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The End of Invoices
[January 22, 2009] ISP executives urge colleagues to go digital and stop sending out paper invoices.

Dealing With AT&T
[September 23, 2008] It's not just end users who find it tough to use AT&T—even partner ISPs have a rough ride.

Looking for a Generator
[September 11, 2008] Almost every ISP today needs a generator. Choosing one is a big decision, and ISP owners share their advice in this article.

Setting Up a Hotspot
[September 4, 2008] WISPs share advice on adding a hotspot to your network.

Trouble With AM and FM Towers
[August 21, 2008] It's not easy to handle the power of the commercial radios on these towers, but some are able to provide strategies.

If You're Building a Small Tower
[August 11, 2008] Veterans say it's better to go with a prefab tower than to try to design your own, and that it's obvious where to go to get one.

Tower Climber Safety
[July 29, 2008] Those with experience in the WISP business take tower safety and tower climbers seriously.

Mikrotik Heat Issue Solved
[July 25, 2008] A member of our ISP-Wireless list reports a problem with Mikrotik boards, and then gets the solution from Mikrotik support.

About the Iowa Floods
[June 17, 2008] A member of the ISP-Wireless list writes about his experience of the floods, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The Long Term Consequences of a Small Town Ruling
[May 21, 2008] A veteran telecom consultant warns that arcane rules allow ILECs of all sizes to work to mutual advantage to milk money from the federal government.

ISPs Want Reliable Speed Tests
[March 25, 2008] This is not a new problem, but as ISPs offer faster speeds and a larger menu of options, users are becoming more demanding.

Affiliate Marketing
[February 11, 2008] The experts discuss an error that many ISPs make when designing their affiliate marketing program.

When Solar Power Leaves You in the Dark
[February 4, 2008] Renewable energy is great, but using it may force you to redesign your tower site.

Request for Feedback for an ISPCON Session
[January 17, 2008] What's your top sales or marketing concern?

Mbit Pricing in 2008
[December 10, 2007] The experts on our ISP-Lists discuss the future price of bandwidth. Of course everyone expects the price to drop, but few agree on how much or why.

Monitoring the Network
[November 28, 2007] On the ISP-Wireless list, members discuss a perennial topic: network monitoring. The coversation stays the same but the ISPs are refining their open source tools and measurement methods.

Spend Time On Profits, Not Losses
[November 15, 2007] Some ISPs are still going out of their way to help all customers, even those customers who refuse to pay for service.

What SLAs (Wired and Wireless) Mean
[October 8, 2007] If you're building SLAs, don't try to get away with the games the monopolies play.

The Office Park
[September 11, 2007] This company wants to connect a few customers within the building, making money by reselling a fat pipe. But even in Taiwan, the nation that's the source of so much of our hardware, the telco and other big providers are not friendly to potential competition.

Solving Those Upstream Issues
[September 4, 2007] We see various RBOC problems crop up regularly on our ISP-Lists. These are not easy to solve, but the responses to this particular post were so useful they're timeless advice.

Finding Fiber
[August 17, 2007] So you've got a customer who wants a big, expensive connection. How do you find the fiber to deliver it?

Do Your Database Queries Yourself
[July 20, 2007] CLEC managers discuss avoiding LNP query fees.

WISPs Request AP Management
[June 7, 2007] When things go wrong, it would be nice to have an ultra-cheap box that could help the network operator figure out what happened and reboot the AP.

Experienced Businessmen Prefer Contracts to Handshakes
[May 22, 2007] Here are some of the arguments against bartering service for a lease, something that many wireless ISPs have tried in the past and decided to never do again.

Bandwidth Keeps Getting Cheaper
[April 3, 2007] Yes, demand may be rising, but the per-megabit price is going down, if you're paying for the fat pipes and looking in the right places.

Antenna Advice for a New WISP
[March 27, 2007] As members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss the relative benefits of various antennas, we provide additional information from the ISP-Planet archives.

Running Cables Up a Tower
[March 13, 2007] It's easy to get this wrong. Here's how some WISPs are coping with weather and wear on cables.

100 Mbps Wireless
[February 13, 2007] As WISPs grow, they need to adopt more advanced technology or add to the power of what they're already using. Here's a case in point.

CALEA Approaches
[February 6, 2007] Lacking specific information, WISPs are at a loss as to how to comply with CALEA, let alone fill out the latest FCC form, due February 12, 2007.

