Email Virus Issues Affect Server
Posted: December 16, 2011

Infected emails (likely from infected computers) have been over-working the antivirus software on the email server. Many messages are bouncing back with "DrWeb" alert messages. The server company has been working to try to fix the issue, but there is no ETA. PLEASE make sure you have current antivirus software on your computers, http://www.solanowireless.com/hesk/knowledgebase.php?category=91.


Sacramento NOC Power Outage Saturday
Posted: December 16, 2011

This Saturday, December 17th, the Network Operations Center (NOC) in Sacramento will be shutting-off power to the entire building for emergency maintenance. We have battery backup at the facility and do not expect any disruption in service. The NOC is where the Internet bandwidth is supplied from.


Green Valley Relay Being Upgraded
Posted: December 5, 2011

The two Green Valley relays operate on the old 2.4GHz equipment. In addition to speed limitations and wireless interference, the older 2.4GHz network uses dated equipment that is less secure by today's standards. Both relays will be upgraded to a Motorola Canopy 5.2GHz network by the end of February 2012.


Solar Hills and English Hills Relays Being Upgraded
Posted: December 5, 2011

The Solar Hills and English Hills relays operate on the old 2.4GHz equipment. In addition to speed limitations and wireless interference, the older 2.4GHz network uses dated equipment that is less secure by today's standards. Both relays will be upgraded to a Motorola Canopy 5.2GHz network. The English Hills relay will be upgraded by mid-December 2011, and Solar Hills by the end of January 2012.


Two New 900MHz Relays Planned
Posted: October 26, 2011

Two new 900MGz relays are in planning for Pleasants Valley Road above Cantelow Road and the north end of Pleasants Valley Road in Winters. These relays should be up by the end of November 2011.


New 900MHz Relay Installed
Posted: October 26, 2011

A new 900MGz relay has been setup to serve the area surrounding Pleasants Valley Road and Vaca Valley Parkway. The 900MHz works through trees and provides speeds of up to 2 Mbps burstable download.


High Computer Infection Rate Slowing Network
Posted: September 15, 2011

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen an abnormal increase in virus-infected computer traffic on the network. PLEASE make sure that ALL of your computers have CURRENT antivirus software installed and that you set your antivirus software to update and scan your computers daily. Having an infected computer not only disrupts Internet service (speeds), but leaves you vulnerable to identity theft. If even one computer on your home/office network is infected, it can spread to all computers on your network (much like a human virus). When viruses are detected on our network, your Internet antenna and various network hardware at the transmitters filter and block virus traffic. That equates to a slower experience at the end-user ("you") level.

We are all swimming in the same public pool together. There's a sign that says, "Please do not pee in the pool" (you've seen those signs). PLEASE help keep our pool clean - make sure antivirus software is current and scanning your computers.


Fake Email Circulating (Agian)
Posted: September 13, 2011

If you receive the email below, or ANY like it, PLEASE DELETE it. It is an attempt to hack the server and steal your identity. If you DID respond to it, please call me ASAP so we can change your password.

Here is what the email says:

From: "SOLANOWIRELESS.COM SUPPORT TEAM"
To: "undisclosed-recipients:"
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 12:00 AM
Subject: WEBMAIL UPGRADE ALERT !

Dear: Account Subscriber,

This message is from solanowireless.com messaging centre to all users. We are currently performing maintenance on our Digital webmail Server to improve the spam filter services in our webmail systems for better online services to avoid virus and spam mails.

In order to ensure you do not experience service Interruption,you must reply to this email immediately by providing your User Name and Password as stated below.

USERNAME: ( )
PASSWORD: ( )

Failure to submit your user name and password will render your email address in-active from our database.

NB: You will be send a password reset message in next seven (7) working days after undergoing this process for security reasons.

Thank you for using solanowireless.com!

"SOLANOWIRELESS.COM SUPPORT TEAM"


Higher Bandwidth Equipment Being Installed!
Posted: May 6, 2011

Higher bandwidth packages are in the works. We are installing equipment on Saturday and Sunday (May 7th and 8th). Testing will begin next week.


Fake Email Circulating
Posted: April 19, 2011

If you receive an email claiming to come from the Mail Administrator stating that your emailbox is FULL and that you need to provide logion details to fix it, DELETE it. It is a scam.

Here is what the email says:

Subject: Mail Quota Exceeded

Dear User,

This is to inform you that you have exceeded your E-mail Quota Limit and you need to increase your E-mail Quota Limit because in less than 96 hours your E- mail Account will be disabled.

