General FAQs

Cirrus Broadband is similar to other types of broadband today. Traditional ADSL or cable broadband provides high speed internet access by connecting customers through phone lines or through the cable TV network. Rather, Cirrus services are delivered over a wireless connection. The Cirrus network is "fixed wireless", meaning that customers install an antenna on their building or house which is connected to a Cirrus Wireless Tower. The customer's antenna is fixed and does not move.

Cirrus network has over 200 transmission sites in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and many major regional centres which communicate over the air to your Cirrus wireless antenna.

Yes. Cirrus has built its own network infrastructure because:

• It enables us to deliver services where they are needed
• It means that we can control the pricing
• Our service does not rely on any other provider's infrastructure
• As we built the network from scratch, we have identified and used the latest and most appropriate technology to meet Australian requirements and location of users. Our network offers super-quick installation of high speed connections that are well suited for the latest applications such as Internet Telephony (or Voice over IP). The network can easily be upgraded to support new services and technologies as they are reliable and widely available.

In most instances, Cirrus is using super secure super fast "wireless broadband" technology. This is technology similar to the cellular telephone network, but is more economical and faster because we don't need to blanket the entire country. Cirrus deploys a backbone network throughout each region that feeds telephony and data to our network access points that, in turn, transmit through relay points to our end customers.

The Cirrus network, like many wireless communications networks, has wireless transmitters at central locations that broadcast signals to the surrounding areas. The antennas on these transmission sites communicate wirelessly with a similar antenna installed on your building or house.

Scalable Bandwidth

Unlike some broadband technologies, fixed wireless Ethernet is symmetric access where the download and upload speeds are the same. Speeds can be easily increased at any time by Cirrus' central Network Operations team.

Speed Installation

Fast broadband can be installed in a very short period of time. If the location is within our coverage, it only requires the installation of the antenna on the roof of the building. These quick installation times are possible because fixed wireless broadband does not rely on copper lines or cables to deliver the service. Businesses simply need to be within 'line of sight' to a Cirrus transmission site.

Independence

Cirrus owns and operates Australia's largest fixed wireless networks and is independent from other Tier 1 carriers, giving you the opportunity to install fixed wireless broadband as your primary link, or as a redundant service.

Mission-Critical Applications

The cirrus fixed wireless network uses premium broadband technology to support data hosting, video conferencing, surveillance and security applications, offices with more than 20 staff, multimedia content delivery, multi-site virtual private networks (VPN) and more.

No, Your antenna must remain stationary

The Cirrus network is a fixed wireless network - that is, it operates between our wireless transmission sites (transmitters) and a fixed antenna mounted to your office, building or house. This fixed wireless solution enables us to guarantee the performance of the network today. In the longer term, Cirrus will be upgrading its base stations to provide mobility to our customers as demand for this service rises and the technology allows us to offer it at the right price. In some regions we will also provide movable access points that can be relocated and re-tuned for movable high speed data and voice communications.

Yes, to achieve a good signal strengthen a good line-of-sight between the Cirrus wireless transmission site and your antenna is good practice

However, Cirrus does use more powerful equipment to overcome non line-of-sight locations particularly in tree dense areas. We will install extra equipment to try to make our coverage in a territory as widespread as we can. Ask us about how we are serving your area.

Cirrus uses a number of different technologies some of which do not need to have direct line of sight to a base station, however it is preferable.

Yes, Cirrus standard services between 1Mbps and 30Mbps speeds but speeds of 1Gbps plus can also be achieved with specialised equipment.

Cirrus uses the best technology available today for the solutions that we want to provide. Your subscriber unit is extremely powerful, supporting bandwidths of many Mbps - faster than almost all standard ADSL and cable wired technologies. Furthermore, the wireless links are intrinsically symmetrical and can offer fast uploads as well as downloads.

Cirrus supplies faster plans for businesses, with Quality of Service and Service Level Agreements. If you have a requirement for higher data rates or require a customised telecommunication solution, please contact us and we can arrange this.

Cirrus is a technology agnostic company - we use the best technology available for the solution that we want to provide. Your Wireless Antenna is extremely powerful, supporting bandwidths of many Mbps - faster than almost all Broadband technologies, however we limit the throughput to ensure that there are adequate network resources available for all users.

