WildBlue Questions & Answers The following are answers to commonly asked questions about WildBlue. General Information: What is the WildBlue service and where is it available? Wildblue is a high-speed internet access service for homes, home offices and small offices. It will be available in virtually every location across the continental United States. Why should I get WildBlue? WildBlue provides access to the internet at much higher speeds than dial-up access, up to 1.5Mbps which is more than 30 times faster than dial-up. A whole new world of content will open up to you with your broadband connection. Ansd with WildBlue, you get an "always on" connection which means no dialing-in or other delays to get high-speed access to the internet. How hard is it to use? Not hard at all. Once we professionally install your WildBlue system, you are ready to surf the internet at lightning fast speeds. You can use your same web-browser, go to the same sites, use your email, etc. just like you always have...but a lot faster! And it's always on so no more dialing-in delays, or getting "bumped off". Who do I call if  I have a problem? You just call our friendly customer care agents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What equipment is needed to get the WildBlue service? It's easy. All you need is a WildBlue minidish and a WildBlue modem. What are my minimum computer system requirements? Most computers in use today will meet our minimum system requirements. If you don't know if you meet them, please contact us and we can help you figure it out.         PC/Windows: 300 MHz or faster processing speed, minimum 128 MB Random Asccess Memory (RAM), and Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP operating system. 100MB of hard drive space and an ethernet card are required.         Macintosh: 300MHz or faster processing spped, 128MB Random Access Memory (RAM), and OS 9, OS 10.2 or highter operating system. 100 MB of hard drive space and an ethernet card are required. Are there any cancellation fees? WildBlue custoemrs are required to sign a service contract when they initiate servcie. If you disconnect your service before the cocntract expires, there will be a cancellation fee equal to the price of your monthly service multiplied by the remaining number of months in your contract. What kind of speed can I expect? WildBlue will offer different packages that provide you different speed levels. Our core Value Service will offer up to 512kbps download speed. We plan to offer other services with up to 1.5Mbps download speeds. Services and Prices: What does WildBlue cost? There are two costs - an upfront fee to pay for the equipment and professional installation, and a monthly service fee for the high-speed internet access. We will offer a variety of packages at different monthly fees, including a Value Service at  $49.95 per month. What types of email options do I get with my WildBlue account? We offer an advanced suite of internet services including the commonly used POP3 (like Outlook or Outlook Express) and web-based email options. Our subscribers will receive between 5 and 10 email addresses )each with at least 10 MB capacity depending on the package chosen). More email addresses and additional capacity are available. Learn more about the packages we offer. Do I get web space with my WildBlue account? Yes. We provide customer's with between 10 and 20MB of web space as part of thier WildBlue service package. The exact storage space depends on which package you choose to buy. Learn more about the packages we offer. Do I get dial-up servcie my WildBlue account? Dial-up service comes standard with the Pro-Pack, and is an available upgrade option on the other service packs. This is a remote-access dial-up service allowing you to access your email when you are not at home or out of the office. Instructions =for remote access will be included with your installation. If I have WildBlue, do I need an additional account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)? No. The WildBlue service includes all key ISP features like email, we space, etc. If you prefer, you can continue to use your existing email account and use the WildBlue serive for your broadband internet access. If I sign up for WildBlue servcie, can I keep my AOL account? Yes, if you prefer. You can use WildBlue for high-speed broadband internet access and keep you AOL service if, for example, you want to retain you current email account. You will need to pay a separate fee directly to AOL beyond your monthly WildBlue fee. Please contact AOL directly for more information. Will you limit heavy bandwidth users? As is standard with other internet service providers, WildBlue will ensure that its servcie operates at optimum speeds for all of its customers.Since WildBlue is a shared network, we will have a Fair Access Policy to ensure that extraordinary usage by a few customers doesn't negatively affect the normal usage of other customers. For the vast majority of users, the Fair Access Policy will have no effect on thier usage. For a few very heavy bandwidth users, the system may restrict thier bandwidth and therefore thier speed. WildBlues Fair Access Policy will be well documented and communicated to you before you become a custoemr. We plan to offer multiple service levles that should accommodate most users needs. Do you offer a limited warranty on the equipment? Yes. You will recieve a manufacturer's warranty on all equipment at no charge when you become a customer. Availability Information: Can I get WildBlue service in a mobile vehicle like an RV or Boat? Not at this time. WildBlue service was designed for stationary locations like homes and small businesses. We do not offer broadband service for mobile vehicles at this time. Installation Information: What will the installation process be like? Can I install my own dish? Our professional installers will quickly and efficiently install equipment and activate WildBlue's broadband sercie at your chosen location. The satellite mini-dish is about 26 inches x 28 inches and can be easily mounted on a roof, outside wall or in the groudn. A cable from the dish will connect to a satellite modem (a small box usually placed next to the computer), which will connect to your computer via an Ethernet connection. Installation will require an installation professional to make sure that the dish is pointed at the satellite accurately and to verify that all connections are made properly. Self installation is not currently being offered. Can