Time flies by here at SPITwSPOTS as we keep busy doing what we do. Busy is becoming synonymous with normal around here, and it’s time to bring you, our valued supporters, up to date on “Happenings around the Shop”.These will be published occasionally here on our Home page and an email copy will be sent to active users for convenience.
It has come to our attention that some of our customers have been having problems in regards to connectivity and acceptable bandwidth. Please note that this ONLY applies to residential customers with client bridge equipment. If you are unsure if this applies to you please call 299-4052.
We have, admittedly, had more than our fair share of network hiccups this month. Upon the advice of our software developers we recently upgraded the network software to the newest version available. However, this has been causing our routers to reboot more frequently. The client bridge at your house connects to one of these routers. If that router reboots, your bridge will switch to a secondary connection. Sometimes this connection is not sufficient for quality service. The bridge will stay connected to this secondary connection until it is rebooted. By turning off your client bridge and turning it back on, you reboot your equipment and it finds the best possible connection again. Our software developers are aware of our problem and are looking into it very closely right now.
In the mean time, if you are experiencing these problems, PLEASE LET US KNOW IMMEDIATELY, so that we can develop a long-term solution. Also, we can provide a more convenient “switch” for you to use to turn your equipment on and off. That way you can simply turn the internet on when you need it and off when you don’t. These devices typically boot and connect in less than 5 seconds and every time you turn it on it will automatically find the best possible connection available. Since it is turned off when not in use, it will NEVER get stuck on a secondary connection.
We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences and truly appreciate your support and patience as we bring this brand new technology to Homer.
PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE ONLY APPLIES TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WITH CLIENT BRIDGE EQUIPMENT. PRO USERS ARE NOT AFFECTED. If you are not sure of your equipment type, please call 299-4052.
While client bridges have allowed us to grow, and offer inexpensive setups, we have identified 3 primary problems which we feel make them inappropriate for MANAGED connections. The problems are: the tendency to connect to inappropriate nodes, occasional authentication problems, and the inability of SPITwSPOTS to actively manage the equipment by remotely sensing and adjusting settings. As a result, when there is a problem, our customer will call us and report a problem, then we direct them as to how to solve the problem. We do not feel this is conducive to our goal of creating the “Insanely Great” network. To resolve this we would like to upgrade our residential client equipment to mesh routers. We feel that client bridges are best suited for the do-it-yourselfer, and would be great for people wanting to take advantage of our FREE 128 k guest access. For those who are seeking an always on, DSL style, alternative we are going to start using our professional setups. These setups place a fully functional mesh router on the customer’s premise. Details as to the specific benefits of this setup can be found below. A mesh box is intended to get its internet from multiple sources simultaneously. This means that the conditions that cause some people problems with their bridges “locking” on to inappropriate routers would actually receive an even MORE STABLE connection for the same reason. Also, SPITwSPOTS can actively manage mesh routers. This equipment is designed to always be on, can shift internet sources on the fly, and can even notify us in the event that there is a problem. So instead of the customer having to report any problem, we will already have been notified and hopefully repaired the problem before the customer even notices. We would like to upgrade our current SPITwSPOTS managed residential customers to this superior equipment. However, at present this is cost prohibitive since a mesh router is three times the price of a bridge. We are looking for ways that we might be able to fund this upgrade and provide this enhanced trouble free service for free to our current customers. We are currently seeking (a) grant writer(s) interested in assisting with this project. However we do not yet have an ETA for when, or if, this might become possible. In the mean time we are offering professional setups at a reduced rate of $400, and an even more reduced rate of $200 for existing residential customers who wish to upgrade now. We would like take a moment to mention that we are NOT trying to coerce anyone into upgrading and will in fact do it for free when we are financially able. If you choose to keep your existing bridge SPITwSPOTS will still continue to provide support and seek long term solutions to the handful of problems inherent in these devices. At the same time, we want ALL of our residential customers to know they have reasonable access to the BEST technology and equipment available.
Here’s are the pros and cons of Residential vs. Professional setups.
A standard residential set up costs $200. It is economical and efficient.
Its drawbacks are that it needs to be rebooted when it locks up, it experiences occasional authentication issues and is only suitable for one computer or DSL router. We can monitor this device for signal levels but we can not actively manage it. Also, there is no wireless distribution or walk around area in your home or office with out more equipment.
Our professional set up costs $400. Current residential customers may purchase this upgrade for $200.
The professional setup gives you more stable bandwidth, meaning you get your full burst rate more often. Our routers rarely need to be manually rebooted. We have found it to be less than once every 3 months on average. We can monitor and manage routers remotely, meaning we can do most troubleshooting and tech support from our offices. A router allows you to connect multiple devices and each device utilizes its own account. And as icing on the cake, they offer a wireless signal around your home and can be fitted with an optional indoor antenna to Wi-Fi your home or office.
email sales@spitwspots.com for upgrade scheduling.
email administrator@spitwspots.com for more technical information.
We have also been asked some questions recently concerning the Git Yer e-Mail link on our site.
For starters, we can provide you with an address, your_name@spitwspots.com, for $100/yr. We recommend, however, that for personal use you use a free web-based email account such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo mail. These are all free and much more feature rich than our current email service. Gmail provides superior spam blocking and search features with very minimal text advertising and free POP access for your current email client.
For businesses, we recommend you contact us here at SPITwSPOTS and we will assist you in setting up a domain name and an email account at that domain name, i.e. your_name@your_business.com. This will be your very own personal unique email account. You will never have to worry about losing an email address when switching service providers again.
The Git Yer e-Mail link is for people who already have an address @ spitwspots.com. To use it, enter your whole email address, your_name@spitwspots.com, and then your password. Be aware that password is case sensitive. This will let you in to our version of a web based mail program. We can also provide you with a tool to automatically configure your email client. Contact the webmaster@spitwspots.com for assistance.
Hope this clears up any confusion users may have had.
Thank you for your time, support, and patience,
The SPITwSPOTS Team