Access FAQ

Admiral Online Access
Frequently Asked Questions

1) How many phone lines (or modems) do you have?
2) Why are you less expensive than others?
3) What kind of software do I need?
4) Do you have a trial period?
5) Which cities do you currently service?
6) Do you have 1 (800) access for modem connections?

1) How many phone lines (or modems) do you have?

This could be our single most asked question. Quite frankly, the question is either mis-worded or irrelevant. If we had 30 lines(and modems) and 30 customers, we would be doing fantastic. However, if we had 30 lines (and modems) and 3000 customers, we would never be able to stay in business. Admiral is dedicated to maintaining a user to modem ratio of 12:1. This means that for every twelve (12) users one (1) modem is available. This ratio is a constant maintenance project in each city that we serve, and so, the actual number is constantly being upgraded. With the variety of people joining the internet community, and with their different schedules and usage patterns, this ratio generally means that you can expect to receive a busy signal less than 1% of the time when you call to connect. As a comparison America Online has 40 users per modem.

2) Why are you less expensive than others?
(This is really two questions in one.)

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Answer A: We are less expensive than other Internet Service Providers mainly for philosophical reasons. We maintain top-end equipment and utilize fiber optic technologies for line efficiency, through our alliances with a 1st Tier backbone company. A 1st Tier company owns the actual fiber-optic cable backbone across the United States.

Answer B: We are less expensive than Online Services mainly for reasons of propriety. We are not interested in taking publicly accessible information, putting it in our own format that only our software can read, and charging by the hour to view it. Admiral's interest is in providing our customers with the gateway for accessing this information in an effort to increase value to your apartment amenities and make your home connected to the World Wide Web.

3) What kind of software do I need?

Generally, if you are reading this web page, you will not need any additional software. Exceptions are noted if you are viewing this from an Online Service or using proprietary software. Users of Windows95 are in luck because it comes with dial-up networking pre-installed. However, if you do not wish to mess with Windows95's (often confusing) networking configurations and settings, or if you do not already have configurable Internet software, Admiral does offer Netscape Communicator 4.04 for Windows, Windows95, or Macintosh.

4) Do you have a trial period?

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Admiral does not offer a trial period. Our committment is to provide our customers with the best quality service at the best prices. A trial period of any length would make this difficult, if not impossible, to maintain. A 12:1 user to modem ratio could not be maintained if the number of users to be accessing the system could not be consistently determined, not to mention that our existing customers, who trust us to provide quality service, would suffer from having unpaid users utilizing the phone lines, modems, and tech support. Our customers deserve better than that. On the other hand, we do offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all annual accounts.

5) Which cities do you currently service?

Please see our POPS page for a complete list.

6) Do you have 1(800) access for modem connections?

At this time, Admiral does not offer this service. The answers to "why not?" vary depending on who you ask. Basically though, if we were to begin offering this service now, it would have to be purchased as a base rate plus hourly charge account, and the connection may not be as stable as a local call. We will attempt to avoid having our customers pay an hourly charge for access. Admiral will continue to research and develop ways to allow access to customers outside of our calling area.

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