Broadband FAQ - Grolen Communications, Inc. - One Stop

GROLEN BROADBAND FAQ

What is GroLen Broadband?

GroLen Broadband utilizes state-of-the-art high-speed technology, using a modem that turns ordinary phone lines into high-speed digital lines for fast Internet access. GroLen Broadband uses the higher bandwidth from your telephone line that does not get used during voice communications. At this time, you must have a Verizon phone line. If you're not certain if your line qualifies, just give us a call.

How Fast is GroLen Broadband?

GroLen Broadband offers speeds up to 100 times faster than a typical 56.6k modem! The speed you obtain at your specific location will depend on factors such as distance from the phone company central office in your town and phone line quality.

What are the Other Benefits to Using GroLen Broadband?

With GroLen Broadband you get:

Simultaneous Internet access and voice/fax capabilities over the same phone line.
Dedicated, high-speed Internet access that's always online - no dialing in, no busy signals, no interruptions!
Increased security when transferring data due to having your own dedicated service (unlike cable services where data travels over shared lines).
GroLen Broadband is cost effective for the individual, family, small business or home office and is easy to install.
Increased productivity due to faster speeds - download and upload large files quicker, speed up database and search engine inquiries, faster file transfers between locations, send and receive emails with large file attachments.
Improved access to new multimedia applications including video on demand, multiplayer gaming, distance learning, and video conferencing.

How does GroLen Broadband Work?

Your phone line is split at your home or office, carrying voice communications to your telephone and/or fax machine and data to your computer through the modem. You will need to have an Ethernet or NIC card in your computer to interface with the modem, connected via a standard Ethernet cable. The higher bandwidth (100 kHz-1 MHz) of your phone line is used to carry data to and from your computer while the lower bandwidth (0-4 kHz) carries voice transmissions.

Can I Get GroLen Broadband?

Currently, GroLen Broadband is available in the areas listed on our Broadband Service Availability page. We plan to add more locations in the future, so you may want to check back periodically. GroLen Broadband is also distance sensitive, meaning that your location needs to be within a specified distance from the phone company's central office. To find out if your location qualifies, call our Customer Support Services Center at 603-645-0101. If we can not provide GroLen Broadband to you now, we will keep you on file and notify you when service is available in your area. While you wait for broadband to be available in your area, try our high speed 56k dial-up service.

Does GroLen Broadband Require Another Phone Line?

No. Since GroLen Broadband uses different frequency spectrums for voice and data transmissions, only a single phone line is needed. With GroLen Broadband, you can be talking on the phone or receiving a fax while you are using your computer.

Is any special equipment required ?

We provide you with the necessary equipment as part of your activation fee. This includes a special DSL modem and up to two DSL phone line filters. Filters are used to block the DSL signal from interferring with telephones, fax machines, computer modems, etc. Additional filters are available for only $3.95 each.

What is a MAC Address?

MAC stands for Media Access Control and is a unique address associated with an Ethernet card. Your MAC address is transmitted as part of the header in all data packets sent from any computer on a network. We will need your MAC address in order to set you up for GroLen Broadband service. When you call our Customer Support Team, they'll be happy to help you locate your MAC Address.

Your GroLen Broadband account allows you to use two MAC addresses to put two computers on your service. If you need to use more than two computers, we recommend that you purchase a router with a firewall running NAT (Network Address Translation). This router will have the broadband connection and an Ethernet interface that the other computers will plug in through. We recommend you consider one of the following:

General Use:
DLink DI-604
Linksys BEFSR41
Netgear RP614

Utilizing a VPN:
DLink DI-804HV (VPN)
Linksys BEFVP41 (VPN)
Netgear FVS318 (VPN)

For more information on routers, contact our Customer Support Services Team at 603-645-0101 and be sure to ask about discounted pricing on these products.

How Does GroLen Broadband Compare to Cable Modems?

Some major advantages of GroLen Broadband over cable include:

GroLen Broadband provides you with a dedicated service over a single phone line, whereas cable modems give you access over shared cable lines.
While cable modems may boost faster downstream bandwidth capabilities, that bandwidth is shared amongst all users on a line. This means that cable modem speeds can vary dramatically as more users in your neighborhood get online simultaneously, and will in most cases be slower than GroLen Broadband.
Since your GroLen Broadband line is dedicated to you, your speeds are not affected by others going online.
Because GroLen Broadband uses a dedicated line, your data is more secure than data sent over cable modems.
GroLen Broadband offers faster speeds for less money.

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