Q: What is Wireless and How does it work?

A: Wireless Internet access is exactly what it says "wireless." Bluebonnet Internet is providing high speed cost effective solutions for Internet access via wireless, NO PHONE LINES NEEDED! There is no need to worry about slow downloads, busy signals, or disconnections anymore, with Wireless Internet your computer is always on the Internet. Bluebonnet Internet is the first company to bring cost effective, high speed Internet access to Mount Pleasant, Texas.

We install a small antenna (usually around 1' x 1') at our customer's location. The small antenna is placed somewhere outside near the top of the building. The customer’s antenna communicates with our access point that connects the client to the Internet through our high-speed Bluebonnet Internet backbone. We run a coax cable from the antenna at the client's location to a broadband radio. The radio connects customer's computer. If the customer has a network, additional equipment is required. We can help the customer setup a network to allow all of their computers to share the one broadband connection. (Additional charges may apply.)

Q: Is this Fixed-Wireless service reliable?
A: Your connection is online 99.9% of the time with a constant Internet speed. If for some reason your connection does go down, our local support staff will be notified immediately through our network administrator.

Q: What will my Internet connection speed be and will that ever change?
A: Your residential wireless service allows up to 384 kbps. Think of the Internet as a complex system of roads. As an Internet user, you have a connection to this system - the driveway at your house. As a shared community, the Internet has thousands of on-ramps and off-ramps to millions of sites that we are all trying to share. Fortunately, the cost for bigger "highways" is getting lower and lower and the Internet experience will get more interactive and feature-rich. You may be asking "How do I improve my Internet connection today?" Well, the best way to accomplish this is to improve your "driveway". Improvements in technology, such as Bluebonnet’s Fixed-Wireless connections, have made what was once the biggest bottleneck on the Internet into an always-on high speed connection we can actually use for work and pleasure. We utilize traffic management to minimize the congestion from your driveway to the final destination and back again. Always remember, the Internet is a two-way street. The connection at the site you are trying to reach is just as important as your connection to the Internet.

Q: Is this like Satellite service?

A: NO! Satellite service suffers from several inherent technical problems that are not an issue for the local our Wireless service. With Satellite service, you have to bounce your signal out of the atmosphere to an orbiting satellite and then back to a central location. These huge hops add hundreds of milliseconds of latency that ruin interactive applications. Our Wireless signal travels a few hundred feet to a few miles to our nearest access point location. These short distances allow for low latency and high throughput in both directions, one of the great benefits of the Bluebonnet Internet Wireless service.

Q: What's bad about fixed wireless service?

A: The disadvantage of our Wireless service is that it requires line of sight between the client's premise and our access point. If you do not have good line of sight to one of our access points then there is a very low probability that you will be able to get service. The shorter the distance between the client and an access point, the less direct line of sight is needed. The only way to be sure if you will get a signal is to have us go to your location and perform a site survey to check the signal strength. Unfortunately if we can't get a signal then you are out of luck for getting the Bluebonnet Internet Wireless service at this time. However, we are continually growing our network and adding additional access point locations, so service may become available in the future.

Q: What Equipment is Required?

Radio (sends wireless signal)
Antenna (mounted outdoors for long range)
30 feet of LMR cable (connects antenna to radio)
10 ft CAT5 crossover cable (connects radio to your computer)

All that's required by you is a computer with Win95 and an Ethernet card. If you don't have one or don't know we can offer Ethernet cards and extra cable for a small fee.

Q: Will I need to change my current Bluebonnet e-mail address when I change my service to Residential Wireless?
A: No, we will simply change your billing and your user name and passwords can remain the same.

Q: How big will the antenna be on my house?
A: The antenna has a size comparable to a DSS satellite dish or less.

Q: Where does the antenna go?

A: One important thing to keep in mind is...the higher the better. Typically we install the antenna on roof peaks and TV antenna towers. Depending on the elevation, immediate surrounding trees, and distance from our access point will determine how high we have to mount the antenna.

Q: Does weather or trees affect my connection?

A: Weather does not affect the performance of wireless internet. The frequency being used is not affected by precipitation. On the other hand, obstructions such as buildings, trees, or hills do. A line-of-sight is almost always needed for the connection.

Q: What kind of support do you offer?
A: Bluebonnet Internet has a local support staff that receives immediate notification of any changes in your service. We also offer in-house computer repairs at very reasonable rates. Internet related telephone support is available Monday through Friday 9am to 7pm and Saturdays 10am to 4pm.

Q: Do I sign up month to month or year contract?
A: Month to month or 1 year contracts are available, depending on which equipment plan you choose.

Q: Is my roof damaged by the installation?
A: There is no damage done to your roof during installation. Only four small punch screws are used to mount the antenna and silicon sealant is used to prevent any type of water leakage.

Q: I have a two story house, does that matter?
A: Bluebonnet can install services in both one and two story houses.

Q: I have an old house that is not pre-wired, how do you run the wiring?
A: Category 5 Ethernet cable is brought down from your attic and snaked down through the walls to where your computer is located. Your installation procedure will be discussed with you prior to your install date.

Q: I am renting my home, can you still install service?
A: If you are not the legal owner of the dwelling we will need written permission from the owner to do the installation. We can contact the owner in your behalf to secure this permission.

Q: What if I move?
A: If your new location is in our Residential Wireless service area, then your service will simply be transferred to that location. To transfer the equipment needed, another installation fee will be charged.

Q: What if I want full wireless capability in my house?
A: Every house is capable of having a wireless connection. A wireless hub is placed inside your home and transmits a signal to every computer located in your house. Pricing depends on the amount of computers needed to be setup.

Q: What is a 1 gig/month transfer limit, will I go over that, what should I do?

A: For the typical internet user, browsing websites, chatting, and emailing will not put you over your transfer limit.
The problem people can get into is when you use peer to peer, file sharing programs in which people are constantly downloading large amount of data from your computer. If you choose to use these programs, shut them down when you aren't using them. If you happen to go over your limit you will be notified once, after that an overage charge will incur.

Q: How can I pay for my monthly service and equipment?
A: We take all major credit cards and can also provide an automatic debit system from your bank account. In addition checks (without prior NSF history) and cash are always accepted. All service with Bluebonnet is billed one month in advance.

Q: How long will the install take?
A: Every installation is different based on the structure and equipment needs. You should allow up to 4 hours for the install.

BACK TO THE TOP