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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.
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