Frequently Asked Questions

How does Clear Wireless work?

The network is a point-to-multipoint network made up of a Fibre Backbone and Canopy Client Premises Equipment transmitting over both short and long distances.

Is the service affected by adverse weather conditions such as heavy rains or fog?

No. And to illustrate the point, Canopy is operating successfully in Colorado where temperatures range from +40C to -30C with 10cm of snow. Weather is a problem for other wireless technologies operating in higher spectrum ranges (above 10Ghz).

Does Clear Wireless use my telephone line?

Clear Wireless does not use your telephone line. Your telephone will be free to make and take calls while you visit your favourite websites. This means you will save money on the cost of telephone calls, and be free to cancel the any dedicated telephone line formally reserved for Internet use.

Is Clear Wireless suitable for online gaming?

Yes. We will be providing specific information about this. For example Clear hosts information for the very popular game Tribes with thousands of subscribers.

What are the location requirements?

You will need to have ‘near’ line of sight to one of the Clear transmission points. This will be assessed by a technician prior to your application being processed

What are the system and hardware requirements?

	Windows	Macintosh
Processor	Pentium 133 MHz (or faster)	PowerPC
Operating System	Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP	MacOS 8.6–10.x
Memory (min.)	32Mb	32Mb
Hard Drive space	50Mb	50Mb
Display	256 color display at 640x480 resolution	256 color display at 640x480 resolution
Interface (NIC)	10BaseT Ethernet	10BaseT Ethernet
CD-ROM Drive	Required	Required

Can I roam around with my laptop wirelessly in my own home with a Clear wireless account?

Not with a standard installation, however, it is possible for one or more laptops to do this with the purchase and installation of additional hardware. Clear can supply information and hardware that is suitable for this purpose.

Is email included with Clear Wireless?

Yes, you will receive an email box with your Clear Wireless package. Additional mailboxes may be purchased at any time for $30 per annum.

Do I get a static IP?

You will be assigned an IP address on all plans, however, we do not guarantee that you will always get this IP. It may change from time to time.

What happens if I go over my download limit?

You may still continue to download data but you will be charged excess charges. We do not shape your internet connection – so you can continue to enjoy the internet experience you are used to.

Does Clear Wireless guarantee a certain level of uptime?

As this is a residential grade product, there are no service level guarantees. Clear’s network however is based on Tier 1 equipment and data-services with the expectation to deliver a superior service.

What if I am unhappy with the service?

If you are at all unhappy with Clear Wireless, we will do our utmost to improve the quality of your service and fix any problems you may be having. If all else fails, you may be entitled to a refund within the first 30 days from the date of commencement of your account.

What does the installation procedure involve?

A Clear engineer will conduct a site survey to determine the suitability of your location, prior to any installation. If the result of your survey is positive, a technician will mount an antenna to the outside of your premises and run Ethernet cable to your PC.

How long does the site survey take?

The average length of a site survey is approximately half an hour.

How long does the installation usually take?

The installation time can vary greatly depending on the complexity of your individual install. The average installation time is approximately 2-3 hours.

What hardware is included with the installation?

At the time of installation, you are provided with all the hardware required to get one PC online. This includes the antenna that connects to your computer.

Can I connect more than one computer to Clear Wireless?

Installation costs are based on setting up our Canopy service to run on a single computer system in a non-networked environment. Installation and configuration for a multi-user environment is the responsibility of the customer.

Is the antenna at risk of being struck by lightning?

In general, the antenna has as much chance of being hit in a lightning strike as your average television antenna. If the threat of lightning is a source of major concern for you, a lightning arrestor can be fitted for an additional charge.

What sort of encryption is used and what other security measures do you employ?

Canopy makes use of multiple layers of security including a proprietary protocol (no chance of packets being sniffed), DES, and MAC address filtering and BRAID (same standard as in mobile phones, where key changes continuously to provide Subscriber unit authentication).

How are members notified of outages or changes to the network?

If any changes are made to the network that affect the way you connect, or that require you to change any settings on your PC, you will be advised immediately via your Clear email address.