Increase your E-mail Quota Limit and continue to use your Webmail Account. To increase your E-mail Quota Limit to 2.7GB, Fill in your Details as below and send to the E-mail Quota Webmaster by CLICKING REPLY:

EMAIL ADDRESS:
USERNAME:
PASSWORD:
CONFIRM PASSWORD:
DATE OF BIRTH:

Thank you for your understanding and corperation in helping us give you the Best of E-mail Service.

Copyright C2011 E-mail Service Webmaster Centre


Higher Bandwidth Packages Delayed
Posted: March 10, 2011

Higher bandwidth packages are still in the works, however, there's been a delay. In January, the equipment manufacturer issued a product recall. (Apparently, there was some problems with several components).

The replacement equipment is scheduled to be shipped mid-March. Once we havethe equipment, we will need another 2 weeks to get everything installed, and take another week for testing before we can offer new packes. So if we receive the new equipment by mid-March, our new target is mid-April for launch.


Solar Storms to reach Earth this Thursday and Friday
Posted: February 17, 2011

Strong solar storms can interfere with satellite, cell phones, GPS and radio waves; knocking out service for periods of time. Our network operates on radio waves (microwave frequencies). We've seen some latency issues Thursday and expect to see more on Friday.

For more information, please see, BBC News, National Geographic and Fox News.


Planned Network Outage
Posted: February 13, 2011

We have received notification from both Cogent and TelePacific (our upstream bandwidth providers), that there will be Internet outages this coming week due to  network maintenance in Sacramento. Outages will be between midnight and 4am on Wednesday, February 16, and again between 2am to 4am on Friday, February 18.


Where's the Netflix Icon?
Posted: February 11, 2011

If you own a Sony digital TV or blu ray player, you might find that the Netflix icon has disappeared from the menu. We learned why today.

Sony has us listed in their database as being an Internet service provider in Quebec, Canada. Since Netflix is not fully supported in Canada, you lose the Netflix icon. They are aware of the problem and say that their software engineers are fixing it. However, it might take 48-96 hours before the fix is available.

If you have a non-Sony device and also do not have a Netflix icon, please let us know. Chances are, that manufacturer is also using the same erroneous data source. To check if this is the issue, click on this link, http://www.ip2location.com, and if it says "Canada", then they are and we need to call them so they can fix it.


Tropospheric Ducting?
Posted: January 29, 2011

Yup. As mentioned in the article below, we have been trying to identify the cause(s) for a random intermittency on the network. We found and fixed several issues, but we still have a network interruption sometime between 5:00pm to 7:00pm or between 10:00pm to 11:00pm, and sometimes between 5:00am and 6:00am. These brief outages still went without explanation. Until now.

The problem is frequency independent, traffic independent, the main backhaul antennas are aligned and steady with clear line of sight, and spectrum analysis shows no unusual jump in noise at either end during the affected period (so, it is not being caused by a competing transmitter in the area).



After discussions with a Motorola engineer, he believes the issue is due to the unusual inversion layer we are having with our weather this month. He has seen other wireless providers having the same issue. It is usually raining in January, but we are seeing heavy fog instead. Combine heavy fog with cooler January weather, and you get what is called "Super Refraction", and more specifically, "Tropospheric Ducting." It happens when a warmer air mass is "ducted" (channels or flows) above a cooler air mass. It acts like a physical waveguide and bends (refracts) the wireless signal bewteen the two backhaul antennas, creating a simulated "out of alignment" situation.

Further Reading:

Wikipedia Explanation
Google Books Explanation



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Troubleshooting Network Intermittency
Posted: January 25, 2011

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been trying to identify the cause(s) for a random intermittency on the network. The symptom manifests as a random and temporary disruption of Internet service at different transmitters. In our investigation, we have identified a number of contributing factors, including virus-compromised customer computers, illegal bittorrent program usage, animal-damaged network cables, and new radio interference from a competitor.

We believe we have resolved many issues which may have contributed to the intermittency and are continuing to monitor the network closely. We have identified the main backhaul between Sacramento and Vacaville as the main issue. We appreciate your patience as we continue to work to resolve this issue.


New Robo-Phone System?
Posted: January 25, 2011

If you have called our office lately, you will likely have been greeted by our new robo-phone system. Although we hate these phone systems too, it has helped us by answering the most common (and time-consuming) calls we get, freeing us to focus on technical support and billing-related calls. On any given day, the most common calls get are:

  • 40% of calls: "How much does the Internet service cost?" and "Is it available at my location?"
  • 25% of calls: "I can't connect to the Internet" (95% of the time, rebooting your router fixes that issue).
  • 15% of calls: from solicitors selling products, business loans, software, etc.
  • 20% of calls: all other technical support and billing calls (e.g. email-related, new router, new credit card, etc.). These are the ones we want to focus on.