I use wiereleess home networking with WildBlue? Yes. WildBlue is compatible with all major wireless home networking products. Do customers have to have a phone line in addition to the satellite connection? No. WildBlue offers an efficient 2-way broadband connection that requires no phone lines. Do I need a souther line of sight to recieve a signal from your satellite? Yes. You will need a clear view of the southern sky to recieve a signal from the WildBlue satellite. Technical Information: How fast is this service? How does it compare to cable modems and DSL? WildBlue's always-on broadband internet connection provides a user experience similar to most DSL and cable modem services. At launch, we will offer downstream speeds of up to 1.5Mbps - more than 30 times faster than today's dial-up speeds. Upload speeds of up to 256Kbps will also be available. WildBlue's high bandwidth opens up a window to a world of rich content that is largely unavailable through dial-up modems. (NOTE: speeds for the $49.95 Value Pak are up to 512Kbps download and up to 128Kbps upload). What operating systems are compatible with the WildBlue service? Windows/PC: Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP or Vista Mac: OS9, OS10.2 or higher Will WildBlue work with Macintosh computers? Yes. The WildBlue serice is compatible with Macintosh computers. What Web browsers and email clients does WildBlue support? Web Browsers: Windows/PC: Internet Explorer 5.5 & 6, Netscape 6 & 7.x, Mozilla 1.7.3, Firefox 1.x Mac: Netscape 7.x, Safari 1.x, Mozilla 1.7.3, Firefox 1.x Email Clients: Windows/PC: Outlood Express 5 & 6, Outlook XP & 2003, Netwscape Mail 6 & 7 Mac: Outlook Express 5, Outlook 2001, Ooutlook 2004, Netscape Mail 6 & 7, Apple mail Will I be able to use a virtual private network (VPN) with the WildBlue service? Yes. WildBlue recommends the use of SSL-based VPNs as they work well on the WildBlue network because they work efficiently over a satellite connection. IP Sec-based VPNs may be slower due to the effects of latency. Our customer care representatives can explain more to you about VPNs. What is the impact of latency? Can I play real-time internet games or make internet phone calls on your service? The WildBlue system is engineered to help offset the impact of latency, which is the delay caused by sending signals from the earth to the satellite and back again. However, there is a delay of about a quarter second as the signal travels up to the satellite and back down to the ground. For most applications this latency does not affect performance, however, there are some applications like voice over IP (telephone service deliverd over the internet, also known as VoIP), or real-time interactive gaming, where latency will have a noticeable effect on performance over the WildBlue network, as it would on any satellite-delivered service. What if my computer did not come with a Network Interface Card (NIC)? What can I do? Many computers can be upgraded with a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) - which you can find at almost any consumer electronics store, or at an online store. If you are comfortable with opening your computer and installing hardware, most Ethernet NICs can be self-installed. check with your computer manufacturer for more information on the right Ethernet NIC for you system. Also, if you hae an available USB port on your computer, you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter (available at almost any consumer electronics store, or online - see image below). This may be easeier to install than a PCI card in you computer. For a laptop, you can purchase a standard PCMCIA card that provides an Ethernet connection, or you can purchase a  USB Ethernet adapter as well. We recommend that you upgrade you computer to meet all of the requirements listed above to get the most out of your internet experience. How can I tell if my computer has a Network Interface (Ethernet) Card? The Network Interface Card (NIC) will be located on the back of you computer, it looks like a LARGE modular phone plug: It will have two or more small indicator lights next to the connector as in the illustration above. Alternately, the lights may be located to either side of the recessed area the clip of the cord snaps into. On new machines the NIC may be located next to the USB ports and marked with this symbol:    Here's a picture of the back of a newer machine showing the location of the Network Adapter: Is WildBlue service affected by weather? The WildBlue service is only minimally affected by weather, and only under extreme conditions. The WildBlue service will offer availability equal to that of satellite TV. Like satellite TV services, during a very heavy rainstorm, you may notice slower WildBlue speeds, but this should normally only last a few minutes. Can some computers (windows) slow down the WildBlue internet? No. WildBlue will operate at the same speed regardless of the computer connected. Some (especially older)_ computers will operate slower but that is due to the computer, not the WildBlue internet service. (see minimum computer requirements.) Can I still use Microsoft Outlook? Yes How is the wireless internet set up and what is the difference if any or effects? The installation is the same as it would be dfor DSL or cable broadband. Only a single computer system is included in you FREE standard installation. How many computers can WBI network for me and what is all included? A single computer system is included in your FREE standard installation. If you want to setup your own wired or wireless home network, you can ()after standard installation is complete). WBI is not able to set up a network for you, but our toll-free WildBlue tech support line may help if you are using LinkSys brand router for home networking. The user agreement for WildBlue allows 3 computers to use WildBlue at the same time. If I chosse to set up my own network using WildBlue, will all of my computers be able to use the internet at the same time? Will this affect internet speeds? The WildBlue user agreement allows up to 3 computers to use WildBlue at the same time. Having multiple computers set up will not slow down the WildBlue serrvice, BUT each computer is sharing the connection. So, if one compujter is downloading large files the other users will be competing for the same bandwidth. Normally this is not an issue unless you get two or more compjters downloading large amounts of data AT THE SAME TIME. This is true of any internet connection, not just WildBlue.