ABOUT WILDBLUE
The following are answers to commonly asked questions about WildBlue. Feel free to contact us if you need more information.
| General Information: |
| What is the WildBlue
service and where is it available? WildBlue is a high-speed Internet access service for homes, home offices and small offices. It will be available in virtually every location across the continental United States. |
| Why should I get
WildBlue? WildBlue provides access to the Internet at much higher speeds than dial-up access: up to 1.5 Mbps which is more than 30 times faster than dial-up. A whole new world of content will open up to you with your broadband connection. And with WildBlue, you get an "always on" connection which means no dialing-in or other delays to get high-speed access to the Internet. |
| How hard is it to
use? Not hard at all. Once we professionally install your WildBlue system, you are ready to surf the Internet at lightning fast speeds. You can use your same web-browser, go to the same sites, use your email, etc. just like you always have...but a lot faster! And it's always on so no more dialing-in delays, or getting "bumped off." |
| Who do I call if
I have a problem? You just call the friendly customer care agents. We'll have a person you can talk to, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call our tech support number at 1-888-817-6240. |
| What equipment is
needed to get the WildBlue service? It's easy. All you need is a WildBlue mini dish and a WildBlue modem. |
| What are my minimum
computer system requirements to get WildBlue? Most computers in use today will meet our minimum system requirements. If you don't know if you meet them, please contact us and we can help you figure it out. |
| PC/ Windows: 300 MHz or faster processing speed, minimum 128 MB Random Access Memory (RAM), and Windows 2000, XP and Vista operating system. 100 MB of hard drive space and an ethernet card are required. |
| Macintosh: 300 MHz or faster processing speed, 128MB Random Access Memory (RAM), OS 10.4 or higher operating system. 100 MB of hard drive space and an ethernet card are required. |
| Are there any cancellation
fees? Mid-Wisconsin DBS customers are required to sign a 24 month lease contract when they initiate service. If you disconnect your service before the 24 months expire, there will be a cancellation fee. |
| What kind of speed
can I expect? Mid-Wisconsin DBS will offer 3 different packages that provide you different speed levels. Our Value Pak will offer up to 512 Kbps download speed. The SelectPak offers up to 1.0 Mbps and the Pro Pack offers up to 1.5 Mbps. |
| Services and Prices: |
| What does WildBlue
cost? Call 800-895-2001 for current equipment prices and promotions. Monthly packages are $49.95, $69.95 and $79.95. |
| What types of email
options do I get with my WildBlue account? Mid-Wisconsin DBS offers an advanced suite of Internet services including the commonly used POP3 (like Outlook or Outlook Express) and web-based email options. Mid-Wisconsin DBS customers will receive between 5 and 10 email addresses (each with at least 20 MB capacity depending on the package chosen). More email addresses and additional capacity will be available for a minimal extra charge. Learn more about the packages we offer for your home and small office. |
| Do I get web space
with my WildBlue account? Yes. Mid-Wisconsin DBS provides customers with between 10 and 20 MB of web space as part of their WildBlue service package. The exact storage space depends on which package you choose to buy. |
| Do I get dial-up
service with my WildBlue account? Yes. Mid-Wisconsin DBS will offer a remote-access dial-up service to its WildBlue customers, allowing customers to access their email when they are not at home or out of the office. |
| If I have WildBlue,
do I need an additional account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)? No. The WildBlue service includes all key ISP features like email, web space, etc. If you prefer, you can continue to use your current ISP for email and use the WildBlue service for your broadband Internet access. See your current ISP for details, separate ISP charges may apply. |
| If I sign up for
WildBlue service, can I keep my AOL® account? Yes, if you prefer. You can use WildBlue for high-speed broadband Internet access and keep your AOL® service if, for example, you want to retain your current email account. You will need to pay a separate fee directly to AOL® beyond your monthly WildBlue fee. Please contact AOL® directly for more information. |
| Do you limit heavy
