Q. What is a wireless network?
A. A wireless network is a local area network (LAN) that replaces wires and cables with radio frequency (RF) connections. Wireless networks have a relatively small coverage area, between zero and 1000 feet per radio transceiver. With wireless networks, you have the freedom of a wireless hand-held device in your laptop. With built-in mobility, wireless networks are a convenient way to access the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging services, and your company's network.

Q. What kind of network technology does WEBbeams use to provide this service?
A. We equip our routing access points with the industry-standard Wi-Fi-compliant (IEEE 802.11b/g) wireless ethernet LAN, an 11 Mbps high-rate DSSS standard for wireless networks. In addition to our routing access point, an Internet connection is also required. Cable modem/DSL service or a T1 (or higher) connection for Internet connectivity will suffice. We support satellite Internet connections as long as they provide a reliable bi-directional ethernet connection. We do not support satellite systems that require a USB connection or require a regular modem for uploads. The service you choose will depend on your broadband preference, budget, and the availability of such services in your area.

Q. What equipment do I need for a wireless connection?
A. You will need a Wi-Fi-compliant (IEEE 802.11b/g) network adapter to connect to our routing access point via laptop or other hand-held device.

Q. Do I have to bring my own computer to the coffee shop?
A. Some coffee shops will supply computers, either free or for a small rental fee. Other shops require you to bring your own computer. Check with the location you plan to visit for details.

Q. Where can I purchase wireless network interface cards?
A. You can purchase Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) wireless ethernet cards from major vendors such as Lucent, Cisco, 3Com, Intel, and Sony. They are sold through online retailers such as iGo, Insight, PC Connection, and Micro Warehouse. Offline retailers include Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, and other computer accessory retailers. Dell, Compaq, IBM, Toshiba, and Apple also offer wireless cards for their laptop computers and/or sell wireless-integrated laptops.

Q. Where can I find an access point?
A. Visit Locations Overview to locate coffee shops that offer wireless Internet connections.

Q. How do I log in?
A. If you have already purchased WEBbeams access:
1. Begin with your computer off and wireless network card installed. Turn your computer on and launch your Internet browser.
2. A “Welcome” page will appear. Locate the "username" and "password" fields on the menu bar near the top left portion of your screen and enter your username and password. Click the "Log in" button below "password."
3. If your username and password were successfully entered, a "Successful Log in" page will appear. Click the "Continue" button and you're ready to surf the net. You may cancel this log in by selecting "Cancel Log in.”

B. If you have not yet purchased WEBbeams access:
1. Begin with your computer off and wireless network card installed. (You are not required to have a wireless network card installed if you are not attempting to connect to a routing access point.) Turn your computer on and launch your Internet browser.
2. If you are at a wireless Internet location, a “Welcome” page will appear.
3. A "Subscriber Information" screen will appear. Enter your personal information in the required fields, choose a subscription plan, and click "Submit."
4. If you have successfully completed the subscription form, a "Successful Completion" screen will appear notifying you that you are ready to log in while at a wireless Internet location.
A verification e-mail will be sent to the address you provided, including all information associated with the account you established. This e-mail is intended to confirm our receipt of your account information as well as confirm elections associated with your wireless service subscription.
5. If you are connected at a wireless Internet location, you may choose to log in and use any Internet function available to you by selecting "Log in Now," which will redirect you to a “Welcome” page. Enter your username and password in the appropriate fields and select "Log in."
If you chose to enable "Automatic Log in" while completing your subscription form, your username and password (displayed as asterisks) will appear in the username and password fields. You may select the "Log in" button to enable your Internet functions or take advantage of our site menu, free of charge.
6. If your username and password were successfully entered, a "Successful Log in" page will appear. Click the "Continue" button and you're ready to surf the net. You may cancel this log in by selecting "Cancel Log in.”

Q. What if I don’t want to subscribe on a monthly basis?
A. If you don't think you'll use this service often enough to take advantage of the significant savings of a monthly subscription, select one of our pay-per-use payment plans that may be more suited to your needs. To use our pay-per-use wireless access, select "Get online now!" near the bottom left corner of your screen, above the "Terms and Conditions" link. You will be taken to a billing information page where you will need to select a pay-per-use plan and enter your name, e-mail address, credit card number, and four-digit expiration date. Select "Continue Submit" to proceed to the "Successful Log in" screen. We will e-mail a receipt to the address you provided once you have exited all Internet functions. This e-mail receipt will notify you of the amount charged to your credit card. If you encounter problems logging in, you may contact WEBbeams technical support by e-mail at support@webbeams.com or by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days per week at 888.932.2326 ext. 2.

Q. Can I purchase time directly from the coffee shop instead of using my credit card online?
A. Some coffee shops do offer this service. Check with the location you plan to visit for details.

Q. How will I be billed?
A. All pay-per-use and monthly subscriptions will be charged to the credit card you provided (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). Monthly subscribers may elect to have e-mail receipts sent to them after each use. You may change this election, view your past and pending invoices, as well as update any of your account information, free of charge, by selecting “My Account Info” from the menu on the left side of your screen before you log in. This is a free service. E-mail receipts will be sent to all pay-per-use customers.

Your credit card statement will appear like the following example. This includes the date, the ID number of the location, and the city and state of the location.
06 NOV INTERNET ACCESS8882817 BRYAN TX

Q. Can I access my corporate LAN?
A. Yes. If your company allows Internet remote access into the corporate network, then you may connect. If your company has a VPN (virtual private network), you should be able to run your VPN or secure tunneling client software over your wireless connection.

Q. Must I change my network settings?
A. No, our system does not require you to change network settings if your PC is configured with either dynamic (DHCP) or static IP addresses. Our custom software detects whether you are requesting a dynamic IP address or whether you have a static IP set in your PC, and it automatically makes the right decision about how to support either configuration and assigns you an IP address.

Q. What kind of security is available through my wireless connection?
A. We do not enable WEP (wired equivalency protection) on any of the wireless equipment used in our network. Therefore, no special keys are required to use our service. WEP encryption is not yet practical for a public access network, due in part to the absence of a standardized method for relaying encryption keys between different manufacturers' equipment. Although we do not provide wireless network security, our system does support secure virtual private network (VPN) access. If your company has a VPN, we recommend that you connect via the VPN for optimum security. We also encourage subscribers to observe standard security practices.

Q. What should I do if the logout window is no longer on my screen?
A. Contact our customer service at 888.932.2326 ext. 2.