Q. What
exactly is the Connect Pricing & Service FAQ?
A. FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions, which serves to inform people of the most common questions and answers on a given topic. This Connect FAQ exists to give you, our valued customer, a bit of insight on how we are able to provide the best rates on Internet in the area, coupled with the best service.
Q.
Why do I need to read this FAQ?
A. Both new and seasoned customers sometimes equate Low price with low Quality. Connect is proud to be a premier Internet Service Presence throughout Western North Carolina. This FAQ hopes to explain a bit about how we do this.
Connect Pricing and Service FAQ
Q.
How do you keep such low prices??
A. Good management. Many national ISPs offer their services at up to $39.99 a month and many still lose money. Connect was founded on a desire to be the best for the lowest price. Here are some ways we accomplish this.
Avoiding postal invoices. All due accounts are emailed as they become due. With mailing and printing costs out of control, the savings from operating this way are staggering.
Aggressive negotiation. All ISPs have to purchase bandwidth, software, hardware and services from larger national companies. Connect is no exception. We save you money by finding the best deals and performance combinations available.
Smart Scheduling We analyze the call pattersn of our users, and schedule help desk staff accordingly. Sure, 24 hour service is good for a select few, but most analysts agree, the common Internet user is online from 10am-12pm and 4pm-8pm. We keep our staff avaialble during these hours, so more of your calls get answered-fast. 95% of our users are offline at 3am, so why pay for a staff at that time?
Zero Advertising Simply put - We have gotten where were are today by word of mouth. We do place small ads in the Yellow Pages and such, but the fact that Connect does not spend millions feeding an exorbitant advertising budget means that you pay less. it is a testament to the quality of our service that our valued customers provide our best advertising.
Q.
Do you cut corners in Equipment?
A.
Absolutely not. We use the absolute state of the art in all our systems. This is one area where we refuse to accept second best. Our equipment is chosen after careful consideration, research into the efficiency, speed, power and serviceability of the unit.
We regularly scan our systems for any sign of failure, and strive to keep our systems operational 100% of the time. While periodic glitches and system maintenance are unavoidable, we can safely say that our equipment rivals that of any ISP, regardless of price.
Q.
Most Low-Cost ISPs skimp on modems. Does Connect?
A.
Absolutely Not. The standard user to modem ratio for most ISPs is currently 10:1. Which means, if you get a busy signal, it should go away within 5 minutes. Larger providers like AOL keep a ratio closer to 30:1, which causes widespread busy signals for hours on end.
Connect strives to keep a 6:1 user-to-modem ratio and always below 8:1 - That means, barring any telephone service outage, busy signals will not happen during peak times- or anytime.
Q. The modem dials, screeches forever, then disconnects!
A.This "screeching" is called a handshake, and it is where modems identify their capabilities to each other and attempt to make the best connection possible given current phone line conditions.. When this screech takes longer than 15-20 seconds, it is likely that there is something interfering with the connection. This could be phone line noise, outdated modem driver, faulty phone cord, or a signal dropout. (You've experienced this before when you call someone and can barely hear the other party's voice). Remember: until your call hits our digital network, your call is going through the same lines as normal phone calls do, which in Western North Carolina are highly susceptible to moisture, heavy use and are not conducive to 56K speeds in many neighborhoods. Also, modems are highly sensitive to sudden changes in line condition and quality. Finally, every phone call you make may take one of several paths through your telephone company. it is possible that some routes are not as "clean" as others. When this happens, you should simply try calling in again and more often than not, the problem will go away.
However, persistent occurrences of this may indicate is a more serious matter. Your modem settings play a very important part in the quality (and ability) of the modem to connect. If you are having this problem often, you may need to modify your modem's settings. Generally, this involves:
Verifying you have your port speed set normally (between 38400k and 57600k)
Verifying you have error correction enabled
Verifying you are not running any fax/answering machine software while trying to connect.
Verifying your 56K modem has a V.90 driver, not K56Flex or older X2.
Connect Support will be glad to walk you through these settings.
Q. When I dial, I hear an operator talking through my modem!
A.: This has many causes. Connect uses newly created phone exchanges, and North Carolina just went through an area code switch. So, this is still somewhat frequent. Here is a list of some of the messages you may receive, and what they really mean:
All circuits to the customer you are dialing are busy = Standard Busy signal
The number you have dialed (Area code + number) cannot be completed as dialed = Your dialup settings are dialing the area code in addition to your local 7 digit number. Make sure these are removed from your dialer's screen, and try again.
Fast busy signal = Your local phone company is too busy to process your call at this time. This is NOT a Connect busy signal.
The number you have dialed is not in service = A random message given to some of the newer exchanges we've added. Try calling the number from a telephone, and if you continue to get this message, contact your local phone company and ask them to give you access to this local number.
It is not necessary to dial the prefix, One or zero when dialing this number = Your dialer is attempting to include the 1 + Area code when dialing. Make sure it is removed.
Q. My modem worked fine until today/last week, now the computer can't find it!
A.: This also has many causes. Usually, it's just a glitch in your operating system. In Windows, you can run the Add new Hardware wizard from your control panel and see if the modem reappears. If it does not, sometimes powering off the computer, then turning it back on will cause the modem to be redetected.
Note: Some modems will require a driver disk to be reinstalled. You should have this handy, or contact your computer or modem vendor to obtain one. Connect does not change your system hardware configuration in any way, therefore we cannot help you reinstall your modem, should it stop working.
If this problem occurs after a series of power failures, or an electrical storm, it is possible that your modem may have been damaged by a power spike. The best way to avoid this is to always unplug your modem from the phone jack during a storm (surge protectors don't always work) and never use the Internet during an electrical storm. Doing so risks destroying your entire computer.
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