Wireless Broadband FAQ's

What is the range of the system?
From the base stations, the basic subscriber module has a range of 3-5 or more miles.  A reflector is available to increase the range to 15 miles.  This means that all of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Eldorado, La Cienega, La Tierra, and Las Campanas Areas can be served (provided you are not blocked by trees or buildings).

How does the system work?
The Subscriber Module (SM) is the subscriber termination unit (like a modem is with dialup). It consists of a single transceiver that operates with a 60-degree antenna. SM synchronization and control is accomplished via the received Access Point (AP) signal transmitted from the base station. SM's may be located either in- or outdoors as long as they can see the base station. The Subscriber Module is connected to your machine via a single Cat 5 (or Ethernet) cable powered via an AC power adaptor.

Isn't this just like Satellite?
Not at all. Wireless Internet is bi-directional unlike satellite, where you download via the dish antenna and may be connected to a phone line to upload information. Wireless Internet eliminates the need for any dedicated phone lines, reducing costs. It also provides a much faster service than satellite which is rather slow, especially when uploading. Take for example Star Band satellite Internet where the maximum upload speed is only 40Kbps - this is slower than dialup! When you receive our service you get the same download and upload rate.

Also there is a big latency problem with satellite (the delay caused while your computer talks to the server). With Satellite Internet, the signal has to travel more than 46,000 miles resulting in long delays when downloading, because of this satellite can have slower overall download speeds than dialup. With our Wireless Internet system the signal only travels 15 miles which means that websites load instantly.

What is the difference between this and DSL?
Our service is up to eight times faster than DSL. Also, like Satellite, DSL upload speeds are much slower than the download speeds.  With our service download and upload speeds are the same. For example, if you subscribe to our 640Kbps service you get a symmetrical, 640Kbps sustained service - download and upload, with downloads bursting to between 5Mbps and 9Mbps and uploads to 1Mbps .

What is the difference between this and 802.11 technology?
CNSP Wireless is built using the brand new Motorola® Canopy equipment. 
802.11 technology vastly under uses the available bandwidth and has trouble coping under load - the more subscribers it has, the slower the system becomes. The CNSP Wireless Motorola Canopy system gives you the same consistent, burstable bandwidth.

To us 802.11 based systems are somewhat obsolete.  802.11 based systems also have decidedly poorer performance as the distance between the access point and the subscriber module grows - the further you live away from the base station, the slower your access will be. CNSP Wireless delivers the same full bandwidth over our entire service area.

Where are the base stations?
We have one base station in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and La Cienega Area.  We will be adding base stations to Espanola in the near future.

What will interfere with the signal?
Anything in the path between you and the base station can block the signal.  Especially trees and buildings.  If you have a clear, optical, line of sight it will almost certainly work.

What is needed at the computer?
Your computer must have an Ethernet card or connection.  (Sometimes called a NIC card.)  Many computers come with this connection built into the system.

We also recommend that you have a personal firewall installed on your machine. Several are available online and some are free for personal use. We do not recommend a specific one but we strongly advise you to get one. The same goes for anti-virus software. We also strongly recommend that all Windows updates are installed on a regular basis.

CNSP Wireless does not provide a formal firewall solution, so protecting your own personal computers is your responsibility.  See our checklist for other requirements.

Will this work with game boxes, Linux PC's, or Macintoshes, as well as Windows PCs?
Yes, the system is simply a wireless Ethernet system.  You do not need any special software to interface with the subscriber module.  If your computer can work with a LAN it will work with our system.

Can multiple computers use a single connection?
Yes, you can install any type of internet sharing systems.  We have found certain WiFi home wireless systems do not work well with wireless Ethernet but prefer DSL or cable modems.  We do restrict this type of activity to be contained within a single residential home or office.  If we discover that internet sharing is being used to allow other homes or businesses to have service, your service will be discontinued as outlined in the contract.

Can I install this system myself?
You can do the cable run yourself, if you like, since we will not fish cable through walls or attics. A simple CAT 5 Ethernet cable needs to be run between the subscriber module and the computer.  Our tech's generally install and align subscriber modules, reflectors, and any other required mounting hardware to ensure an accurate and stable connection.

What do I need to do to the computer?
You will have to configure your TCP/IP properties so that the computer is using DHCP.

How can I use my current (or old)  E-mail account?
The answers varies with the type of account.  If you are using web based e-mail like Hotmail.com or Yahoo, then there is no change.  You simply use your web browser and access your account as you have been.  If you have an e-mail account with a dial-up or other type of ISP, it is not so simple.  First, be assured that you can always send e-mail through CNSP.  Sending will not be a problem.  Our POP3 mail server address is mail.cnsp.com  You will need an account on the server before you can use it to send.  We set up e-mail accounts 8-6 M-F.  Weekend e-mail account administration is not available.