Looking Upstream
[January 8, 2007] You want to know how good the bandwidth you're depending on will be before you buy it.

Routers for the ISP and WISP
[January 3, 2007] WISPs discuss the routers they use, focusing on price and support.

WISPs Choose Wireless CPE Routers
[November 13, 2006] WISPs are always looking for the least expensive equipment, but veterans warn that if you buy the ultra cheap stuff, you'll give yourself a customer support headache. Your APs can help too, if they're premium equipment.

Be Careful With Cables
[November 6, 2006] Members of the ISP-Wireless list share tips on running cables up your towers.

WISPs Face a VoIP Decision
[October 3, 2006] WISPs need to decide early on whether they want to learn how VoIP works or hire an expert to do the system for them. Not doing VoIP is not an option.

Seeing With Pings
[September 26, 2006] In addition to detailed network monitoring at the NOC at the core of the network, ISPs say everybody should have a monitor looking in from outside.

Is it Good to be an ISP?
[August 17, 2006] Some internet companies feel they can earn more respect (and money) if they're seen as consultants, integrators, network service providers—just about anything other than an ISP.

Outdoor Cable
[August 3, 2006] It's important to keep water out of the power cables for your outdoor wireless radios, but some solutions may not work as suggested.

Tower Climbers Are Worth Every Dollar, As Is Insurance
[July 11, 2006] While new WISPs may be surprised at how much tower climbers charge, veterans say they're worth the money. Climbing is a risk that requires insurance.

The Brotherhood of ISPs
[July 3, 2006] On the ISP-lists, veterans mix with new businesses, sharing startup advice and lessons learned.

A Choice of Routers
[June 27, 2006] WISPs say that there are clear differences between a pair of router vendors, and the co-founder of one of the vendors joins the discussion.

WISPs Need to See
[June 13, 2006] Each WISP has their own method of monitoring the network, making sure everything's okay.

Will EarthLink's Muni Architecture Fail?
[June 12, 2006] Members of the ISP-Wireless list say that good municipal networks can be built, but not with Tropos, not with the architecture that EarthLink is advocating, and certainly not in New Orleans' facility poor, high interference environment.

The Ultimate Power of Deregulation
[March 27, 2006] As the regulation of the phone company is eliminated in the U.S., a glimpse of what it's like to run an ISP in Central America could be a taste of the future.

That's Why They Call it a Truck Roll
[February 21, 2006] It's a key tool for any WISP business, although it's more like a tool belt: a very, very big tool belt.

Leasing Wireless CPE
[February 14, 2006] Many ISPs either take out a loan to buy customer equipment or lease the equipment, and proponents of each method are carrying on a debate that's as old as the WISP industry.

Redirecting Delinquent Dialup Customers
[January 17, 2006] This topic has been a source of discussion since ISP-Planet opened for business in 1999. Here's the latest update.

A Tower Too High?
[January 9, 2006] For wireless broadband, it may be possible to obtain access to a tower that's too tall.

Gigabit Wireless
[January 5, 2006] Although it can deliver impressive throughput, WISPs report that wireless radios in the 60 GHz and 70 GHz spectrum range are suited only to certain applications.

WISPs Work All The Holidays
[December 20, 2005] Like every small business, the local ISP is on call on a national holiday.

WISPs: Beware of Traffic Lights
[December 13, 2005] Although the immediate culprit is a poorly configured radio, the real problem lies in local governments designing systems to fail by hiring the cheapest consultants available—and failing to consult local WISPs who have the knowledge.

WISPs Demand 3.65 GHz Equipment
[December 13, 2005] As all available spectrum gets cluttered, WISPs look to new spectrum frontiers.

WISPs Warn: The Weather Outside Is Frightful
[December 9, 2005] Members of the ISP-Wireless list warn that the latest cold snap will challenge your equipment, yourself, and even your coffee.

Spectrum Wants to be Free
[October 4, 2005] As the federal government prepares to auction off highly valuable, tree-penetrating 700 MHz spectrum for billions of dollars, WISPs offer a small government, pro-business alternative.

No UNEs in Omaha
[September 27, 2005] Members of the ISP-CLEC list discuss the end of competition in the heartland.

When E-Mail Grows
[September 13, 2005] ISPs of all sizes are starting to confront a problem that used to only affect the largest: e-mail servers need to scale with demand.

How High the Tower?
[September 6, 2005] The transmission-tower version of the adage "bigger is better"—"higher is better"—must be tempered by other well-known sayings: "It's not that simple," and "Your mileage may vary."

