Frequently Asked Questions

Learn how to get setup with Shadow Internet

FAQs

What is the difference between internet speed and WiFi speed?

The internet speed on your plan is the speed that is delivered to your router's WAN port. The router then broadcasts this as WiFi that your phone and other devices can connect to and has several wired ethernet ports. The speed coming in to your router could be very fast, but if the WiFi signal strength is low, then you will get slower speeds. A way to test this is to directly plug in to your router with an ethernet cable to do a speed test, or keep the WiFi device doing the speed test in direct line of site to the router. Shadow Internet always recommends wired connections whenever possible. If you have problems with WiFi range or speeds, we can help! Contact us about our Pro WiFi system.

Do you offer any promotional pricing?

We may offer the following kinds of promotions

Reduced installation fee
Lowered monthly rate if your home/business is setup as a repeater in our network

In general, we like to keep things simple and fair, so we rarely offer discounts on the monthly rate.

Check out our pricing section for a list of current promotions, including referral credits.

Do you charge for site surveys?

We don't charge for site surveys. The surveys are done to make sure you can get a good signal from one of our access points.

To schedule a site survey, select a plan and fill out the form, or contact us.

Do you provide customers with an e-mail address?

No. We recommend using a free e-mail provider so it is easier to change ISPs in the future. Here are some we recommend:

What if my e-mail is from another ISP?

Some ISPs let you keep your existing e-mail address for a monthly fee. We recommend changing your accounts over to a free e-mail provider so it is easier to change ISPs in the future. Here are some we recommend:

Can I use my own router?

Yes, our equipment will hand out a DHCP address if you wish to use your own router. If you are switching routers later on in your plan, please contact us so we can change some required settings and to authorize your router.

Are there any cancellation fees?

No. We do not have a fixed length contract, so you are free to cancel at any time with no penalty. Keep in mind if you have other services (upgraded router) on payments, then the remaining balance will be invoiced.

Where do you measure customer's speeds from?

We measure speeds from the demarcation point as specified in the Services Agreement. Speed and reliability are only tested to that point, typically the provided Shadow Internet router.

What is a 'demarcation point'?

In this case, the transition from Shadow Internet's network to your internal network. Usually this means our antenna on the roof or fibre modem, and customers are responsible for the network inside their home/business.

Where can I test my connection speed?

We like the following sites:

What is bufferbloat?

Bufferbloat is what causes your online games to 'lag' (ping spike) when other people are using the internet connection. If you need help fixing bufferbloat we can help, although additional equipment may need to be purchased on your end.

It's a little complicated to get in to here, so here's a good page with some explanation: https://www.bufferbloat.net/projects/bloat/wiki/What_can_I_do_about_Bufferbloat/

Do you limit the speed (throttle) any websites or protocols?

We do not artificially lower your speed to specific websites or protocols. All traffic types are able to reach the full speed of your connection.

If I buy a router from you do I own it? Can I use it with another provider if I cancel your service?

If you buy Pro WiFi nodes from us then you are the sole owner of the equipment.

If I cancel what equipment do I have to give back?

The following will need to be returned, or picked up by one of our installers:

Basic WiFi router (if provided)
Antenna on your roof that we installed, or fibre modem
Any power supplies (PoE injector) that were installed

The following is yours to keep:

Any mount that was installed (J pole, or similar)
Ethernet wire running from the mount into your home

I previously had another providers antenna installed. Can you use their cable instead of running a new one?

We decide this case by case depending on cable rating, cable condition, and location of the cable on your roof. During installs we aim to be as unintrusive as possible and will consider using existing cabling.

Can I run the cable myself?

How do I upgrade or downgrade my plan? Do I need different equipment?

You can send us an e-mail (support@shadowinternet.ca) from the e-mail you used when you registered to get switched over.

Your bill for the old service should be pro-rated, and then the new speed will also be pro-rated for the remainder of the billing period

No equipment change is necessary

What payment methods are available?

Our main payment method is via credit card, and is how we prefer to be paid. Transactions are processed by Stripe for secure payments. We can also accept cheque, EFT, and e-transfers. For any other payment options, please contact us.

Do you invoice as pre-pay or post-pay?

Post pay. Invoices are generated on the 1st of each month and are for the previous month of service. Partial months are pro-rated.

What happens if I miss a payment?

Payment is due by the 14th of each month, and service will be suspended if not paid by that date.

Do you pro-rate invoices for partial months?

Yes, invoices will be pro-rated if install is done during the middle of the month, or you cancel service.

What is the billing period?

Invoices are generated on the 1st of each month and cover the previous months service. Payment is due by the 14th.

What happens if your plans change? Do lower prices apply automatically?

If the speed for a plan is increasing, or its price is decreasing then this change will happen automatically for all subscribers! In the case of increased rates, existing subscribers will be grand-fathered in for up to 2 years, although that is subject to change.

When am I charged the installation fee?

The installation fee will be added to your first invoice, which will be sent on the 1st of the next calendar month.

Do you have access to customer credit card information?

We use Stripe to securely process credit card transactions, and credit card subscriptions. At no point does Shadow Internet, or the employees of Shadow Internet have access to credit card details other than the last 4 digits, expiration date, and card issuer.

Do you track/view customer browsing history?

We never associate traffic with a specific customer.

For more information, please see our Privacy Policy

Do I have to sign a contract?

We require that customers agree to and sign an Internet Services Agreement. With that said, there is no cancellation fee, and either party can terminate the agreement at any time.

What happens if I get a piracy notice?

We are required to forward piracy notices on to our customers. If a customer gets 3 notices more than 72 hours apart their service may be terminated.

Here is the Federal Government page with some more information: https://ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02920.html

Does the wireless equipment add any additional latency?

It depends on the antenna used, but most of our antennas will add at least 5ms of additional latency, and possibly up to 15ms depending on how many different wireless links your signal must travel before reaching fibre.

Can I reliably play online games with wireless internet?

Yes! We regularly play FPS games with no issues.

Am I guaranteed coverage if I'm in the zone on the map?

Our service relies on an unobstructed view to your home/business from one of our towers. We'll do a free site survey to make sure we can get service to your location before scheduling an install.

When do I need a static IP address?

You may need a static IP address if you need to access some equipment or device from another network. In general, if you need one, you'll know. Some systems that might want a static IP: security systems, security cameras, networks that allowlist traffic from an address, etc. If you're a home user, you can try something called dynamic dns. We like duckdns.org

Do you send out e-mails for scheduled maintenance or outages?

Yes! Although not by default. If you'd like to sign up, you can e-mail support@shadowinternet.ca and say which lists you want to be subscribed to: scheduled maintenance, and or outages.

What are your support hours?

10AM - 6PM on regular work days. We might respond outside of this window however.

What can support help with?

Support will only provide free assistance with your Shadow Internet connection, and the router you purchased through Shadow Internet.

We do not provide general IT support for free. We are also reluctant to help with WiFi issues if you are not using a Shadow Internet supplied router and may direct you to the router manufacturer support page.

Do I get a public IP address?

We currently use CGNAT to deliver internet to new customers due to exhaustion of IPv4 addresses. We are planning to have more addresses and add IPv6 support by the end of 2022.

If you need the public address directly to your router, a /30 is available for $30/month.

Do you use carrier grade NAT (CGNAT)?

Yes, we used to do 1:1 NAT, but due to address exhaustion new customers get a CGNAT address. Contact us if you need 1:1 NAT enabled on your connection.

Do you support IPv6?

Currently we do not, but plan to in the future.