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GAW FAQ


How do I use Great Auk Wireless?

With GAWSpot WiFi, all that is needed is a computer with a wireless adapter. Simply start your computer. When searching for a wireless signal, you will see GAW(location ID) Access Point. Click on these access points and you're ready to use GAWSpot mobile wireless internet.

For customers in rural areas, using our fixed wireless service, you will need to schedule an installation of Great Auk Wireless's proprietary customer premise equipment, much like you would with cable or DSL services.

How fast is your service?

Depending upon your location, Great Auk Wireless offers customers a high-speed broadband wireless service that is at least 15 times faster than dialup.

How do hourly plans work?

When you sign in, you'll have X amount of time based on your selection. When you purchase a block of time from Great Auk Wireless, your time will run from the time you sign in until the block of time is used. You have up to four hours from the purchase time to login at which point your time block begins.

Can I use my account on any GAWSpot network location?

Yes. With GAWSpot mobile Internet access, you have access anywhere the GAWSpot network exists.

Do I need an antenna?

Yes, an antenna will be required in order to received the Great Auk Wireless high-speed signal. The size of the antenna will depend on the signal strength available at the designated location. The Great Auk Wireless Field Technician works with subscribers to ensure the best possible signal is received with minimal aesthetic impact.

I have heard about satellite based broadband technology, how does your service compare?

Satellite based broadband technologies suffer from very high latency (long transmission delays). The time it takes for one "packet" of data to reach the Internet and get back to your PC can be as high as 3000 milliseconds, or 3 seconds, compared to a round trip time of less than 100 milliseconds on land based wired and wireless technologies. In addition, satellite broadband provides very limited upload speeds similar to a dial-up modem. The end result is a connection that can download files fairly quickly, but offers generally poor overall Internet performance. Great Auk Wireless does not use any satellite links in the delivery of your service and the latency on our network is very similar to DSL and Cable Modem systems.

Do cordless phones interfere with my connection?

Our service uses radio frequencies in the 900MHz range, and as such 900MHz cordless phones should be separated from the End-User-Modem by at least one room or 10 feet. Customers who are connecting to Great Auk through a hotspot do not need to be concerned with proximity to telephones.

I have heard that the setup and hardware costs for broadband Internet are very high, how much does it cost to get your service started?

If you are a GAWSpot customer, there is no setup or hardware costs to access the network, other than what is needed in your wireless enabled computer.

For fixed-wireless customers, there is a one-time activation and setup fee of $199.95 that covers professional installation of the modem and standard indoor antenna, as well as the connection to a single computer. Please refer to the pricing section of our website for details.

Can you provide a static IP address?

Business customers will be assigned a static IP address.

Can I host a Web or Email server on my Great Auk Wireless Connection?

Unless you are purchasing a business-grade subscriber account, which has a higher bandwidth, our community-based service is unable to offer this service, as it will unduly affect other local customers with slow response times.

Can I connect more than one computer to a Great Auk Wireless modem?

Yes, there are many manufacturers that offer broadband wired and wireless "routers" that are capable of allowing more than one computer to share a single Internet connection and Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Apple all have an Internet connection sharing feature or wireless card built in that can be used with your Great Auk Wireless service. Your computers need to be connected to each other with category 5 cabling or a wireless networking (WiFi / 802.11) router. This router can be purchased and installed for you through Optima Computers.

Can I have more than one email address?

Yes, Great Auk Wireless's standard is that all family members living in same household can have their own email address.

Why don't the phone and cable companies offer this technology?

Typically, smaller and rural communities are not attractive to larger providers that would need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade their infrastructure in order to provide broadband services. This includes the deployment of fiber or wire line technologies that can have a dramatic environmental impact. Our mission is to provide these communities with the best possible service at a competitive price with minimal or no environmental impact. Our business model allows us to meet that objective.

Is this technology safe?

Yes, our wireless network is very safe. The power transmitted by our antennae is similar to a handheld cellular or cordless telephone.

How secure is wireless technology?

Our data network is as secure as wired technologies such as DSL and Cable modems. Regardless of the type of Internet connection you use, it is a good idea to use anti-virus software and take some basic steps to prevent malicious users from being able to access files on your computer.

What is Great Auk Wireless's privacy policy?

Great Auk Wireless has a very strict privacy policy. We never share any information about our subscribers with other companies. Your email address and personal information is safe with us, in addition, Great Auk Wireless does not monitor or log regular Internet activity. We do reserve the right to log and restrict publicly accessible server hosting activities as needed.

How does Great Auk Wireless choose the communities it services?

The first criteria is size; eligible communities will need to provide Great Auk Wireless with a minimum of 30 subscribers within a 10 mile radius of each base radio station. The limiting factor for subscribers is that they have no landmass blocking their "view" of the base station radio; trees and buildings blocking their view are not a factor. Other factors include the availability of other broadband services, the demand for broadband services, and the willingness of the community to work with Great Auk Wireless in selecting antenna locations and promoting the services that we offer. If you feel that your community is a good candidate we would love to hear from you.

What are the customer's requirements for this service?

To access the GAWSpot WiFi network, all that is needed is a wireless enabled computer featuring 802.11 frequency standard.