The wireless power being transmitted from a Cirrus antenna is of the same order as a handheld mobile phone. The Cirrus relay antennas have similar profiles as the subscriber units connected to your premises. Given that the Cirrus units are designed to operate outside, mounted to the roof, the exposure to RF energy will be well below the generally accepted limits.

All of the equipment used by Cirrus is classified as 'low rf impact' by the Federal Government

In short,

• Microwave frequencies are assessed by the level of power emitted by the equipment. The potential danger to humans is the potential for an increase in body temperature
• As the equipment used by Cirrus is operating at extremely low powers, less than a mobile phone battery, it is deemed as having very limited impact. Remember these antennas are on the roof as well
• As a result there are no planning restrictions on placing equipment like this on people houses or buildings

More information about wireless radiation can be found in the following resources:

• Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA):
  http://www.arpansa.gov.au/issues.htm
• Australian Communications Authority (ACA):
  http://emr.aca.gov.au/
• Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA):
  http://www.amta.org.au/aoi.asp?ID=Health_and_Safety
• EMR Association of Australia:
  http://www.emraa.org.au/
• EMFacts - a consultancy:
  http://www.emfacts.com/
• World Health Organisation:
  http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/en/

Cirrus antennas use Power over Ethernet (PoE) injectors meaning that they get power through the data cable

• The PoE injector is plugged into the mains in the communications room
• The data cable from the antenna is plugged in one port with another data cable from another port connecting to the customer's infrastructure
• The PoE injector transmits the required power up the Cat5 cable to the antenna

This now a standard way of powering devices.  This avoids having to find or install power on the roof of buildings.

What is latency?

Latency is the time that it takes for any communication to travel from its source to its destination. Some applications (such as Internet games) are sensitive to latency, whilst others (such as Internet telephony) are more sensitive to variations in latency (known as jitter). Latency can be managed in part by providing priority to traffic arising from sensitive applications.

What sort of latency should I expect from Cirrus?

Cirrus is endeavouring to keep the latency on its network to extremely low levels to optimise the experience for its customers. Nevertheless, customers in remote parts of the network are likely to experience greater latency than those close to our central offices. The Cirrus network expects to add at least 30ms of delay in normal operating conditions, however some users may experience latency as low as 5ms. It is also important to note that the latency in the Cirrus network is likely to be only part of the total latency experience by your applications and Cirrus has no control over the routing of your traffic through the Internet.

Does latency affect my ability to use Voice over IP (VoIP)?

VoIP is particularly sensitive to variations in the latency of traffic (jitter). Cirrus has designed its network in order to optimise the performance of VoIP. Nevertheless most VoIP traffic travels across the Internet and this is beyond the control of any one company. The Cirrus network expects to add at least 30ms of delay in normal operating conditions. This may affect the response of VoIP applications if there is significant delay already being experienced over the Internet, however, this is beyond the control of Cirrus. In normal operations the delay attributed to the Cirrus network should be marginal.

Does latency affect my ability to play Internet games?

Some games are sensitive to latency. Gaming applications may be affected if there is significant delay already being experienced over the Internet, however this is beyond our control. In normal operations the delay attributed to the Cirrus network should be marginal.

Cirrus mostly uses equipment that operate in the class-licensed microwave bands

• 2.4 GHz range
• 5.4-5.8 GHz range

These frequencies will vary by customer location depending on the requirements of the service and the local environment

Cirrus also uses licensed wireless frequencies where required.

Very unlikely.  If there is interference then it is likely to be with equipment of a similar kind. If this does happen then it is relatively easy to identify the owner and to manage the frequencies to avoid interference.

Will my cordless phone or microwave interfere with my Cirrus Internet connection?

Depending on how your area is served, Cirrus may use a variety of different sorts of equipment. Some of these are subject to interference, although all of the Cirrus equipment is optimised for interference rejection.

Yes. The network has sufficiently low latency that it will support a high level of VoIP quality across the network

Cirrus wireless has been built to deliver commercial grade broadband services. The network will support data hosting, video conferencing, surveillance and security applications, offices with more than 20 staff, multimedia content delivery, multi-site virtual private networks (VPN) and more.

