Residential High Speed FAQ
- When
will the Sentex High Speed service be available in my area?
- I
live in an area where the Residential High Speed service is
available. Why can't I get it?
- Do
I need another telephone line?
- What
happens when I bring my computer to the cottage? Do I have to
bring the modem too?
- How
long will it take before my Residential High Speed service is
activated?
- Does
the Residential High Speed service include e-mail? What if I
need more e-mail addresses? How much storage do I have with
each e-mail address?
- Does
the Residential High Speed service provide Personal Webspace
capabilities?
- Does
the Residential High Speed service offer any protection against
viruses or hacking?
- Is
there anything I should read before starting to use the Residential
High Speed service?
- I
would like to know about the Terms and Conditions before I sign
up. Where can I find them?
- What
are the highlights of the Terms and Conditions?
- What
are my installation options?
- How
easy is it to install myself?
- What
does the support technician do?
- Can
I buy the ADSL modem instead of renting it, and therefore avoid
its monthly rental charge?
- If
I go to another ISP that is offering similar high speed service,
can I use the ADSL modem that I currently lease from the Residential
High Speed service?
- What
happens if I move? Can I bring the modem with me? Is there an
activation charge at my new home?
-
Can I use my own modem or router?
- Is this a wireless service?
Can I use wifi?
- Cable
vs DSL ?
See also
the Glossary
1.
When will the Sentex High Speed service be available in my area?
To see if the
Sentex Residential High Speed service is available in your area,
please call our offices at 1-888-473-6839 since service availabity depends on many factors, and we can assist you best over the phone. The Residential High
Speed service will only be available in areas where the Bell Central
Offices can provide their DSL and Gateway Access Services.
2.
I live in an area where the Residential High Speed service is
available. Why can't I get it?
There are several
reasons that prevent us from providing service to customers:
- Too far. Telephone lines
don't follow a straight line to a house. It may not look far,
but lines follow paths that may add quite some length to the
wire. It is the actual measurement of the wire that determines
if a customer is within or outside the distance of availability.
The range for the Residential High Speed service is within a
loop length of 4.5 km from the Bell Central Office
- There is a second line in the house, and both lines share
the same physical copper wire. The technology used in that case
is called Added Main Line (AML) and is not compatible with the
Residential High Speed service.
- The Bell Canada Central Office to which you are connected
is not equipped with the technology needed for the Residential
High Speed service. Although this technology is
already available to more than 2 million households in Ontario
and Quebec, not all Central Offices in the serving areas are
equipped.
- Your telephone line is connected to the Central Office
through a "remote" office. This technology has been
used to provide telephone service to developing areas. Unfortunately,
the "remote" does not use copper wire therefore is
not compatible for the Residential High Speed service.
- The telephone network was developed in stages, over the
years, as demand increased in expanding geographic areas. Different
distribution patterns were used at different times to get the
telephone service to neighbourhoods. This evolution may sometimes
result in line conditions that are not compatible with the Residential
High Speed service.
3.
Do I need another telephone line?
What are filters?
No. The Residential
High Speed service uses technology which enables simultaneous
transmission of voice and data over your existing phone line.
You can surf the Internet and call a friend at the same time.
Or, you can surf the net and use your fax (send or receive) at
the same time. You will need a filter for each phone (or
fax or answering machine or alarm system) that uses the same line.
Depending on the modem it may come with a jack that is already
filtered. You do not need and you should not use a filter
between the modem and the wall. If you already have two
or more phone lines choose the line with the fewest devices on
it.
4.
What happens when I bring my computer to the cottage? Do I have
to bring the modem too?
The Residential
High Speed service is a line related service. That means that
the service works only on a line that has been programmed accordingly
and to which the ADSL modem is connected. The
two components must be present for the service to work.
5. How long will it take before my Residential High Speed
service is activated?
It will take
approximately 5 business days to activate your Residential High
Speed service. There may be delays if there is a discrepancy with
the name you have provided and the name on your Bell phone bill,
or if Bell runs out of line cards at their Central Office nearest
you. We will notify you with the setup date after you sign up, and if there are any delays.
6.
Does the Residential High Speed service include e-mail? What if
I need more e-mail addresses? How much storage do I have with
each e-mail address?/
The Residential
High Speed service includes one e-mail account with 65 MB of storage
space. The service also includes up to 5 email addresses per account.
7.
Does the Residential High Speed service provide Personal Webspace
capabilities?
Yes, as a subscriber
you are entitled to 50 MB of Personal Webspace. Your Webspace
remains empty until you put a Web page in it.
8.
Does the Residential High Speed service offer any protection against
viruses or hacking?
It is your responsibility
to safeguard your system through appropriate means (i.e. using
commercially available software) from theft, unauthorized use
or system corruption. The Residential High Speed service only
provides access to the Internet and has no responsibility towards
file content that you may download from the Internet or receive
in your e-mail.
To increase
security while you are connected, you may choose to use a firewall,
or an FTP program to restrict or limit users to your computer
or directory.
We do scan your email for spam and viruses, and do our best to filter as much of both as possible. We will also contact you if suspicious activity is detected from your computer or computers in order to isolate and solve the problem.
