- 1. How do I install a wireless card?
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You need to first install your device drivers. They are on the disk/CD that
came with your card. After installing your drivers, you will want to shut down
your computer, insert your wireless card, and restart. Your computer should
detect new hardware and offer to search for the correct drivers. It will find
them, and you will be able to use your new hardware.
When setting up your wireless card, you will be asked for two settings. The
SSID needs to be set to shakanet (this must be all lower-case
letters). The mode needs to be set to Infrastructure.
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- 2. How do I install a wireless USB adapter?
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You need to install your device drivers before plugging in your USB
device. Insert the disk or CD that came packaged with your USB adapter and
install the drivers from that disk. Then, after shutting down your computer,
plug in your USB device and restart. Your computer should auto-detect the new
hardware and offer to search for drivers. After it finds them, you will be
able to use your USB device.
When setting up your USB adapter, you will be asked for two settings. The
SSID needs to be set to shakanet (this must be all lower-case
letters). The mode needs to be set to Infrastructure.
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- 3. How does a wireless card work?
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Your wireless card works similarly to a wired network card. It sends and
receives data packets at high speeds. Instead of sending these packets down a
wire, your card uses radio signals to communicate with our equipment.
ShakaNet's radios then send your data through our Wireless Backbone out to the
internet.
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- 4. Can I get a stable connection using wireless technology?
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Certainly! ShakaNet works with our Roaming Providers to help place
transmitters in locations that will maximize our coverage and minimize disruptions in
our customers' service. While fluctuations in signal strength are normal, we
strive to make your internet experience as worry-free as possible.
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- 5. What type of equipment is compatible with ShakaNet's service?
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Click here to see a list of compatible and supported equipment.
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- 7. What do I do if I have an active account and cannot log on?
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Occasionally you may find that you have an adequate signal, but are unable
to log on or browse. If this is the case, please follow our online
instructions to fix this problem. To find the proper instructions, please
click on your operating system in the list below.
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- 9. What do I do if I have a slow connection?
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Slow connection speeds are often a result of heavy traffic elsewhere on the
internet. Often the speed of the server you are trying to access does not use as much bandwidth
as your connection is capable of handling. To find out if the problem exists on our network, do the following:
- At a command prompt, type: ping 208.13.6.105.
- At a command prompt, ping the address you are trying to access, i.e.
ping www.yahoo.com.
Anything under 300ms return time is an acceptable response to the first
test. If your response time is much higher on the second test, you know the
problem exists outside our network.
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- 10. What do I do if I lose my signal?
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Check your wireless card or USB adapter -- there should be a link light. If
this light is not lit, then you are not picking up a signal. In order to fix
this problem, please select your operating system below for a step-by-step
walk-through.
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- 11. How do I update my equipment's device drivers?
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Periodically, equipment manufacturers will issue updates to existing device
drivers. These updates exist to enhance the performance of your equipment.
Typically, such updates will be posted to the manufacturer's website. From
there, you will be able to download the proper drivers. Installation
instructions will be provided either on the website or with the downloaded
files. Simply follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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- 12. How often should I update my equipment's device drivers?
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It is a good idea to update your drivers any time the manufacturer issues
new drivers. New drivers issued by the manufacturer often contain minor bug
fixes and upgrades to existing configuration software. However, if your
equipment is running smoothly, there is no immediate need to upgrade.
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- 13. Can I upgrade my account to a higher speed?
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No. The speed of your connection is dependent upon the type of circuit providing Internet access
to the radio at your location. ShakaNet Wireless does not regularly throttle or reduce connection speeds.
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- 14. Can I change my hardware?
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As long as the hardware you change to is compatible with ShakaNet's service,
you may change your hardware at any time.
Click here to see a list of compatible and supported equipment.
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- 15. Can I get a static IP for my account?
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Unfortunately, static IPs are not available at most locations. Please contact the owner of the Hot Spot in
question for details about that specific location.
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- 16. How many email addresses do I get with my account?
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ShakaNet Wireless does not provide email addresses to roaming subscribers. Free email addresses are available on
the Internet at sites such as Yahoo! and Hotmail.
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- 17. How can I increase my signal strength?
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Check your surroundings for anything that might impede your signal. Some
things you may find that can interfere with wireless signals are
pillars or stanchions and potted plants. Also, several wireless
cards on the market are built to boost your signal. If your signal is not strong enough for your liking with
your current card, you might consider looking for an adapter with a greater signal gain
as an alternative.
