Frequently Asked Questions

The first question you need to ask is what direction I am willing to travel.  The first dirction is low cost without dependability, frequent outages and slow repair times.  Second is higher cost, more reliability, Service Level Agreements (SLA), few outages, and speedy repair.

In the first category we find the following service delivery methods - Cable Modem, DSL, Wireless.

In the second category we find Fiber, Microwave, Satellite, T-1 connectivity, and EOC.

Let's look at each delivery method.

Cable Modem: 

These connections are "Best Effort".  They are usally inexpensive, do not have an SLA, and frequent outages with slow repair times.  Service delivered in this manner is up to the tier selected.  Ex. a 600 x 35 circuit is A-Syncronous and fluctuates in speed depending upon how many users are on the node at any given time.  Service is shared with outher business and residentual users within the same node.

DSL:

This technology is becoming obsolete.  It is cheap and very slow.  An A-Syncronous circuit like Cable Modems, there is just nout enough upload bandwidth for most business applications with today's consumption demands.  We typically do not see this delivery method unless there is nothing else available.

Wireless:

Wireless services (Hotspots - 4G LTE or 5G) are limited to the amount of bandwidth available.  Comes with usage packages containing very little data.  It can get expensive fast with overage charges to the initial usage package.  Some businesses deploy this as a back up solution.  Better designed for a business traveler (single person) while traveling or for emergancies.  Wireless can be fixed or mobile.

T-1 Connectivity:

T-1 Connectivity is becoming extinct as Carrier Service Providers are migrating away from expensive to maintain copper networks.  In some areas, however, they are still being used.  T-1 Connectivity is dedicated to your loation and not shared.  They are stable Syncronous connections.  These connections come wth SLA's.  Each T-1 can only carry 1.5M of bandwidth.  Getting a faster connection over T-1 would require multiple T-1's bonded together.  Bound (5) T-1's equals 7.5M.  Today's consumption demands require faster circuits.

Ethernet-Over-Copper (EOC)

This delivery uses the same T-1 paires of copper cable but binds them together to different head-end equipment, enabling greater speed at a lower cost.  We have not seen these deployed recently as the high-end bandwidth is typically 10M.  These circuits are also getting more expensive due to the maintenance costs of the copper networks.

 Fiber Optic:

Until now, Fiber has been the best, most stable delivery method of bradband services capable of delivering very high bandwidth at a responsible cost.  Fiber is Syncronous.  There are two competitive products, mentioned below, that are competing with Fiber for the top delivery method.  Fiber comes with an SLA and is dedicated to your business.  Repairs to this service are the fastest availiable in an outage situation.

Typically, the biggest hurdle of Fiber Delivery is the construction cost and time frame to deliver and install to the customer's premise.  Installation can cost thousands of dollars to build fiber into a location with it not currently lit.  This cost can sometimes be amortized into a monthly payment, making the impact on the business a little more reasonable.  Sometimes there is no construction to deliver depending on the location.  The only way to determine this is to sign a contract to initiate a physical survey.  The buiness has an "OUT" if the delivery is too expensive, where both the Carrier and the Customer can walk away.  Inatallation can take 120+ days for delivery.

This delivery method is most in demand for high bandwidth applications, or for customers that are tired of the pain associated with the lower cost solutions.

New to market is the ABF Fiber.  This is a product designed to compete with the Cable companies in speed and cost.  It is delivered on fiber, where available, and is outstanding at a lower price point.

Satellite:

Technologies change.  Previously, this type of delivery was exclusively used only in applications where nothing else was available.  It was slow, affected by the weather, expensive, and has little throughput.  

Today this has changed thanks to Elon Musk and his Space-X low orbiting satellites.  The product is called Starlink and has turned the stellite industry upside down.  Miltiple speed packages are available, an SLA, and faster install/delivery speeds.  Very fast speeds are available up to 1Gig.  No weather disruptions and a heated dish to melt the snow away with the stability of Fiber.  We have deployed this service with fantastic results and are extremely impressed.  Even works with VoIP.  I highly recommend this type of delivery.

Microwave:

This delivery method is also known as "Air Fiber".  Microwave delivers fiber quality broadband to your location (Ohio Only).  Cost compairable to fiber with much faster delivery.  No digging and lower construction cost, if any.  Bandwidth availability from 2M to 1Gig.  Guarenteed latency, SLA, and an impeccable record of up time.  Providers in Ohio can deliver this service.

Final Thoughts / Recommendations:

As you can see, there is a myraid of servies available.  Add to that, mutiple providers and the process is daunting.  ConnectTek makes it easy for you.  We have tools that can take an address and provide every carrier that can service it, the different types of service delivery available, and the cost for each.  We also know who the best carriers are or not,  for a particular service delivery method.

We do not charge for this service.  All we ask is that we consult your business on connectivity, you book that order through us.  There is no difference in cost to you the user whether you buy it directly from the supplier or through ConnectTek as your agent.

The advantage of booking your order through us is that we will manage the installation on your behalf, removing it from your plate.  We do all of this for FREE.  Additionally, we are easier to find and to respond when there is an issue with your service.  We are easier to get ahold of than most carrier reps and we have a back door contract into each carrier that usually gets repaires started faster than the basic customer service line.  We will assist you in opening service tickets and follow-up with regular status reports.  You will never get the "White Glove" support delaing with a carrier directly.

NOTE:  Of all the delviery methods above, Fiber, Microwave, and Satellite will cost you a little more per month but without the headaches assocaiated with the other types of methods.  This will benefit your productivity, allow you to process your customer requests and orders with less interruption to conducting your business.

DISCLAIMER:  No one can guarantee that your business will never experience an outage.  Technology fails.  ConnectTek can show you how to mitigate and manage those issues with minimal impact to your business, and we will be there when things go awry.

Contact us to review your existing services, add or replace circuits, get more bandwidth, or connect anohter branch or new location.

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Every project is designed specifically with your needs and budget in mind. Our relationships with a wide variety of carriers allows us to find the perfect fit for your organization.

Absolutely, ConnectTek will handle the entire project start to finish. We engage with you, the department heads, and the end users to address any questions, concerns, or ideas and to make sure they understand how to use the new technology being deployed. 

Simply contact us and we will walk you through  the process.

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