The Importance of Selling VoIP
[August 23, 2005] ISPs are learning that technology is not necessarily the most important piece of the business. Increasingly, it's sales and marketing that makes the difference between success and failure.

The Reinterpreted 1996 Telecommunications Act
[August 19, 2005] As political maneuvering at the FCC changes the letter of the law, CLECs take a close look at the lobbying and detail the changes that will change the ISP business forever.

CLECs See No Future in Residential Service
[August 19, 2005] CLECs will focus on business services, now that the FCC has decided that broadband deployment will speed up if the cable and phone companies are handed a duopoly.

Tower Space
[August 16, 2005] It may not be the most expensive part of a wireless network, but WISPs seem to find the greatest variance—and potential cost savings—in tower lease expenses.

The Pain of Transfer
[July 21, 2005] Webhosts learn that the .com rules don't apply for all TLDs, and any unfamiliar domain can have its own quirks, making trading in fringe domains difficult.

Covering Your Ass
[July 19, 2005] WISP owners share advice on what equipment to use to protect yourself when you or your colleagues climb a tower.

Mysterious OSHA
[July 19, 2005] Members of the the ISP-Wireless discussion list warn that for this government regulator, almost no corporation is too small.

An Unserved User Base
[July 7, 2005] The major ISPs are not friendly to customers who don't have a checking account, leaving a niche opportunity for local ISPs.

DSL Shop Claims Real Reliability
[June 27, 2005] It takes a lot of work, but you too can have only eight hours of downtime in seven years—and you cannot be blamed for the backhoe or the earthquake.

Late Fees
[June 21, 2005] In a perfect world, every customer would pay on time, or even in advance. In the real world, that's not the case, and ISPs have to discipline their own customers.

You May Not Want To Know This
[June 7, 2005] Earl Comstock, once a candidate for FCC Chairman, told ISPCON attendees that WISP regulation could change in ways most entrepreneurs are not prepared for.

WISPs Loved KarlNet
[April 26, 2005] Some equipment from a key innovator in the early stages of the wireless broadband revolution is no longer being supported, WISPs say. But Terabeam says that's just not accurate, and encourages WISPs to contact the company.

Verizon's Anti-Business Bureaucracy
[April 22, 2005] ISPs find that even when you want to do business with Verizon, you are faced with a thick tangle of bureaucracy.

Dialup Backup
[March 29, 2005] Many WISPs are offering dialup backup failover for business links, and there's plenty of equipment that makes it possible.

Good Billing is Good Business
[March 1, 2005] The customer is number one until the bill is overdue.

Be HIPAA than the Competition
[February 22, 2005] The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 has a reputation for imposing very strict security regulations on the network transmission of medical data. So how's a WISP to play in the healthcare market?

Perception Versus Pricing
[February 14, 2005] The community returns to an eternal dialup question: Why do customers subscribe to dialup service at prices as high as $19.95 when dialup is available for $9.95 or less?

Is You AM Or Is You Ain't My Tower?
[January 4, 2005] Learn Watt you're doing before attempting to place fixed wireless broadband equipment on a tower used by a radio station.

This ISP Needs Mascara and a Wig
[December 6, 2004] As the ISP industry gets more complex, your signup CDs have to become more complex too. One ISP's search for a CD with more "fluff, poof, and makeup" illustrates the issue.

Anybody Got a Light?
[November 30, 2004] Who knew? In the wireless space, a strobe light or disco ball could be vital to your operation.

Best of the Best of the ISP-Lists: Wireless Best of Best of ISP-Lists
[November 26, 2004] The ISP-Wireless list continues to be lively. Here are the best of the best from this year and last.

The Pull to Push
[October 21, 2004] ISP experts discuss the profits and limits to be gained through asking your tech support team to sell services, and how to avoid being pushy.

The Value of a WISP
[October 12, 2004] WISP owners, like ISP owners, like to discuss the value of their companies, but disagree in detail on methods and valuation.

Ain't No Cure for Summertime RF Interference
[October 5, 2004] ISPs discuss the potential terrestrial and solar causes of interference in long distance point to point wireless links.

Recommending Software: Upside, Downside
[Spetember 20, 2004] In the litigious environment of the U.S., ISP technicians report they are wary of being held responsible for software that they recommend to customers.