bandwidth users? Similar to other Internet Service Providers, WildBlue manages its network through a Fair Access Policy so that extraordinary usage by a few customers doesn't negatively affect the normal usage of other customers. For the vast majority of users, the Fair Access Policy has no effect on their usage. For a few very heavy bandwidth users who exceed the Fair Access Policy's thresholds, the system will restrict their speeds until their usage falls below the threshold. See WildBlue's Fair Access Policy for details. |
Installation Information:
|
What will the installation
process be like? Can I install my own dish? Mid-Wisconsin DBS professional installers will quickly and efficiently install equipment and activate WildBlue's broadband service at your chosen location. The satellite mini-dish is about 26 inches x 28 inches and can be easily mounted on a roof, outside wall or in the ground. A cable from the dish will connect to a satellite modem (a small box usually placed next to the computer), which will connect to your computer via an Ethernet connection. Installation will require an installation professional to make sure that the dish is pointed at the satellite accurately and to verify that all connections are made properly. Self-installation is not currently being offered. |
|
Can I use wireless
home networking with WildBlue? Yes. WildBlue is compatible with nearly all major wireless home networking products. |
|
Do customers have to
have a phone line in addition to the satellite connection? No. WildBlue offers an efficient 2-way broadband connection that requires no phone lines. |
Do I need a southern line of sight to receive a signal from your satellite?Yes. You will need a clear view of the southern sky to receive a signal from the WildBlue satellite. |
Technical Information:
How fast is this service? |
| WildBlue's always-on Internet connection provides download speeds of up to 1.5Mbps, which can be up to 30 times faster than today's dial-up speeds for file transfers. We offer upload speeds up to 256 Kbps. WildBlue's high bandwidth opens up a window to a world of rich content that is largely unavailable through dial-up modems. unavailable through dial-up modems. |
| What operating systems
are compatible with the WildBlue service? Windows/PC: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. OSX 10.4 or higher |
| Will WildBlue work
with Macintosh computers? Yes. The WildBlue service is compatible with Macintosh computers. |
| What Web browsers
and email clients does WildBlue support? Web Browsers: Windows/PC: Internet Explorer 6, 7 & 8. Firefox 3.x Mac: Safari, Firefox 3.x |
| Email Clients: Windows/PC: WildBlue Webmail (powered by Google), Outlook Express, Outlook 2002 (XP), 2003 and 2007, Thunderbird 1.5 and up. Mac: WildBlue Webmail (powered by Google), Entourage, Apple Mail, Thunderbird. |
| What is the impact
of latency? Can I play real-time Internet games or make Internet phone calls
on your service? The WildBlue system is engineered to help offset the impact of latency, which is the delay caused by sending signals from the earth to the satellite and back again. However, there is a delay as the signal travels up to the satellite and back down to the ground. For most applications this latency does not affect performance, however, there are some applications like voice over IP (telephone service delivered over the Internet, also known as VoIP), or real-time interactive gaming, where latency will have a noticeable effect on performance over the WildBlue network, as it would on any satellite-delivered service. |
| What if my computer
did not come with a Network Interface Card (NIC)? What can I do? Many computers can be upgraded with a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) - which you can find at almost any consumer electronics store, or at an online store. If you are comfortable with opening your computer and installing hardware, most Ethernet NICs can be self-installed. Check with your computer manufacturer for more information on the right Ethernet NIC for your system. |
| Also, if you have an available USB port on your computer, you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter (available at almost any consumer electronics store, or online) This may be easier to install than a PCI card in your computer. For a laptop, you can purchase a standard PCMCIA card that provides an Ethernet connection, or you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter as well. We recommend that you upgrade your computer to meet all of the requirements listed above to get the most out of your Internet experience. |
| Is WildBlue service
affected by weather? The WildBlue service is only minimally affected by inclement weather - typically only under severe conditions. You may notice slower WildBlue speeds during rain and snow showers, but this normally only lasts until the rain or snow stops. Total loss of connectivity should not occur unless the storm is unusually severe. |
| If you have any more questions,
please contact us. |