See below for an introductory description from 2004.  Current rates are $39/mo., and there is no installation charge.  You can reach us at service [at] muirbeachlan.com or at 415-381-8900.  Thanks.

Muir Beach LAN
Local High Speed Internet Access Effort

June 2004

After 6 months of development and setup, and with great help from our neighborhood, Leighton and Sigward are happy to announce MUIR BEACH'S very own local broadband network for high-speed Internet service - Muir Beach LAN (Local Area Network) – now up and running.

We now have a high-speed Internet signal transmitted wirelessly to a neighbor’s rooftop at the top of Muir Beach, and the signal is then distributed (also wirelessly) to five other rooftop locations throughout Muir Beach. To connect, you use a very small receiver (3"x3") that we can install either inside your house or on the outside. A standard Ethernet cable then runs from the receiver to your computer(s). The service uses no phone lines or satellite dishes.

What to Expect

Your connection will be a multiple of what you have now. No more waiting for pages to download – at 1,000K (compared to 28K for dialup) it takes less than 10 seconds to download a 1 MB file. No more enduring the issues that several of us have had with satellite Internet – weather problems and long latency delays. None of the high expense ($100+ per month) of other “high”-speed options.

We are still making adjustments to this new LAN network so we can’t guarantee that you won’t sometimes have to use an alternative access. We recommend therefore that you keep an existing dialup account (which also keeps your existing email address) as a backup. Many ISPs offer a low-volume dialup option at $9.95 per month, which can be used both for backup access and while traveling.

Installation & Cost

We can provide all you need. Hardware will be provided at our cost (which includes a discount for us buying in volume). Equipment runs from $68 to $190 depending upon how far your house is from the nearest antenna (or due to tree obstructions) and whether an interior or exterior installation is required for a reliable connection.

Installations are by a Muir Beach college student, Leighton’s son, Gage, home on summer vacation until mid-August. Installation involves configuring the hardware, mounting the receiver on the outside of the house if necessary, and setting up your computer for the new connection, including useful anti-virus and security safeguards. Payment directly to Gage is $50 for installation inside the home, or $100 if an exterior installation is required.

We plan to charge $25 per month for this high-speed Internet service - quite a bit lower than for similar high-speed service (and it doesn’t tie up or use a phone line) and still enough to cover our substantial costs of equipment and service.

Installations dates are available now, and more than 25 neighbors have already hooked up. Our chief (and sole) installer, Gage Hills, returns to college on August 14, so getting signed up for an installation soon will be good for both you and for him. To schedule an installation or for more information, call 381-8900 or email leighton.hills [at] muirbeachLAN [dot] com, sigward [at] muirbeachLAN [dot] com, or gage.hills [at] @yale [dot] edu.

Leighton and Sigward