Q. How does Mesa's wireless broadband compare to dial-up?
Q. How does Mesa's wireless broadband compare to DSL and Cable Modem?
Q. How does wireless broadband compare to Satellite?
Q. How secure is Mesa Networks' Service?
Q. How does the weather affect Mesa's Service?
Q. How large is the antenna used to provide your service? Will I need a permit or HOA approval for the antenna?
Q. Are there any health concerns with the wireless signal?
Q. What are the requirements for my PC to use Mesa's service?
Q. What router can be used with Mesa's service and why is it required?
Q. Can more than one computer share the connection?
Q. What is involved in the installation?
Q. What is the typical lead time to have the Mesa service installed?
Q. Do I need to have a separate ISP with Mesa's service?
Q. Can I keep my AOL service?
Q. How financially stable is Mesa Networks?
Q. How does Mesa's wireless broadband compare to dial-up?
A. Dial-up operates at 56Kbps. Our service operates from 500Kbps to 5,000Kbps depending on the service plan subscribed to, a performance improvement of 10 to 75 times dial-up.
Our service is ‘always on’ so you don’t need to re-establish your connection each time you want to use it.
Mesa Networks does not require any phone lines.
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Q. How does Mesa's wireless broadband compare to DSL and Cable Modem?
A. Unlike DSL or Cable Modem, our service does not depend on telephone or cable TV infrastructure. This enables Mesa to reach many communities and business parks where DSL and Cable Modem are unable or unwilling to go.
Our service plans offer performance comparable to DSL and Cable Modem, but with some important differences.
* Better upload speeds than comparably priced DSL or Cable Modem.
* Optional static IPs even on residential service and few restrictions against using servers or VPNs.
* Superior customer service.
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Q. How does wireless broadband compare to Satellite?
A. Wireless broadband is sometimes confused with Satellite because they are both forms of wireless communication. The difference is that Mesa uses a terrestrial microwave system that uses short-range wireless links. The latency on these short-range links is comparable to wired links like DSL and Cable Modem so the performance remains high.
Satellite links have a large propagation delay due to the roughly 23,000-mile distance to geosynchronous satellites. This latency imposes a 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.
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Q. How secure is Mesa Networks' Service?
A. There has been much press recently about the security issues of Wireless LAN technology known as 802.11b or Wi-fi. It is true that if the user uses the default settings with most Wi-Fi products it is very easy for an outsider to get onto the network. However, just changing a few settings can make the network secure.
The wireless system Mesa uses is completely different than 802.11 or Wi-fi technology. Mesa uses a system developed by Motorola. This Motorola system has 3 features that make it very secure.
1. Proprietary. The Motorola system uses completely proprietary technology for the Radio Frequency signals as well as the data protocols. So a potential hacker would first have to reverse engineer the Motorola radio equipment.
2. Authentication. No Motorola radio can communicate with our tower without first having its Electronic Serial Number authenticated against our list of allowed radios.
3. Encryption. The Motorola Canopy encrypts the user data over the air using 128 bit DES encryption.
These combined characteristics make the Mesa service secure for transmitting financial and other personal records.
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Q. How does the weather affect Mesa's Service?
A. 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.
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Q. How large is the antenna used to provide your service? Will I need a permit or HOA approval to place it on my building or home?
A. The antenna we use is 12" tall x 3.5" wide and weighs less than 1 pound. Your installer may recommend a dish to enhance the speed and reliability of your connection. These dishes are 18".
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 1 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.
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Q. Are there any health or safety concerns with the wireless signal?
A. No. The technology used by Mesa operates at very low power levels (4 Watts), similar to a cell phone, and much less than the amount that is emitted by your microwave oven. Also, radio frequency power drops dramatically as you move away from the power source.
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Q. What are the system requirements for my PC to use Mesa's service?
Your PC must have a 10BaseT or 100BaseT Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC). We do not 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.
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Q. What router can be used with Mesa's service and why is it required?
A. Any broadband router that has an Ethernet port (10BaseT or 100BaseT) as its WAN or Internet port will work. This includes the wireless routers that are currently popular. If you get the router from Mesa Networks, it will be a D-Link model DI-604, which is a router and 4 port Ethernet switch. Other brands that we know work include Linksys, Netgear, Belkin, and SMC.
Mesa Networks requires the use of a router because the radio transceiver we use does not block non-Internet protocols (such as Windows' Netbeui) or Ethernet broadcast packets.
Additional benefits of the router include firewall protection as well as multiple Ethernet ports and IP Addresses to allow multiple computers to be online at the same time.
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Q. Can more than one computer share the connection?
A. Yes, there is no additional charge for multiple computers. Our service requires a router to separate the customer’s network from Mesa Networks’. The router acts as a firewall to protect the customer’s home network from Internet attackers and is an administrative demarcation point that allows customers to build their home network independently. Mesa Networks supports the innovative use of home networking and charges based on total household bandwidth consumption rather than on the number of computers.
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Q. What is involved in the installation?
A. We install a small antenna on or near the roof of your home or business. Then a Cat5 cable is run down and into your home. See our "How it works" section for a more detailed description.
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Q. What is the typical lead time to have your service installed?
A. If your location is within range of one of our towers and has line of site to that tower, we can usually install within a week.
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Q. Do I need to have a separate ISP service with Mesa's service?
A. No, the ISP is included as part of our service. We provide IP addresses, email accounts, and news service as part of our plans. You may wish to continue using a dial ISP if you travel much. Mesa does not currently offer a dial service. After working with Mesa service, you will not want to access the internet with dial-up again.
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Q. Can I keep my AOL service?
A.Yes. AOL offers a 'Bring Your Own Access' service that will lower your bill. You may keep your existing AOL email addresses. Contact AOL directly for information on this service.
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Q. How financially stable is Mesa Networks?
A. Mesa Networks operates its business around the philosophy of managed growth and positive cash flow. The company's balance sheet is remarkably strong for the telecom industry. As of March, 2007 Mesa serves over 7000 customers and locations.
