March 2015
STAYCONNECTED
with
Message from the
President and CEO
You know by now how important our
customers are to us. That’s why we
continually invest in enhancements that
bring you the newest technology first.
This month it’s all about internet.
We are living in an instantaneous
world. Today, each of us relies on
the internet for our daily affairs—
education, research, banking,
shopping and entertainment, and,
most importantly, convenience. That
said, internet it is no longer a luxury
it’s a must-have.
We’re bringing you FAST internet.
The fastest in Houston. 1Gig fast.
And we are proud to say that we are
the first and only provider in Houston
to offer it. What enables us to
provide speeds this fast is our fiberoptic network, which allows for faster
transmission of data than standard
electrical cable.
What can you do with a Gig? You
can download an HD movie (in
less than 40 seconds), download
300 photos (in 12 seconds), listen
to online radio, game in real time,
conduct an uninterrupted video
conference, video chat with no lag—
all at the same time. It’s the end of
‘buffering’ as you know it.
Don’t need that much speed? Don’t
worry. We have a wide variety of
internet products to accommodate
every budget and usage profile.
Our world is changing rapidly. We’re
glad you’ve chosen to take the
journey with us.
Sincerely,
J Lyn Findley
President & CEO
hot
topics
Let’s Go!
enTouch is Houston’s first and only
provider to offer 1Gbps internet speeds.
What is 1Gbps and what does
it mean?
Gbps means ‘gigabits per second’ and
indicates the speed at which data travels.
1Gbps is roughly ten times faster than the
national average internet speed of 10Mbps.
That’s FAST.
1Gbps gives you the power to connect all
your devices, stream multiple HD movies
and upload and download data at the fastest
internet speed possible. enTouch is able to
deliver its 1Gbps product, Go!, because it
connects through a fiber optic network.
Fiber optic communication sends
information from one place to another by
sending pulses of light through an optical
fiber. It makes for a higher bandwidth and
can span longer distances than standard
electrical cable. It also makes for easier
transmission of phone signals, internet
communication and cable tv signals. Fiber
is less expensive to maintain than copper
or cable, and is more resilient. Fiber optic
internet is much faster than DSL or cable,
by tens or even hundreds of Mbps. And
the theoretical limits for speed on fiber
continually increase.
When thinking about the appropriate speed
for your own internet, be sure to consider
the entire household. Internet speed can be
greatly affected by equipment or how you
use it. How many people use the internet
in your home? How many devices do you
have? Are there multiple people using
multiple devices in your home? 1Gbps
internet speed is perfect for homes with
multiple high-bandwidth internet users.
1Gbps also makes it easier to download
movies directly into your mobile device and
take them with you wherever you go. With
slower internet, you’d have to plan this out
the night before to allow plenty of time for
download. With Go!, you can literally do it
just before your flight!
Find out if Go! 1Gbps internet
is available in your area!
entouch.net/1Gig
Further enhancing our internet product is
that enTouch now offers dual-band routers
(802.11ac). These routers automatically set
up two networks, one that operates on a
2.4 GHz frequency and one on 5GHz. The
former has greater range, but is slower and
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subject to more interference. The latter is faster, but has a more limited range. With a dualband router, you can optimize efficiency by selecting the best frequency for each device or
application. For instance, if you want to stream a movie on your iPad inside your home, you
can route it to the higher frequency. The device can surf/download faster while reducing
conflict on the crowded 2.4Ghz network. However, if you want to use your iPad outside and
are not getting a great signal, you can switch to the lower frequency. With two networks, you
can also designate one as private and the other as public, and use the latter for guests.
Did You Know?
enTouch (ETS) is ranked as a Top ISP by Ookla’s Net Index Explorer as of 2/12/15.
http://explorer.netindex.com/maps?country=United%20States&state=Texas&city=514
Answers to our
most frequently
asked questions.
My internet is out.
Try ‘power-cycling’ (re-booting) your router.
It is important to follow these steps in order.
1. Turn off the computer, then the router (if
you have one), then the modem. Unplug
the power cords for the modem and router.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Plug the power cord back into the
modem FIRST, and wait for it to
‘initialize’ (let the light stop blinking).
4. Plug the power cord back into the
router, and wait for the light to stop
blinking.
5. Turn on your computer. You should now
be able to access the internet.
Tip: Power-cycling solves up to 25% of the
problems we get calls about, so give it a try!
don’t
miss!
Manage Your
Account Online!
View statements, make payments and
more! Here’s how:
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9.
Some of my cable channels
are missing.
Try ‘power-cycling’ your cable box.
1. Disconnect the power from your cable
box by unplugging the power cord
either from the wall outlet OR from the
back of the box.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Reconnect the power cord.
4. Wait 3 - 4 minutes for the box to reset.
Turn on your cable box.
Note that once reset, the on-screen guide
may take some time to populate.
I can’t get a dial tone on my
VoIP phone.
This can happen periodically, especially if
you’ve plugged in any new devices. Simply
unplug the phone cord from Telephone 1
or Telephone 2 and then re-connect it. This
will usually reset the dial tone.
Catch the much anticipated return of favorites like Game of
Thrones, Silicon Valley and Veep on Sunday, April 12 with the
HBO/MAX FOUR-DAY FREE PREVIEW
Friday, April 10 - Monday, April 13
Free preview Includes HBO, Cinemax and On-Demand.
During the preview, be sure to catch other series, specials,
Latino programming and movie favorites such as The Grand
Budapest Hotel, Hangover 3 and The Lego Movie!
10.
Go to entouch.net.
Click on My Account at the top.
Click View/Pay Bills.
On the Welcome page, click Continue
Click Register Now to begin.
Enter your 10 digit Service Account
number (from the top left corner of
your bill).
Enter your “Secret” pin (“028”
followed by the last 4 digits of your
telephone number).
Read the terms & conditions and click
Continue.
Select a USERNAME and PASSWORD
along with a valid email address & a
security question.
On the CONFIRMATION page, click
Return to Login ; use your new
username and password to access
your account!
Moving?
Call 281.225.1000 to
see if your new home
home is an enTouch
home!
What’s New?
We’re
Going
Green!
with
Paperless
Billing
enTouch will start paperless billing
beginning April 1st. This is not required,
but customers who select this option will
receive a credit on their bill. To sign up,
please visit entouch.net/paperless.
entouch.net