The Technician's Virtual Toolbelt
[September 16, 2004] If you had to put every piece of troubleshooting software you could use onto one CD, what would you include? Here are the answers of several ISP administrators.

Making Work for Idle Hands is Practical
[September 8, 2004] ISP principals discuss methods of making use of those times when tech support staff has nothing specific to do.

What a Week That Was
[August 31, 2004] Just file it under the "no, we didn't expect our equipment to get hit by lightning and then our replacement equipment to be stolen" category of unanticipated business events.

The Guys You Depend On
[August 3, 2004] How good are your antennas? How good are the towers they're on? Be warned—you may be depending on some guys you don't know.

The Rules of Rohn
[August 3, 2004] It's okay to buy a cheap tower if it's a brand name tower, but it's not okay to cut installation costs.

Grounding Your Business
[August 3, 2004] Although wireless antennas are situated in tall towers, the laws of physics demand a connection to the ground.

The Bottom Line is Competition
[July 26, 2004] As lawmakers prepare to rewrite the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (see the definition of the word CLEC) basic arguments about the history and future of telecommunications have immediate impact.

A Day for Advertising
[July 23, 2004] ISP managers report that timing is as important to advertising as it is to comedy.

Immediate Remote Support
[July 9, 2004] Experts pore through the options available to service providers who want to access customer desktops to provide technical support to small business users.

FCC Proposal Brings WISPs Hope and Fear
[May 18, 2004] As the FCC prepares to change the wireless broadband rules (perhaps for the better), WISPs share their hopes and fears about these new rules.

Setting Up a Linux-Based Firewall With DHCP
[May 12, 2004] ISP owners share the basics of firewall configuration, and also discuss the benefits of getting subscribers to use DHCP instead of static IP addresses.

Setting Up an Open Source Mail Server
[May 5, 2004] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list share their favorite Web pages on how to set up an open source mail server.

A Frequently E-Mailed Question
[April 21, 2004] It's a question so nice, they asked it twice. What Windows mail server do you like?

Beating the Branded ISPs
[April 16, 2004] Several ISP professionals discuss methods of gaining the long term loyalty of customers who have become accustomed to bad service from the big ISPs.

When a Customer's a Suctomer
[March 3, 2004] Members of the ISP-Tech list discuss the profit and potential headaches of helping solve customers' problems with their hardware.

The Search Engine Trojan
[February 26, 2004] Members of the ISP-Tech list fight a Trojan, frequently delivered through P2P networks, that redirects browser traffic to a certain website.

Who's Firing Blanks at Mail Servers?
[February 25, 2004] Mail server admins are starting to notice an e-mail problem that can crash e-mail clients. It's a new headache for your already burdened tech support staff.

The Port We Hate The Most
[February 5, 2004] Port 25 is where the e-mail comes in. Many ISPs say it's the port they hate the most, and they'll block all traffic on it, but those that do so need to understand the consequences.

Monitoring E-Mail Monitors
[September 29, 2003] ISPs are using larger and larger numbers of lists of spammers to fight spam, but are finding that some anti-spam systems have to be watched carefully.

Tower Basics
[August 26, 2003] Our ever-more wireless world has a love-hate relationship with broadcast towers. Sure, they're a must for good RF reception, but everyone considers them an eyesore. So, what are the rules governing the erection of towers?

Bridging the Wide-Open Spaces
[July 29, 2003] More and more, WISPs are circumventing wire-line backhaul—either because it's not available, or because it's easier or cheaper to do it with RF. New equipment is helping make this a reality.

You Only Get One Chance to Choose a Dialer
[July 21, 2003] ISP owners ruefully admit that if you mail out the wrong software on your CDs, you may never recover from your mistake.

More Mileage from ISP Infrastructure
[July 8, 2003] Putting expertise and infrastructure to work providing value-adds to Internet connection customers is—or, we always thought, should be—a concern for ISPs. Some enterprising providers present their ideas.

Loooong-Haul Wireless
[July 1, 2003] WISPs search for ways of overcoming the lack of available wired backbone/backhaul connections—or simply to beat their high cost. When customers are a long, long way from NOCs, challenges multiply and choices shrink.

Black List, Bully, or Bless?
[June 18, 2003] The pros and cons of unsolicited e-mail promotion will probably be debated as long as there's an Internet. Here are a variety of viewpoints from the wireless ISP community.

Antennas for the Birds
[June 17, 2003] One of the hazards of being a wireless ISP is that a variety of natural forces can interfere with your external infrastructure—such as antennas—wreaking havoc with your signal.