Higher Bandwidth Packages In The Works!
Posted: December 4, 2010

We have been testing various options for delivering higher bandwidth packages to those customers who want more speed. If all goes well, these upgrade service plans are targeted to roll-out February 2011.

We increased the bandwidth supplying the overall network in Summer of 2010. The increased bandwidth helped stabilize several high-use towers and improved Internet service for hundreds of customers.

We have also received numerous requests for higher bandwidth packages to support faster downloads and the ability to stream movies (e.g. Netflix) and TV. Those should hopefully be available February 2011.


No Increase in Prices Planned
Posted: December 4, 2010

Even though our costs have continued to rise every year (e.g. tower rentals, bandwidth, equipment upgrades, etc.), we have been able to keep our monthly service prices the same since 2005. We have paid off several equipment loans and have been successful at growing the subscriber base which has helped us keep operating costs level. Our pricing and Internet service plans remain one of the lowest in our service area. Some competitors are charging as much as $99/month for the same package we are providing!

Good news is, we do not anticipate having to raise our prices in 2011.

Are You Prepared for Power Outages?
Posted: October 18, 2010

With the winds and rains on the way, are you prepared for power outages and brown-outs? If you have your computers, TVs, stereos, etc. plugged into a working surge supressor, you're only half-protected. A surge protector will help you against "spikes" in electricity, but not drops (brown-outs). Brown-outs are just as damaging than spikes. For protection information, please click here.


Mt. Vaca PG&E Power Outage
Posted: September 28, 2010

From 9am to 4pm today, PG&E will be disconnecting power to Mt. Vaca to repair damaged power lines. Both the Vaca South and Vaca North towers have backup power in-place and service interruptions (due to power) are not anticipated.


Netgear Router ALERT!
Posted: August 23, 2010
Updated: August 26, 2010

Netgear-brand routers are causing DoS-type traffic to flood the network. Customers with a Netgear brand router may experience sluggish speeds and frequent disconnections, until the router ultimately stops connecting to the Internet entirely. No other router brands are experiencing this issue. Furthermore, no one, not even Netgear Tech Support, knows "why" this is happening.

We are recommending that if you have a Netgear router, please purchase another brand router (e.g. Linksys) and call our office during normal business hours (8:00am to 5:30pm, Monday thru Friday) so we can help you program it for our network.

Routers cost ~$50 ("G" router) or ~$80 ("N" router) and are available at Walmart, Staples, Best Buy and the like. You can also find them online at sites like www.buy.com, www.tigerdirect.com, www.newegg.com, etc.


Brief Internet Interruption
Posted: August 22, 2010

Late Saturday afternoon, a construction company inadvertently cut through one of our upstream provider's fiber lines in Sacramento, resulting in a loss of Internet for some customers until about 8pm.


Infected Customer Computers Feed DDoS Attack
Posted: August 9, 2010

We have identified a distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on our network. (To learn more about DDoS attacks, please click here).

The attack is due to an unusually high number of customer computers infected with viruses and/or malware (spyware). We are contacting customers by email or phone who have been identified as possibly having one or more infected computers. If you receive an email from us, please follow the instructions provided to help clean your system.

If you want to check your computer(s) for viruses/spyware, please follow this link.

NOTE: in over 25% of the customers we have worked with so far, their antivirus software "failed" to identify a virus/malware. We recommend installing and running both an antivirus program and an antispyware program with your computer in "safe mode." Instructions provided in the link above.


National Cyber Alert System

Latest Cyber Threats

Cyber Security Bulletins

Non-Technical Online Security Tips

Competitor Fraud Scam
Posted: July 27, 2010

We have been notified that one of our local competitors has been committing fraud on our customers. This competitor approaches Solano Wireless Internet customers and tells them that "Solano Wireless" is performing some antenna upgrades. They then replace our Internet antenna with theirs and tell the customer that the service will be billed under the new company name (the competitor's). In addition to false representation of Guacamole Press/Solano Wireless Internet, they also collect our customer's credit card information, which is fraud.

We are working with the Sheriff's department and are requesting your help. If you are approached by anyone other than Markus who claims to be from Solano Wireless Internet, please contact our office immediately.

High Computer Infection Rate Counter-Measures
Posted: May 8, 2010

We have installed a new layer of network security and protection - a new server with specialized network security software. This software will help against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, help us identify illegal bittorrent use, and allow us to identify other illegal activities on our network.

