Open Door Networks
The Macintosh AFN Specialists
Frequently Asked Questions
Open Door Networks, Inc., in concert with the city of Ashland,
provides high-speed, cable modem based Internet access to Macintosh
users within Ashland. Here are some frequently asked questions
about the Ashland Fiber Network and Open Door's services.
Is AFN available at my location?
- The AFN has been rolled out within essentially all of the city limits. If service is
not in your neighborhood, call AFN at 552-2222 to see if future service is planned. There are currently no plans for AFN service outside the city limits. If AFN is not available at your location, we'd be happy to work with you on other options.
What speed does it run at?
- When downloading information from the Internet, such as from Web
pages or email, the basic AFN speed should be 3-5 Mbps (megabits
per second). When uploading information to the Internet, such
as to a Web site, the basic speed is about 256 Kbps. Higher end accounts can increase these speeds all the way up to 10 Mbps.
Can I choose any ISP?
- Yes! Unlike just about all other cable-based Internet systems,
the AFN allows you to choose any ISP you want to provide you with
Internet services.
How much will it cost?
- Each ISP sets its own price, based on the various services
offered. See our main AFN page for details on Open Door's pricing.
How will I connect my computer to the AFN?
- Just as you previously may have used a phone modem to connect your computer to
the phone line and from there to the Internet, with AFN you will
use a cable modem to connect your computer to the cable television
wire and from there to the Internet. The cable modem will connect
to the Ethernet port of your computer or a wired or wireless router. It is not necessary to have AshlandTV to use AFN internet.
How will I get the cable modem? Which one should I use?
- Cable modems are currently available through Open Door Networks.
How much will a cable modem cost?
- Around $50 new, but we include one as part of our standard AFN installation.
How will the system get installed?
- Once the City has installed the Internet cable inside your house,
Open Door Networks will come to your house to install the cable
modem and configure your Macintosh .
What services are available?
- Different ISPs make available different services. See our main AFN page for details on Open Door's services.
Why should I choose Open Door Networks over other ISPs?
- Open Door specializes in Macintosh computers. If you have a Mac,
we're the ones who can best support you. The advantages we offer
are summarized on our main AFN page.
Does Open Door Networks support Windows-based PCs?
- We support PCs in households and businesses that have both Macs
and PCs, but usually not installations that are exclusively PC-based. We also support PC's temporarily for users who are planning to switch to Mac in the near future.
- Your Internet connection from Open Door Networks is fully compatible with windows's PC's, but no non-Macintosh computer support is available through Open Door.
Does Open Door support other platforms, like Linux?
- We'd be happy to consider such platforms. Please contact us.
How do I "dial up" to the AFN?
- If you're connecting from home, you never have to dial up -- your
connection is "on" all the time.
- If you want to get email while you're on the road, you can use
any Macintosh and a WiFi connection to connect to our mail server.
If my computer is always on the Internet, shouldn't I be worried
about someone hacking into it?
- Yes and no. You can never be too worried about security, but the
Mac is one of the most secure systems around. If you're not running
an Internet server of any sort, it would be very difficult for
anyone to access your Mac. However the Mac OS does include a number
of Internet services which you could enable, such as Personal
Web Sharing and Personal File Sharing. If these or any other Internet
services were running, your exposure to risk would be increased.
To help reduce this exposure, Open Door gives a free copy of Norton AntiVirus 10 and DoorStop X Firewall to all AFN customers. With a firewall enabled, the risk of attacks
on your Macintosh is minimized.
Do I need to get cable TV service to use the AFN Internet service?
- No. You can get cable TV service only, Internet service only,
or both.
Whom do I pay?
- You will pay your ISP for Internet service, but AshlandTV
for cable TV service.
What if I don't live in Ashland?
- Sorry, for the time being AFN is only available within the Ashland
city limits. Consider moving :). However, other Mac-focused services, such as e-mail and Internet tech support are available through Open Door. If AFN is not available at your location, we'd be happy to work with you on other options. Contact us directly for details.
How is AFN different from Charter's cable-based Internet access?
- AFN is run by the city of Ashland for the benefit of Ashland residents.
It is not a private, for-profit business.
- AFN lets you choose whatever ISP you want for your Internet services.
- AFN allows businesses as well as residences to connect.
- AFN is based on a gigabit (1000 megabit) Ethernet technology,
providing tremendous bandwidth within the city of Ashland.
Can I get email, and access the Internet in general, when I'm
outside of Ashland?
- Yes. Many options for reading your email from the road are also available.
Can I have more than one computer connected to the AFN?
- Yes, although it will require some extra purchases on your part,
such as an Ethernet router to connect all your computers together,
or wireless technology. See our multi-machine page for additonal details.
What if I have more questions?
- Please email us at
or call us at 541/488-4127.