LEADING INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER IN KENYA

Q: Do I need a telephone line?
A: No – BYF Telecomm. Internet doesn’t require POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) like dialup or DSL. The Radio Unit (Antenna – Subscriber Module), considered the CPE (Customer Premise Equipment), on your roof or another elevated place on your property is connected to a power injector (power supply) typically inside your home or office. The power injector has two (2) Cat5 (Ethernet) ports. On port powers the Radio Unit and the port of for Internet access. Depending on our programming, you must connect a router to the power injector or can connect a computer directly to it and have an Internet connetion. No telephone line needed!
Q: Where do you install the Antenna (Radio)?
A: To receive and transmit a wireless signal you must have direct line-of-sight (LoS) between the broadcast tower or a local relay point. We must locate the Antenna where we have LoS. We attempt to install the unit in a location that achieves LoS, is reasonably close to where the cable will enter the house – and as out of sight as possible.
Some customers chose to install a pole in the ground and run a cable to their house. We recommend 1.5” EMT conduit. We can mount to almost any solid structure. However, the structure must be secure and not be able to rotate or sway in the wind.
Q: Do I need a wireless router?
A: Yes and No. The answer is dependent on whether you are on NAT (Network Address Translation) or have a Static IP programmed in their router. Most customers are on NAT where we program the static IP into the Radio. BYF Telecomm. used to provide the first router as part of the installation. However, those standard routers are no adequate for many customers. We now have the customer research and purchase a router that fits their needs. If you have a single computer that can be hardwired with an Ethernet cable, then you do not need a router and can connect directly to the power injector if we program the radio as NAT.
Q: How long does your typical wireless installation take?
A: A typical installation takes between 5 and 7 hours.
Q: Do I own the equipment?
A: This is dependent on the type of equipment and when your installation took place. BYF Telecomm. typically owns and maintains the wireless equipment supplied at installation. In some instances customer may provide their own equipment. Some installations provide for access to separate structures. In those case the customer will normally own that equipment.
Q: Can I get BYF Telecomm. at my location?
A: To request a free site survey, please complete the survey form.
Q: Can I do the installation myself?
A: No. First, for your safety we recommend the installation done by our trained contractor. The equipment must be properly (and solidly) installed. We must still send our contractor out to align the equipment properly to give you the best possible service and the cost is the same so you may as well have them install the equipment. You may contact us for unique situations – we’re flexible.
Q: When I watch YouTube videos, streaming videos and such it seems like the video stops for loading.
A: Many things affect your video viewing experience. We suggest you view videos in standard format as opposed to HD. Also check the video settings and change the settings so the Speed is ‘Normal’ and adjust the Quality settings until you have a good viewing experience. 360p and 480p are suggested.
Wireless Bandwidth
Burstable and Sustained Rates Defined
BYF Telecomm. provides a “shared” broadband Internet connection for its subscribers. Because the connection is shared, certain shaping rules must be implemented to provide a stable experience for all. As a result, we have a “Burstable” rate, and a “Sustained” rate.
Burstable Rate
Initially, when a customer begins transferring data across the Internet, they are allowed a high Burstable rate up to 25 Megabits and higher for download and 5 Megabits for upload.** The customer may continue at that rate until a pre-determined amount of data transfer is reached. Picture an empty bucket of water. When you first turn on the hose, you can fill the bucket up at a fast rate – but eventually, the bucket will become full and you must decrease the flow to keep it from overflowing. The speed at which you are filling the empty bucket is called the Burstable rate.
Sustained Rate
Now imagine there is a hole in the bottom of the bucket. This allows water to leak out of the bucket at a consistent rate. When you reach the top of the bucket, the flow from the hose must be reduced to match the rate at which the water is leaking out through the hole – thus keeping the bucket at the full line and never overflowing. This rate is the Sustained rate. When a user is idle and data transfer stops, the bucket continues to empty at a consistent rate. When the user starts transferring data again, the Burstable rate is applied – until the bucket becomes full, then the Sustained rate is applied. Keep in mind that the sustained rate is not a fixed and guranteed rate. A number of both physical, equipment and environmental factors affect the sustained rate. Sustained rate is affected by the ability of our Level 1 upstream providers to provide bandwidth, the number of customers using the network and the specific AP (Access Point) or Relay you are connected to. BYF Telecomm. employs load-balancing to give you the very best experience possible. You will often see very high burstable and sustained rates on speed tests during the day and lower ones in the evening hours. Speed tests show averages and do not necesarily show the true speed you are getting.
Committed Information Rate (CIR)
We also have a Committed Information Rate (CIR) for certain business customers that meet the necessary qualifications. The CIR has the same Burstable properties as the shared connection above, however, the Sustained rate is set higher (there is a bigger hole in the bucket).
For a chart of Burstable and Sustained Rate see the chart on the Pricing Page
**Burstable rates vary by plan. Burstable rates are a factor of all components working together. Your rate may vary depending on your distance from a tower or relay, Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), age, type and function of your router, whether you are hardwired to the router or connected via WIFI, environmental factors, age and condition of connections and cables, the age and function of the device you are connecting with and the available bandwidth of the network at any given time.