Q. What is wireless high-speed Internet?
A. The wireless high-speed Internet that Quadro offers is a point-to-point technology that originates from an antenna located on a cell tower or water tower. A receiver antenna is mounted on the customer’s property, usually on the side of a house or on the roof. From that antenna a cable runs into the house to a small device that is then plugged into a computer.
Q. My computer has a wireless card in it; can I just use that instead of your antenna?
A. No. Wireless cards in laptops and PCs are designed to communicate with wireless routers, thus eliminating the need for lots of cables throughout your house. A wireless router can be used in conjunction with Quadro’s wireless service.
Q. Is wireless high-speed available to me?
A. Our wireless service is dependant on two factors: distance and line of sight (LOS). The range of our wireless signal is 15-20km and LOS plays a big factor. Currently Quadro offers wireless high-speed from the Lucan Water Tower, our cell tower near Russeldale and the Timmermans Elevator north-east of Mitchell. Please click the thumbnail images below for a larger view of the maps of each of our towers for approximate locations.
Before calling you should check to see if there is a clear LOS from anywhere on your property to either tower. The Lucan Water Tower is fairly easy to identify but the Cellular tower is a little trickier. It is usually easier to look for at night when you can see it by the light on top that does not blink.
If you can see either of these towers, and are within 15km, chances are you can get it. Give us a call at 519-229-8933 to arrange an appointment where our service technicians will go to your property to do a site survey and determine if it is available to you. If it is the installation will be done immediately.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. The monthly cost of the wireless service is $45. A router and surge protector are also needed. They are available to purchase from Quadro or the customer can supply their own. There is no installation fee for basic installs.
Q. Is there a contract I have to sign?
A. All that Quadro requires is that you keep the connection for a minimum of three months. After that you are free to cancel the account if you wish.
Q. What are the requirements for my computer?
A. The same as any other high-speed connection. Your computer must have a Network Interface Card (NIC) in it. The minimum recommended requirements are a Pentium 3 500 MHz with at least 64MB RAM. The speed of your computer will directly affect the quality of your Internet connection. If the computer cannot display multimedia quickly it won’t make a difference how fast your Internet connection is.
Q. Can I connect more than one computer to the Internet?
A. Yes! A router “splits” the connection so you can have four computers connected to the Internet at the same time.
Q. I’ve heard many bad things regarding the security of wireless connections. Is Quadro’s wireless safe?
A. Quadro’s high-speed wireless is using a different technology then what normal routers, laptops and PC’s use, so no one will be able to hijack your connection. However, if you use a wireless router you will still need to ensure that it is secured so only you and the people you want can connect through it.
