Sales Facts

These are some of the most common questions our
sales reps are asked, along with the answers that
may be helpful – saving you a phone call.

Q. I have a laptop with a wireless card. Can I get wireless?
A. The wireless signal we send to customers needs special equipment on the customer’s end in order to work properly. The type of card a customer has will determine if it’s compatible. Most cards are built into the laptop and receive a Wi-Fi or Hot Spot signal, which is not the same type of signal that we send although by using a wireless router in conjunction with our equipment this card can be used wirelessly in a building that does not have concrete or metal walls and/or floors. If the card is the type that is purchased from one of the many cell phone providers around the nation, then, no, the type of signal that is used in this case is not the type of signal we provide. The type of signal this kind of card uses is picked up from one of the cell phone provider’s towers nearby, not through one of our towers.

Q. Do you have local dial-up numbers in my area?
A. Absolutely! We have local dial up numbers in nearly every city in the state of Michigan. Please click here to check for availability in your area.

Q. What is Digital Phone Service?
A. Digital Phone Service is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol and is the same as Internet phone service. Digital Phone Service requires a high speed Internet connection in order to work properly (384Kbps minimum recommended). This service provides a way for people to communicate by using the Internet to carry their voice signal instead of a traditional phone line. Digital Phone Service is usually cheaper than traditional phone service but may require additional hardware to be purchased and installed in conjunction with your high speed Internet connection. Digital Phone Service through M33Access is currently available for $9.95 per month and includes Caller ID Number & Name, Call Waiting, 3-Way Calling, Call Forwarding, Call Blocking, Call Return (*69) and Basic Voice Mail. Long distance calls are just 3.9 cents per minute anytime, day or night, to the 48 states and Canada.  International rates apply and can be found  here.

Q. Do I need an active phone line to use dial-up, DSL or wireless?
A. An active phone line is necessary in order to utilize dial-up Internet service.  M33 Access DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) does not require an active phone line if you live in Mio, Rose City or West Branch and are within three air miles of the center of town.  Other SBC/AT&T areas across the state that offer DSL will require an active phone line with direct billing from SBC/AT&T in order to qualify. Wireless Internet does not require an active phone line.

Q. Can I still get phone calls while using dial-up, DSL or wireless?
A. DSL and wireless will not occupy the dial tone of your phone line and will allow calls to be made or received while online. Dial-up, however, does occupy the dial tone of a phone line and any incoming callers will hear a busy signal if the line is in use by the computer unless a third-party software such as Call Wave, Catch-A-Call or Buzz Me is installed. These third-party software manufacturers are not affiliated with M33 Access but will work in conjunction with any M33 Access dial up account.

Q. Can I switch my phone service from Verizon or SBC/AT&T to M33 Access?
A. Yes. And you’ll probably save money. So what are you waiting for?

Q. Can I switch my phone service from CenturyTel or Pigeon Phone Company to M33 Access?
A. M33 Access and its sister company, Michigan Access (phone service provider), are constantly seeking ways to provide service to as many Michigan cities as possible. However, an agreement to provide service in any CenturyTel area has to date not been reached and therefore we are unable to provide traditional, landline phone service to anyone in a CenturyTel or Pigeon Phone Company area. We are, on the other hand, able to offer wireless Internet service in many CenturyTel areas in Northeastern Michigan, which would allow a current CenturyTel customer the ability to use Digital Phone Service, though that would require a new phone number from Michigan Access.

Q. Can I keep my existing phone number if I switch my service to M33 Access?
A. Of course, if the phone service is currently through Verizon, SBC/AT&T or one of their resellers. There is a one-time $10 fee and a form that will require the signature of the person whose name appears on the current phone bill.

Q. Can I use dial up/DSL/wireless from somewhere other than my house?
A. Dial-up service can be moved to a new address but cannot be used from two different addresses simultaneously. DSL and wireless are services that are set up to work only from the service address location that was originally set up on the account.

Q. How much is your long distance rate?
A. Our local toll and long distance rate is 3.9 cents per minute, anytime, day or night, to the 48 states and Canada.  International rates can be found here.

Q. What is a H.O.T. Line?
A – A H.O.T. Line is an acronym we coined which stands for High Outreach and Transmission Line. It is similar to a T1 Line. For those who are too far away from town to get DSL or are in an area where wireless is not an option, M33 Access can usually provide a Carrier-Class circuit or H.O.T. Line. Customers who live in an area that has a 989 area code and their exchange is 826, 685, 345 or 343 can normally get a H.O.T. Line brought to their location. A H.O.T. Line is a four-wire digital circuit that allows a customer to send data at a maximum of 1.5Mbps while also receiving data at a maximum of 1.5Mbps; this is called a full duplex circuit. DSL is only half-duplex, which means that data can only be sent in one direction at a time. A HOT Line is a special type of circuit that can carry 24 channels or phone lines. If a customer wants two phone lines and the rest of the H.O.T. Line to be data (for Internet) then we reserve two channels out of the 24 for voice and then consolidate the remaining 22 to be used for data. A typical data-only H.O.T. Line is around $125 per month with about $ $700 in startup fees, installation labor and equipment. A H.O.T. Line that has one voice channel along with data would run approximately $150 per month with about $1,200 in startup fees, installation labor and equipment.