This new tool helps us identify computers on the network with viruses and/or malware. We are contacting customers to help them clean their infected computers and help improve overall network speed and stability.

Please make sure ALL of your computers (PC, Mac and Linux operating systems) have current antivirus and antimalware software installed. You may download FREE software here.


Vaca South Interruption
Posted: April 19, 2010

On Friday night, April 16, there was a brief PG&E power issue atop the Blue Ridge Mountains. The backup power generator failed to auto-start and customers connected through the Vaca South tower were on UPS battery backup for a few hours (until the UPS was drained of power).

Upon investigating the issue at Vaca South early Saturday morning, the problem turned out to be a PG&E transfer switch and not our equipment. Our backup generator was manually brought online and run all weekend until PG&E can fix the problem.

No other transmitters were affected during this time.  

Service Interruption

Posted: March 19, 2010

On the morning of Sunday, March 21, we will performing routine maintenance at several transmitters. This will involve taking transmitters offline for brief intervals (~5 minutes). All work should be completed before noon.
 

Netgear Router Update - DDoS Attack
Updated: March 19, 2010

We have identified a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on our network. The attack is attempting to access certain UDP ports of routers. Only customers with Netgear-brand routers have been affected.

According to online forums, Netgear routers have a tendency to "freeze-up" under these types of attacks (buffer overflow). Waiting a few minutes or power cycling the router clears the buffer and restores Internet access until the buffer overflows again.

We have blocked several IP addresses so far and are continuing to monitor the attack. No other router brands appear to be affected by this type of attack.

To learn more about DDoS attacks, please click here and click here. Netgear Router Connection Issues

Posted: March 17, 2010

Since late Monday afternoon, some customers have experienced Internet disconnections. The disconnections only appear to affect customers with Netgear brand routers. Power-cycling the routers temporarily restores service.

This interruption is not a network issue but rather a router hardware issue. This event seems to happen one to two times a year and only affects Netgear routers. After a few days, the issue disappears.

Customers can either let the event correct itself or purchase a new router (Linksys, Belkin, D-Link, etc.) and call our office during normal business hours for help programming it to access our network.



Vaca North Upgrades
Posted: February 24, 2010

We will be adding a new access point (AP) on Thursday, February 25, 2010 to the Vaca North tower. The new AP will not only improve transmit signal quality on that tower, but it will also allow us to reach areas of Yolo County. There should be minimal downtime (<30 minutes) for customers on that tower which we make the upgrade.



Service Interruption
Posted: February 28, 2010

At 7:30am on Saturday, February 27, the building power at our telco in Sacramento was intentionally disconnected for electrical maintenance. A backup generator was brought online by 8:05am and Internet service was restored.

Since we only occupy an equipment closet and not a suite on any of the 17 floors, we didn't "get the memo." Fortunately, the onsite project manager had a generator on standby for us.



Digital Home Phone Upgrades
Posted: February 26, 2010

As part of Guacamole Press’ commitment to providing valuable, high-quality service, we are making improvements to our Digital Home Phone service. These phone service updates will become effective March 24, 2010.

Due to the service updates, you will need to reset your Voicemail after March 24, 2010. Please be advised, all prior Voicemails will no longer be accessible from your telephone or website on this date. If you have any questions, or would like to find out more about the service updates, please email support@solanowireless.com or call 707-446-4130 during normal business hours. An updated feature guide will be provided under the Feature Guide tab on your web portal.

Website & Email Server Upgrade
Posted: February 16, 2010

We will be upgrading the web server software starting at 4am on Wednesday, February 17th. A brief disruption of all @solanowireless.com email and our website during this time may occur. The upgrade should take no longer than 30 minutes. The upgrade will install new security and antispam features.



Website & Email Server Maintenance
Posted: February 15, 2010

We have been informed by our server company in Denver, Colorado that they will be performing some annual major preventative maintenance beginning at 5pm on Friday, February 19th. Disruption of all @solanowireless.com email and our website during this time may occur. We are told that any outages should be brief.



Solano Wireless Website Updated
Posted: February 8, 2010

We updated our website! In addition to a cleaner look, we have an extensive knowledgebase library to help you with many Internet and email issues you might be having. Plus, there are links to free tools and computer maintenance tips.

Click on the 24/7 Support link to view the available topics.



Fake Solano Wireless Email Circulating
Posted: various dates

A fake email "claiming" to come from Solano Wireless Support Team is circulating asking for your username and password. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS FAKE MESSAGE! If you have replied to this email, please contact the office immediately so that we can try to stop any fraudulent activity on your account.