Best of the ISP-Lists

Fixed Wireless Business

Building Real Wi-Fi Peace

Members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss a common problem for small Wi-Fi operators: interference from less-than-competent startup competitors.

[March 18, 2002]

On the ISP-Wireless list in February, DH asked,

"What do you do with a competitor that simply will not cooperate? This guy has been having interference problems for weeks now, and he blames us. We're doing what we can to accommodate him, but now he's told all his customers that we're creating the interference. What should I do?"

A number of respondents noted that interference is unlikely to be the real problem:

[MB offered] "Tell him to figure out his own mess. I doubt very much that you are the cause of his problems. If you were interfering with him, then the reverse would also apply and he would be interfering with you. If you're seeing no interference from him, then you're not the one causing the problems. It sounds like somebody doesn't know what they're doing and wants to blame others for their ignorance."

[BM agreed] "The system design may be flawed, he may have a bad antenna, a bad transmission line, or who knows what else. Let's not lose sight of the fact that many WISPs are not equipped to track interference, and that interference is the easiest excuse for problems."

Others urged DH to fight back:

[VP advised] "Get an amplifier!"

[MH countered] "Coax. Diagonal cutters. Problem solved."

Others recommended looking for a peaceful solution:

[EG suggested] "Try being nice before you go to war. Get a spectrum analyzer, go over to his AP, and search for interference. Show him that the interference is not coming from your direction, and find the exact location it is coming from."

[MG added] "Try to work with the guy. Go out with him with the right gear, and see if maybe the problem isn't his inability to engineer the network."

[DH agreed] "If you have some equipment to check for interference, you might offer to help him track it down. If nothing else, you'll clear your good name and prove that it's not you so that next time he won't be so quick to point fingers in your direction."

MB contended that you shouldn't have to teach competitors how the business works:

"It is not your responsibility to teach him. If a competitor of mine came to me with an interference issue, I would tell him where my tower is, what frequency and what equipment I use. Other than that, he needs to figure out how to play nice. I have had wireless-ignorant competitors come along, but they don't last long. I am more than willing to cooperate, but I will not teach them wireless theory, equipment specs, and so forth, unless they pay me for my time."

Others advised taking legal action:

[DF offered] "If he is misinforming customers in your area about your company, hire an attorney to write a letter and send it to him. I'm sure the lawyer can come up with a number of things to say in a letter that will make him shut up once and for all."

[MB added] "Have your attorney seek damages. Many idiots will wait until they get a court order before they seek educational assistance."

[RC agreed] "First and foremost, protect your public image. If his already spreading unsubstantiated claims that you are a dirty player, then that is damaging to your business. Call a lawyer right now, and have them send a letter. The longer you wait on this, the bigger the lies will get. Put a stop to it now."

—End