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical is the rate of data transfer.  A symmetrical service means you can download as fast as you can upload. This type of service is only offered for the business rate package.  The asymmetrical means that your downstream connection isn't the same as your upstream connection.

    If you have any more questions regarding FAST-CONNECT Wireless Internet Service, please call our office at (812) 547-3411.  Or you can check out PSCI's website for more information at http://www.psci.net/wireless.

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    Copyright © 2003 Perry Spencer Communications, Inc.(PSCI), Tell City Electric Dept

     

    Copyright © 2004 Tell City Electric Dept
    Last modified: 03/05/04