9.
Is there anything I should read before starting to use the Residential
High Speed service?
Yes. You should
read the Terms and Conditions and Acceptable
Use Policy that come with your Start-Up Kit, as they clearly
define what the service includes and its limitations, and what
your responsibilities are towards the use of the Residential High
Speed service.
10.
I would like to know about the Terms and Conditions before I sign
up. Where can I find them?
The Terms
and Conditions are available online on our Web site. You may
read the Terms and Conditions without submitting an order.
11.
What are the highlights of the Terms and Conditions?
The Service
Agreement of the Residential High Speed service states that this
service is for personal residential use only. As such, you cannot
resell the bandwidth or provide high-speed access to anyone else.
The service cannot be connected to a business line.
In terms of
technical support, Sentex Customer Services will support:
- the ADSL modem we provide
- the connection from the jack to the modem and from the
modem to one computer or router
12.
What are my installation options?
Full Installation (an $80 fee applies)
A Sentex Technical Support staff will come to your home to setup the connection to the internet, including making sure filters are installed, the modem is configured and plugged in, and that any computers are connected with either wired or wireless connections.
Self Installation (free!)
Many customers choose to do the installation themselves. Your
modem will be available for pickup at the Sentex offices, upon
arrangement with one of our sales representatives. At this time, we can also configure a router or other connecting device if brought to the office if required.
13.
How easy is it to install myself?
Most of our
customers have opted to install the service themselves. Many routers are have setup wizards and other connection specifications that are easy to setup. The modem should be able to plugin to a configured router and a phonejack without much hassle. Between those things, that's most of what is needed.
14.
What does the support technician do?
The technician
will provide, install and configure the ADSL modem, the router (if any), and the computers that will be connecting. Once the installation has been
completed, the technician will perform tests to ensure connectivity
to the Internet.
15.
Can I buy the ADSL Modem, instead of renting it, and therefore
avoid its monthly rental charge?
Yes. Ask a salesperson for the current price or check the
residential signup form.
16.
If I go to another ISP that is offering similar high speed service,
can I use the ADSL modem that I currently lease from the Residential
High Speed service?
Yes! If you have purchased an ADSL modem from us it will work with any provider who also provides ADSL service. You may need to speak to the new provider about configuring the modem however.
17.
What happens if I move? Can I bring the modem with me? Is there
an activation charge at my new home?
If you are moving,
please call (519) 651-3400 as soon as you know your new address,
postal code and telephone number. If service is available in your
new area, a Sentex customer service representative will
issue a request to move your service. Activation and/or disconnection
charges may apply for cancellations, moving or reactivation, the most up to date charges will be listed here. If you are
moving to an area where the Residential High Speed service is
not available, a rental modem must be returned. We require written
notice for an account cancellation. A purchased ADSL modem is, of course, yours.
18.
Can I use my own modem or router?
Yes, if you have a modem from another provider, or have purchased your own you can use it. Depending on the provider some settings may be different for us, and it may require some configuring. We can help you get through any of these changes over the phone, or you can bring us the modem and we can set it up.
Routers all need some configuration, whether for the wireless network name and password to be set or the Sentex username to be entered so it connects automatically. We can do the setup for you at our office, or can walk you through how to do it over the phone. Most routers also have a Wizard to help you set them up, and if you are using that wizard you will need to setup the modem as PPPoE.
19.
Is this a wireless service? Can I use wifi?
DSL service does not do wireless by itself, you will need to have a wifi router. One option is to buy a wifi router/modem combination unit from us, which can be setup to do wifi. The other option is to buy a wireless router from a third party, which will allow you to setup wireless alongside one of our regular modems.
20.
Cable vs. DSL ?
Cable modems are typically faster for downloads than most if
not all DSL lines, when the cable infrastructure is new or well
maintained. However, cable has a few disadvantages to DSL.
The first disadvantage is that cable is an RF network -- this
means that it is vulnerable to transient problems "within the
network" from RF interference. Since cable is a shared media,
there is a possibility that performance may degrade over time
as additional households plug in, connect additional devices (videos,
game consoles) to the TV lines.
A cable company may react slowly to decreases in performance,
as they never sell access by speed, or promise consistent speed
or latency.
One of the largest disadvantages of cable over DSL is the upstream
(return path). Cable companies are using a very narrow band for
return signaling, below all the space allocated for TV channels.
This band is prone to RF interference and is very limited in capacity.
Upstream transmissions may therefore compete with others in the
area, get delayed (suffer high latency) due to noise fighting
techniques, and cable Terms Of Service typically prohibit any
kind of constant upstream use. Internet use is shifting away from
central servers broadcasting to many individuals and some interesting
peer to peer applications are appearing (games, voice and video
applications, communal libraries). These applications need a strong
upstream channel.
In summary, cable modems are currently good value and strong competition
for residential casual use. However, DSL is probably the more
future-proof system, offering digital direct from the internet
infrastructure. Your performance in either direction will not
be different from peak hour to early morning, and DSL lines are
available for a wide variety of purposes, both business and residential.