Even Deliquent Customers Have Rights
[May 21, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list wrestle with the legal problems of punishing clients who don't pay without breaking the law.

No Equity in Credit Card Processing
[April 24, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list say it's tough to get a fair deal when asking credit card processors or local banks for a merchant account.

Charging Professionals a Professional Fee
[March 31, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list complain that some people have found a way to put professional websites in their free webspace, avoiding the fees associated with business hosting.

Another Fee From Network Solutions
[March 24, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list have learned the hard way about a new policy that will cost some of your customers $150 this year.

Don't Destroy What You Want to Save
[March 7, 2003] Members of the ISP-Tech list discuss the many pitfalls of data backup. Tight budgets are conspiring to make a vital business process more difficult that it should be.

Vonage Redux
[March 4, 2003] Members of ISP-Wireless seem convinced of the wisdom of offering VoIP services, but question whether it's better to use an outsourced turnkey product from a popular provider or build a proprietary solution.

The Visceral Urge to Vonage
[February 28, 2003] The idea of boosting revenues with value-added services has long beckoned to ISPs, yet few such services have proved profitable. Members of the ISP-Wireless list ponder Vonage's VoIP program as a possible moneymaker.

Examining the Black Hole
[February 27, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list discuss the ever-thorny problem of blocking spam and dispute—mostly politely—the relative merits of the various solutions.

Vivato's Vivacious Waves
[February 18, 2003] Most new technologies make at least some waves. According to some observers, the recently announced "Wi-Fi Switch" from Vivato, Inc. may well cause a tsunami in the WISP community.

A Basic ISP POP Diagram
[February 14, 2003] Members of the ISP-Tech list describe in the simplest language what it takes to build a point of presence (POP) to provide dialup Internet access.

I(SP) Spy?
[February 11, 2003] Recent federal court rulings upheld the principle that ISPs may be compelled to disclose the identity of customers that may be illegally moving copyrighted material over the Net. Members of the ISP-Wireless list react.

The Legitimacy of Instant Messaging
[February 6, 2003] If your technical support staff is using instant messaging to collaborate on solving technical problems, is that a good thing or a waste of human resources?

Winter Climbing Fashions
[February 4, 2003] Being a WISP means spending time in high places—which can be hazardous. Members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss the ins and outs of dressing for wintery (and other inclement) weather on the water tower.

Name Server Rules
[February 3, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list find that there are a wide variety of myths, understandings, and assumed procedures when setting up name servers.

Let's Block All Stupid Mail
[January 30, 2003] Members of the ISP-Tech list want to block spam but say that lazily configured or poorly configured mail systems have lowered the value of one of the most simple and elegant solutions.

Antenna Marketing
[January 28, 2003] ISPs are adept at making the best of limited resources. Such as turning their customer premise equipment into a low-cost advertising platform.

ISPs Love (and Hate) Their Remote Access Servers
[January 27, 2003] Members of the ISP-Tech list discuss options at the very bottom of the market for remote access servers. There are a lot of cheap options but there are also many considerations to ponder before you buy.

A Case for Structural Separation
[January 24, 2003] Current rule changes being considered by the FCC—and favored by its chariman—may threaten the very existence of many CLECs. Members of the ISP-CLEC list offer a novel twist on the concept of separate versus shared infrastructure.

E-Mail Does Make Money
[January 22, 2003] Members of the ISP-Tech list find that ISPs provide a wide variety of mail storage pricing packages.

Prices in a World Without DSL
[January 10, 2003] If DSL in not available in your area, and a client wants to host a large website, you're talking about T-1 lines. Here's how the members of the ISP-Webhosting list break down the bandwidth costs.

Signs of the Times
[January 8, 2003] Members of the ISP-Marketing list discuss some very, very cheap ways of advertising that are also surprisingly effective—where they're legal.

Putting Water Towers to Work
[January 7, 2003] Water towers are a great place for wireless ISPs to mount antennas, but there's a lot to learn about how to keep everything fastened where it belongs.

Finding a Better Control Panel
[January 6, 2003] Members of the ISP-Webhosting list examine a much-discussed and rapidly changing area of the webhosting business.

Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus Services Best of Best of ISP-Lists
[January 2, 2003] Members of the ISP-Lists discussion lists team up to share vital knowledge in the ongoing anti-spam and anti-virus wars.