For fix-wireless networks like Pinnacle Mountain Rural Broadband network, the basic Great Auk Wireless installation will include connecting the customer's computer to the EUM (End User Modem), provided that:

  1. The customer computer is Ethernet ready.
  2. The customer computer is in the same room as the EUM and within 10ft. of the EUM (End User Modem).
  3. The customer computer operating system is Windows (95, 98, ME, 2000, XP) or MacOS X 10.1 or later.
  4. Customer will need to provide an electrical surge protector for the EUM to plug into.

How do I sign up for Great Auk Wireless?

The Great Auk Wireless sign up page is available online here. If you'd like to speak with a representative, our customer service team will be happy to speak with you at 877-220-2873.

My browser can't read the Great Auk Wireless website. What can I do?

Your browser needs to support JavaScript. If your browser does not support JavaScript, you must upgrade to a new version. We recommend using Mozilla Firefox.

If JavaScript is disabled in your browser, you must enable it in order to continue. Follow the instructions below for your browser.

Safari:
  1. Click Safari, then click Preferences.
  2. Click Security.
  3. Check box, Enable JavaScript.
Firefox:
  1. Click Tools, then click Options.
  2. Click Content.
  3. Check box, Enable JavaScript.
Internet Explorer 5 or higher:
  1. Click Tools, then click Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Click the Custom Level button.
  4. Scroll to the Scripting section.
  5. Check Enable under Active scripting, Allow paste operations via script, and Scripting of Java applets.
  6. Click the OK button.
Internet Explorer 4.x:
  1. Click View.
  2. Click Internet Options.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Click the Settings button.
  5. Scroll to the Scripting section.
  6. Check Scripting of Java applets and Active Scripting.
  7. Click the OK button.
Netscape 6.x:
  1. Click Edit, then click Preferences.
  2. Click on Advanced.
  3. Check Enable JavaScript for Navigator.
  4. Click the OK button.
Netscape 4.x:
  1. Click Edit, then click Preferences.
  2. Click on Advanced.
  3. Check Enable JavaScript.
  4. Click the OK button.

Please consult your browser's help section for further information concerning JavaScript settings.

What is the typical lead time to have the Great Auk Wireless service installed?

In areas where customer equipment is required, lead-time will vary day-to-day but averages between 3 to 5 business days depending upon the workload of our field-service personnel. A standard installation for 900Mhz service will take technicians roughly 1.5 hours.

Do I need to purchase a separate ISP with Great Auk Wireless high-speed service?

There is no need to purchase a separate ISP account with Great Auk Wireless, although some customers choose to do so when they are familiar with specific ISP interfaces, AOL is a prime example. Great Auk has the ability to provide its 900Mhz wireless high-speed customers with a back up dialup account for use outside their home or business for an additional charge.

Do I need a separate telephone line for my Great Auk Wireless high-speed service?

Great Auk Wireless does not require a telephone line for service. High-speed access is delivered to the customer through the use of RF (Radio Frequencies) and not telephone lines, which means you are always connected.

Can I keep my AOL or other service with Great Auk Wireless?

You can certainly keep your AOL service. After logging onto the Great Auk high-speed service you can log into AOL using their homepage http://www.aol.com/.

How financially stable is Great Auk Wireless?

Great Auk Wireless is very financially stable. Great Auk is the sister company of Optima Computers. Information regarding the Great Auk Wireless management team can be located on the Great Auk Wireless corporate page at www.gaw.com.

Can you compare Great Auk Wireless speeds to other types of service?

Regular Dialup Internet Services - This service is delivered over standard telephone lines and operates between 24Kbps and 56Kbps. The entry level Great Auk Wireless service is roughly 15 times faster than dial-up.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Services - DSL is a technology that uses existing copper wiring (phone lines) to offer high-speed access. Products range in speed from 384Kbps to 1.5Mbps. Some DSL products have a higher download rate of 2-3Mbps with a slower upload speed of 256-384Kbps. This depends on the type of DSL. Great Auk Wireless is comparable to a DSL product in terms of speed for residential users. Business-grade customers may purchase plans from Great Auk Wireless featuring bandwidth up to 10Mbps.

Cable Modem Services - Cable services offer a higher throughput and capacity than DSL mainly due to the size of the copper wire that cable is delivered on. Cable however is a shared bandwidth solution so all users on the network are sharing the capacity of the network which is normally around 8Mbps. Average cable speeds will vary depending upon your specific neighborhood, and usage on the network. Great Auk Wireless operates at a speed comparable to cable modems for the average user.

Does Great Auk Wireless guarantee the speed at which I am connected?

At this time, no Internet service provider guarantees their rates of speed, whether cable, DSL, satellite or other high-speed service provider, such as Great Auk Wireless. That said, our goal is to provide the most feature rich and reliable high-speed online experience. That is why Great Auk Wireless offers a satisfaction guarantee. For details, please contact a Great Auk Wireless Customer Service Representative at 877.220.2873, who will work towards satisfying your online needs.

What is included in the price of my service with Great Auk Wireless?

Your monthly service charge includes your connection to the Great Auk Wireless network.

What is not included in the price of my service with Great Auk Wireless?

Great Auk does not provide either the wireless access card or Ethernet card in your laptop or desktop computer as part of the monthly service charge, but this equipment may be purchased through Great Auk Wireless from a field-technician performing an installation or at any Optima Computers location. All field service vans for Great Auk Wireless have a supply of these cards on hand for sale.

Can I speak with a "real" person to get help?

Absolutely! The Great Auk Wireless customer service team will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to call us toll free at 877-220-2873.

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