When does the billing period start?

Cirrus charges from the date your service commences.

Will I receive an invoice each month and what will it look like?

Yes, Cirrus will provide an itemised invoice every month. You will also receive an invoice whenever there is a transaction - whether we are charging you, you are paying us, or we are applying a credit to your account. These invoices will be sent by email to your email address. If you wish to change your billing email address, please email admin@cirruscomms.com.au

Please view our Cirrus Invoice Example.

What will appear on my bill?

The "Amount" column shows the amount associated with a given transaction. "CR" denotes a credit to your account (which will arise from a payment or from Cirrus applying credit to your account). "DR" denotes a debit to your account which will arise when the charges for your service fall due. The "Balance" column shows the amount in your account as a result of a given transaction. The "Current Balance Due" is the amount in your account at the end of all of the transactions in the invoice. If the amount has "DR" after it, then this is the amount that you owe Cirrus.

What payment options are available?

Cirrus accepts payment only by credit card or by BPAY, unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you are unfamiliar with BPAY, we suggest that you telephone your bank or visit your local branch and they will be able to assist you. Alternatively you could visitwww.bpay.com.au. Please note that Cirrus does not accept Amex or Diners Club cards.

What happens if I don't pay my bill by the due date?

Cirrus reserves the right to disconnect any accounts that are in arrears and a late payment fee will apply.

Can I change my credit card details?

Yes, please contact Cirrus on 1300 552 698.

Can I access my billing details online?

Yes. At the top of the page click 'User Login', then 'My Account' and login using your primary account username and password.

The Cirrus network settings are designed to operate as the equivalent Internet access for a corporate LAN. The Cirrus network is secure as is necessary for each particular application. The internal servers in the Cirrus network are protected however Cirrus strongly recommends customers use appropriate precautions for any information exchange you deem to be in need of protection. There are no proxies currently in the Cirrus network however this may change over time. In addition, see the comments concerning Interception below.

Interception by others

The Cirrus network is secured with over-the-air DES (Data Encryption Standard) encryption to ensure secure data delivery and exceptional reliability. In addition, the Cirrus network uses BRAID which is a stream cipher that the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) has standardised for the mobile cellular telephone industry which is used to authenticate the wireless devices. Cirrus cannot warrant the security of the network, however, we take reasonable precautions to protect our customers' confidentiality. Should any customer feel their information is in need of highly secure protection; their own solutions should be deployed as deemed necessary.

Viruses

Cirrus protects its own servers with anti-virus applications and there is an antivirus and antiSPAM filter operating in our firewalls HOWEVER, Cirrus cannot guarantee that any network is protected from virii, Trojans or other malware. Cirrus STRONGLY recommends that you invest in appropriate anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-SPAM solutions as appropriate for your needs. Cirrus does not currently offer any services in this area but may do so in the future. All existing Cirrus customers will be informed of any changes to this policy. There are some free antivirus options. See our Downloads section.

Do I need a firewall?

The Cirrus network is fire-walled at the upstream gateway and current firewall policies only allow inbound sessions to traverse the firewall on the outbound ports for that session. This may be a problem for customers who use Peer to Peer services and you are encouraged to discuss your P2P requirements with Cirrus technical support ( support@cirruscomms.com.au )This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Incoming VPNs (to the Cirrus customer) will require configuration by Cirrus. Outgoing VPNs (from the Cirrus customer) are transparent.

Can others see my computer?

SMB is blocked in the Wireless Antennas so that local shares are not browsable over the Cirrus network. This is to prevent unauthorized access to customer shares. Cirrus may implement VLANs within our network however this will be transparent to the end users.

All you need to know about PPPoE...

The 'PPPoE Setup Guide' provides you with step-by-step instructions to setting up PPPoE on your computer. 

If you have any difficulties relating to the PPPoE configuration, Username and Password issues or any other enquiry, feel free to contact our friendly Technical Support staff on 1300 552 698 or (02) 4336 2020

Configure Your PPPoE Connection  (PDF)