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- 18. What is the minimum signal strength to get connected?
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Typically, we try to provide you with a signal strength of at least 40% or
more to make sure that your internet experience is the best possible. We have
seen browsing at strengths as low as 30%, however.
Keep in mind that different cards or drivers
may report different strengths at the same location. Use your signal meter only as a rough guide
for troubleshooting.
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- 19. Does a low signal strength mean that I am connecting at a slower connection rate?
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If you are experiencing slow connection speeds, low signal strength could
be the cause. However, low signal strength does not always mean slow speeds.
If you are able to connect at a reasonable rate, the signal strength is
irrelevant.
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- 20. Is my wireless connection secure and safe from hackers?
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Your connection is no more prone to hackers than a hard-wired connection
such as cable or DSL. Generally it is a good idea to turn off File and Print
Sharing when it is not actively being used.
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- 21. Who do I call to support my equipment?
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For 802.11(b) wireless card support, please refer to the manufacturer's
instructions for support.
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- 22. Does ShakaNet sell equipment?
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Currently ShakaNet does not sell any hardware equipment.
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- 23. What happens if I forget to log out?
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ShakaNet logs out customers who forget to do so before shutting down.
Currently at most of our locations, the radio will automatically log you out if it cannot see
your adapter for three minutes or longer. Thus, if you forget to log out or accidentally close your status/logout
window, you can log yourself out by removing your wireless adapter from your computer.
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- 24. What happens if I forget my password?
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Call Customer Service to have a representative look up your password.
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- 25. Does my account have any session limits?
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No. ShakaNet does not use session limits.
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- 26. Can I have more than one person log on with my user ID?
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ShakaNet currently does not support concurrent logins from different
computers.
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- 27. Can I use my account at all ShakaNet locations?
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If you already have your computer set up to use ShakaNet service, you can
use ShakaNet at any of our locations! Simply turn your computer on and log in,
and your computer will have a high-speed connection to the internet.
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- 28. How can I use ShakaNet's service when traveling?
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You can use your connection at any location where ShakaNet provides service.
Simply turn your computer on, open your browser and log in, and you will
be connected!
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- 33. Do I have to be logged into ShakaNet's service to get my email?
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Yes, when connecting through ShakaNet you must have logged in to access
email.
Note: End-Users are not provided an email address by ShakaNet Wireless.
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- 34. What is the maximum size of a file or attachment that I can send via email?
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The maximum size of email attachments is dictated by the mail server through which you send your messages. If
you use ShakaNet's mail server, you will be limited to 5MB per message.
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- 35. What is the normal connection rate for my wireless account?
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Connection speed is dependent upon the type of circuit that is providing Internet access to the radio
at your location. Your actual speed may be affected by the number of ShakaNet customers accessing the
Internet at your specific location, as well as traffic across the internet as a whole.
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- 36. Can I use FTP with my account?
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Certainly! You may access the internet in any way you like after logging in
to ShakaNet.
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- 37. How do I use FTP to transfer a file?
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You need to obtain a program that allows you to use FTP. The program should
come with documentation on how to use it effectively. Unfortunately, ShakaNet
does not support the use of such software.
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- 38. How do I know if I am connected to the Internet?
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Your wireless card or USB adapter will have a link light. If this light is
lit, you are connected to ShakaNet's radio. If you are able to browse to various websites, then you are
connected to the Internet! You will only be able to browse after logging in.
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- 39. Do I have to logout to deactivate my account?
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You are encouraged to log out when you are finished. Doing so will keep you
from being billed for extra time. However, ShakaNet will automatically log you
off after the radio is unable to detect your adapter for three minutes.
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- 40. I'm only getting 50 KB per second speed, why is this slower than my 56k dialup?
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Actually, you are getting almost 8 times the speed of your dialup! This is a common misconception with how dialup bandwidth speeds are reported. On the Internet, or any network, bandwidth is reported as Kb (kilobits). However, in almost all operating systems (all Microsoft Windows included), bandwidth and storage are reported as KB (kilobytes). The difference being that there are 8 bits in one byte. For example. A 56kbps dialup modem will have a maximum download speed of about 4 KB per second. Why? Because FCC limits the speed at which dialup can connect to 53Kbps, which gives a maximum trasfer rate of 6.6 KBps. Plus when you take in to account noise on your phone line, you're lucky to get about 5 KB per second speeds.
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