Once you have provided us with a username and password we will set up your account and you can receive e-mail at (your user name)@cnsp.com.  You will also be able to send mail using that server.  The problem occurs when you go to get your mail from you old account.  You will have to ask you old ISP to keep your mail account active for some time so that you can get your mail.  It is possible that as soon as you stop taking their service, they may restrict your access to their mail server.  They may immediately reject or discard e-mail.  Make sure there are provisions for getting your mail before you terminate your service.  Some ISP's will even automatically forward e-mail to your new address for a time.  There is nothing we can do with respect to your old account and e-mail addresses.

The only 100% rock solid way to make sure you never lose your e-mail address is to  obtain a domain.  That requires time and expense and is somewhat a technical challenge.  If that is an option you would like to pursue, we can direct you to consultants that can make it happen.

How can I use my e-mail account when away from home?
Go to http://mail.cnsp.com/
This is a webmail application that will allow you to send and receive e-mail from your account.  You will need your username and password, so make sure to take those with you when traveling.

What don't you offer?
Check out this page for details of what we do not offer and what your obligation is. Also read our Service Agreement.

How long will it take to get service?
We might not install the system as quick as you may wish.   Due to high demand, it can take around 1-2 weeks from signing up to be installed. Once we determine you are in our coverage area, a technician will contact you to make an appointment. Installs performed during the week are usually done within 2 hours. Weekend installs may be done in two phases: cable-run and reflector installation (if necessary) are done on the first day, with radio and computer configuration done later.

Why don't you offer a Service Level Agreement or other assurance of service?
We offer live 24/7/365 technical support.  All of our employees are on this system at home and we monitor it constantly.  If the system is down, we are down too.  So, we have a vested interest in keeping things ticking smoothly.  System wide troubles are detected and resolved in what we believe to be a timely manner.  However, some things are out of our control. If a backhoe digs up one of our fiber cables, the system will be down.  And it will not be up until the fiber cable is spliced. We cannot control those types of failures.  We do have automatic rerouting of traffic throughout our system, but we cannot guarantee 100% uptime.  We only guarantee that we will give you the best service possible.

Do you have a newsgroup server?
No we do not, nor are news (NNTP) servers allowed on the network. There are plenty of free news services available, including Google's Newsgroups.

What download speed will I get?
First, you must understand the difference in ways of showing speed.  Big B vs. little b; Big K vs. little k:
Big B = bytes
Little b  = bits
There are 8 bits per byte.
Big K = 1024 bytes
Little k = 1000 bytes
Not too much difference but it is there.
Our basic plan speed is 640Kbps.  This is the same as downloading at 80 KBps (8 x 80KBps = 640 Kbps).

So, $24.99/month gives you a 80KBps (640Kbps) connection with a burst speed up to 5 to 9Mbps.

If you begin to download a file, it will initially download up to the 10 Mbps burst speed.  After about 5 MB of downloading, you download speed will be shifted down for the speed which you pay for.

For example, if you are subscribed to our 640Kbps service, you could start to download at about 600KBps to 800KBps.  After downloading 5 MB of a file you will see the download speed shift down to about 80KBps, or 640Kbps - the speed to which you are subscribed.

After you stop the download, the system will reset and you will be allowed the higher burst speed again after a few minutes.  However, if you continue to download or stream large quantities of data, the system will continue to shift you down to the speed you pay for.

If you subscribe to a higher price plan (e.g. 768Kbps), not only will the download progress at a much higher speed, it will not shift down to the speed to which you are subscribed until you download 10MB.  So, really you get much more performance for only $10 more per month.

My Landlord and or Covenants Don't allow for an Antenna on My roof?  If you live in an apartment complex or in an area where restrictive covenants prohibit the placement of an antenna, please read the following link.  http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html  According to the FCC you may put up to a 12ft mast and or a dish if required and these rules supersede any covenants or apartment complex rules.  If your landlord or neighbors restrict you from doing so, you may file a complaint with the FCC.  See Above Link for details.

I Would Like to Get the Process Started as Soon as Possible?  How can I do that?  Download our Wireless Service Agreement and our Pricing.  Pick a pricing plan that fits your needs.  Fill out the Wireless Service Agreement and fax to 1-505-212-0091.  Once we receive your fax, we will call you to schedule a time and date to install.

I Am a Developer and would like to Bring Broadband to My Development or I am part of an Association and we are interested in Bringing Broadband to our Area.  Please send an email to support@cnsp.com or contact us and ask to speak to an engineer.  We can provide a combination of our Wireless Broadband and WiFi access to your neighborhood for as little as $19.99 per month for each residence.  Please contact us for further details.

For more information about CNSP contact us by phone at: 505.986.1669 or 505.896.4900.