Still having trouble?
As always, we’re at your service. Just call us
(989) 685-1042.

Tech Facts

Having an issue with your Internet connection,
e-mail or anything else related to the
services we provide you?

These are some of the most common questions our Customer Care technicians are asked, along with the answers that may be helpful – saving you a phone call.

 Q.  What's the Fastest Speed for Dial-Up?

A.   Dial-Up connections have a maximum Speed of 53 kbit/s. In most cases, transfer speeds will be lower, averaging anywhere from 26- 43 kbits/s. Factors such as phone-line noise, as well as the quality of the modem itself, can significantly determine connection speeds.
 

Q.  What is high-speed dialup or Web acceleration?
A.  The Term high-speed dial-up used by other providers is misleading. Web Accelerators and so called high-speed dial-up applications do not increase bandwidth of a line. Web accelerators cache, filter, and compress Web content being sent to your home, giving the overall effect of increasing the speed of browsing most Web pages. Web accelerators do not increase the speed of downloads.

Q.  What is “Error 678: The Remote Computer did not respond.” And how do I fix it?
A.  Error 678 is a generic error indicating the two modems (yours and ours) could not make a connection. This can generally be resolved by simply dialing again. If you get this error a lot, you should first check your phone lines to make sure you have as direct as possible connection (remove any line-slitters, surge protectors, fax machines, etc.). If the line connection is as direct as you can make it, check the voice quality of the line by calling a friend and listen to your line. Listen for any clicks, buzzing or general static over time. These issues may just seem “normal” to you, but they can easily prevent your computer from connecting. If you should find any noise, take a plain old corded telephone out to your telephone company D-mark box (the box on the side of your house), open it up and plug it in to the test jack. Once plugged into the test jack, you can make that test call again. If the noise persists, call your telephone company and file a Trouble Ticket with them. If you do not hear the noise out at the D-mark but do inside, it’s a internal wiring issue – a short or environmental noise, and you will need to isolate it and eliminate it.

Q.  What is “Error 691: Invalid username and password” and how do I fix it?

A   This error means the username and password combination was rejected or not found by us. This can be caused by something as simple as you have the Caps Lock key on and sending us the password in the wrong case, passwords are case sensitive. When an account is disabled for whatever reason, you will also get this error. To resolve this issue, first make sure Caps Lock is not on and retype your username and password. If this does not resolve the issue, give our tech support department a call at (989) 685-3027.

Q.  What is Error “680: No Dial Tone” And how do I fix it?
A.  Error 680 is a result of your modem not detecting dial tone. This can be caused by the line being in-use, the phone line being either not plugged into the modem or being plugged into the wrong port, or in some cases the modem having been damaged. To fix this, check to make sure the phone line is plugged into the “Line” port of the modem and all phones in the house are on hook. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, the modem may have been damaged and may need to be replaced. The dial-up modem is a single card within the PC that can be replaced quickly and cheaply.

Q.  My ADSL is synced (the link light is solid), but I am not getting any Web pages.

A.  Your DSL modem is just like your PC; it can lock up and require a reboot. One of the first things to do when you are experiencing issues with your DSL is to reboot the modem. If rebooting the modem doesn’t work, please call tech support at (989) 685-3027.

Q.  My ADSL is not synced (the link light is flashing) how do I fix it?

A.   If you have both phone and DSL with us, make sure ALL phones, fax machines, satellites, and security systems in your house have a DSL filter installed. If all phones and phone devices have a filter installed, check to make sure all of the connections are still nice and tight. If they are, make sure you have no 2.4 ghz devices next to the modem, and try to keep cordless phones at least 2-3 feet away. If none of these tips help please give us a call at (989) 685-3027.

Q.  My e-mail seems to be repeating. It keeps downloading the same messages over and over.

A.  This is often caused by a large e-mail in your email box causing your client to time out before the delete command is sent. To resolve this, log into our e-mail Web access page (see the link on our Home Page). From the Web interface, you can review and delete any large messages that could be causing issue.

Q.  I am trying to send out pictures, but they aren’t going.

A.  When sending pictures, it’s important to note that these files are often much larger then text messages. If you are pulling the pictures from your digital camera, it’s important to note what file format and quality you are using. It’s a general rule of thumb that you want to keep any e-mail message you send below 1 meg (that’s 1024 kb) in size. This will often mean you will want to save your pictures in a medium quality and/or send them one at a time

Still having trouble?
As always, we’re at your service. Just call us
(989) 685-3027.