RASP Community Network - Your questions answered
What is RASP?
REACH AND SWAFFHAM PRIOR COMMUNITY NETWORK (RASP) is a not-for-profit
organisation that provides a very fast, always-on broadband service to
households and businesses within the villages of Reach and Swaffham Prior.
The community network is run and supported by a group of Reach and Swaffham Prior broadband enthusiasts and experts, who personally take care of each installation, and support the network 24 hours a day.
New Year offer
During February and March RASP is offering 10 free installations, these are on a first come first served basis so sign up fast! If you would like to take advantage of this offer please contact support@swaffham-prior.co.uk. Monthly charges after installation are £20 per month paid by standing order.
What is broadband?
Broadband is an always on, high-speed connection to the internet and email services. Broadband can reach the end user via ordinary telephone cables or by wireless network.
What is wireless broadband?
Wireless broadband is a symmetric broadband service which uses WiFi technology (radio waves), symmetric means that it delivers the same access speed uploading as downloading. Each user of the community broadband has an antenna in their house or office which connects via line-of-sight radio to a relay mast that in turn connects to the central transmitter mast at Reach and out on the internet via a 2MB Megastream connection to Mistral Internet.
The community broadband service covers the whole of Reach and Swaffham Prior and currently has over 70 home users and businesses, the majority of users have been with the service for over a year. Email accounts are in the form anynameyouwant@reach-village.co.uk or anynameyouwant@swaffamprior. co.uk, alternatively they can be forwarded to your own domain name.
Does wireless work?
Yes it does extremely well, once the equipment is installed and the connection established there is very little that will interfere with the signal.
How secure is broadband?
Both wireless and cable broadband providers face the same security issues such as unauthorised access to their system and hacking attempts. The community network is very secure, all users have a unique IP address, they are also protected by a centrally located firewall (most other providers do not provide this service). Each device has its own unique MAC address (hardware address) which is registered with the relay masts so that no unauthorised users can access the system. The system is also protected by encryption ensuring all data transmitted to and from your computer is encrypted.
Users do have to take responsibility for their own equipment connected to the network though so it is recommended that all users install anti-virus software and to be doubly sure, switch on the Windows firewall service. Contact support@rasp.org.uk for more information.
What downtime is there with broadband?
Very little, all broadband providers have downtime to do maintenance and upgrades this is usually under 1% of time, the majority of downtime is notified in advance and scheduled in off-peak times (eg 02.00 at night), wireless broadband provides the same level of service as any other broadband provider.
How fast is the community broadband?
The community broadband has access to 2Gbit/s 24hours per day, both uploading and downloading, this is ample speed for most home users and businesses.
How much does it cost? And how does this compare with other providers?
The community network costs £20 per month with £150 for installation, the installation charge covers the investment in the mast and antenna equipment in each section of the community and so it is a necessary charge.
Other providers now offer broadband in Reach and Swaffham Prior, but there are various limitations with their service that you need to be aware of:
- Limits on monthly usage
- Speed uploading (email sending, file sharing) is substantially slower than downloading (viewing on the Web, receiving email)
- contention ratio (ratio of users who share the line with you) could run into hundreds of users
- Limited bandwidth dependent on the amount you pay
A comparable service to the RASP service from other providers could cost as much as £70 per month.
If you have any further questions or would like to speak to other RASP users please do not hesitate to contact us on info@rasp.org.uk