Southwestern New Mexico On-Line, in the dial-up internet business for about the past two ½ years, now also offers a new, exciting alternative to get on the internet. BreezeAccess II Wireless Internet from Alvarion allows for a 24/7 connection to the internet at remarkable speeds, with, best of all, no phone lines. In the past three months working in wireless we have seen very little down time for our wireless customers. The service is very reliable.
Each wireless customer either purchases or leases equipment to be located at their home or business pointed to our antenna atop the Little Florida Mountains. The inside radio unit interfaces with your computer via a standard RJ45 network card connector. If you don't currently have a network card, we will supply one. We will also supply all necessary poles and mounting hardware for the antenna in the cost of setup. The basic unit is designed for a one-computer enviroment. More expensive radio units are available designed for multiple computers, OR you can choose a router/hub or router/switch option. Ask for details. Each customer's computer is assigned a static (doesn't change) IP number. The user is responsible for providing security if desired. Some router/switches provide hardware firewall protection. Other software firewalls, some good and some bad, are available on the internet. We do not endorse any one product.
Our wireless system utilizes the 2.4GHz (ISM) band. This band is regulated, but not licensed by the FCC. BreezeAccess uses the frequency hopping technique as opposed to direct sequence. The system is effected very little by severe weather. Rain, dust-- bring 'em on. The system is virtually uneffected by outside conditions (other then high winds, which can result in antennas shifting). Our wireless bandwidth (total of 3Mbps) is shared among all wireless users. What this means is that while speeds average over 250kbps, you will occasionally see slower speeds, but most often faster speeds. Since the bandwidth is shared, we ask wireless customers to NOT run a webserver on their machine(s). Distance from our antenna is also a factor. The better your signal the better the throughput with fewer errors. When we approach capacity (about 50 customers) we will add an additional access point, doubling our capacity.
Our system is different then satellite-PC systems in that upload and download speeds are the same. Your signal is relayed via a wireless connection to our office, where we connect with our T-1 hooking in to the MCI Worldcom backbone. The Worldcom connection has proved very reliable.
Each wireless account also includes a standard dial up account, including email and web server space on request. A standard dial-up account is an $18.50 per month value.
Compare to other available services. Many areas in Deming have access to ISDN. The maximum speed using both A and B channels is 128kbps. The cost is about $78 a month to Qwest (last time I checked), and about $30 to your ISP. DSL and Cable are not currently available in Deming. Also, if you currently have a dedicated line for your computer, you can disconnect it, since there's no need for a phone line, saving $25-30 a month.
