Door County Computer, the premier
computer and Internet service in Door County, is affectionately known as
RickNet to many of its 3,500 dial-up users and newer wireless broadband users.
In business since 1991, the company has become the main source of computer
repair in Door County -- as well as e-mail and Internet services -- and is now
expanding with its newest and fastest service yet, NEWWIS (North East Wisconsin
Wireless Internet Services). Freelance writer Kathy Kirkland spoke with owner
Rick Gordon about the company’s growth
and the future of DCC.
Q:
You’re the man behind “RickNet.”
A: My
wife, Joan, and I began Door County Computer in 1991, and “RickNet” became a
pseudonym given to us by one of our early web site designers, but it’s not an
official name, since our official name for our dial-up services is Online Door
County.
Q: How
did the Internet get started in Door County?
A: We
started out by just fixing computers and selling equipment, the usual things.
But in late 1994, a group of us formed DoorNet to find out the best way to get
Internet access up here. WiscNet said they’d be willing, but needed in-county
help. John McMahon in Sister Bay got them routers, and Door County Computer set
WiscNet up at all the schools in Door County as well as Algoma High School.
Just a month or two after that, Door County Computer became the first Internet
service in Door County to businesses and personal users. John Cox and the other
DoorNet guys promised they were going to get me 50 customers to start off with,
but I think the day we opened our lines, we had 14 people. It wasn’t long
before we did have 50, and today, we have about 3,500 dial-up customers.
Q: Now,
in addition to dial-up service, you’re adding wireless?
A: We
had already started wireless service in the Sturgeon Bay area last year. NEWWIS
was the first high-speed fixed wireless Internet available in Door County, and
now it’s available in Northern Door.
Q:
How does fixed wireless
differ from, say, DSL or cable modem?
A: There
are a lot of advantages to fixed wireless. It operates from a local tower that
transmits directly to an antenna/reflector dish on the user’s roof, which has a
big advantage over using satellite signals. Those signals come from thousands
of miles away; NEWWIS is 12 miles or less, so there’s little chance that the
signal will be lost because of weather or other conditions. Also, fixed
wireless is outstanding for downloading and uploading. Most people use
downloading for upgrading software, books online, clip art, music and photos --
and in that regard, cable modem and satellite download at the same rate as
NEWWIS, 384 kilobytes per second, which is about 50 times faster than a 56K
dial-up service. But uploading is different. If you’re e-mailing photos of your
kids or trying to send a file somewhere, satellite and cable modem are slow..
They upload at only 50Kbs to 128Kbs, whereas NEWWIS is 384Kbs in both directions.
Q: What
availability is there in Northern Door for NEWWIS right now?
A: We
switched on our Ellison Bay tower in early April, and we had two people on
Washington Island who were able to get the signal from that tower, about 12-1/2
miles away. But we’re also switching on a Washington Island tower to make
NEWWIS available throughout the island. The Baileys Harbor and Egg Harbor
towers will be operational within a couple of weeks, and we have other tower
locations picked out all over Northern Door, including Sister Bay and Ephraim,
which we’ll have running by the end of the summer, although I’m trying to push
forward even faster.
Q: How
has Door County Computer changed the way businesses work in Door County?
A: With
our services so close, more businesses can rely on computers to help with
inventory, accounting and day-to-day work. Before Door County Computer, if your
computer “went down” you had to go to Sturgeon Bay or more likely Green Bay,
which meant time away from work and being without a computer for days. We can
fix many problems over the phone, and our field techs can also work on-site.. We
do recommend bringing a computer into the shop for installations or other work
that involves just copying files; otherwise, you’d have an expensive tech
sitting in your office or home just watching a computer do its work. If the
computer’s in the shop, the techs work on other things and don’t have to charge
for that copying time.
Q: Do
you have standard rates for computer repair?
A: On-site
work is $100 an hour; fixing a computer in the shop is $65 an hour. If you’re
trying to learn the Internet or some new software, we offer training for $65 an
hour. Often, we wind up billing on how much time something should take versus how long it does
take. For example, reinstalling Windows usually takes an hour, hour-and-a-half,
and installing a modem takes about a half-hour. But there can be snags, like if
the computer has a virus, strange files or hardware conflicts, so for the
amount of time our techs sometimes put in, you could buy a new computer. If we find a virus we let you know about it and
remove it. We automatically clean out “spyware” and the dust that collects
inside computers, and also do your Microsoft Windows updates for you. Our techs know how much time a process should take,
so if everything goes right, that’s how we bill. We also sell equipment; we
keep a stock of modems, standard computer cables, floppy drives, CD-ROMs, the
most popular software, printer cartridges and things like that. Since our two
main vendors are in Chicago, any special orders get delivered overnight. Of
course, we also sell computers according to what a customer wants, and we set
up complete networks as well.
Q: Your
office in Fish Creek also has an Internet Café. What does that service include?
A: We
have a room upstairs that’s filled with Macs and PCs, printers, scanners and
fax machines. All the computers have Office Pro and high speed Internet. The
cost is $10 an hour. Many vacationers stop by for Internet access so they can
read e-mail or keep in touch with their office back home. People with their own
laptops can plug right in to high-speed access. People who don’t have their own
computers yet but want to try them out can see if they like it. For people
whose computers are being repaired in our shop, we offer the Internet café as a
courtesy, because even though we have a quick turnaround time, there are times
when you’re in a bind to get work done, and we’re happy to accommodate those
customers.
Q:
You call yourself “The Great
Arbitrator” for Door County Computer. Have you stepped back from doing much of
the hands-on work?
A: I
have, and that’s what every business owner hopes for, to find good people so
you can just oversee their work. Joan is president of the company, and I just
watch and make some decisions now and then. Wendy Beilfuss is our general
manager, Sara Sohns manages the office and Jill Slaby is our timekeeper. We’ve
found great techs such as our field tech Rick Bochek, network administrator
Nate Bell, who’s been setting up all the NEWWIS sites, and programmer Chris
Newman. Carissa Schartner is our intern-in-training.
Q: What
would you like to accomplish with Door County Computer?
A: I’m
very gratified at being able to offer NEWWIS service, because Northern Door and
especially rural areas have been without high-speed Internet. We have a few
other surprises in store that we’ll be announcing soon. Door County has been
very good to us, and we’re returning the favor by sponsoring artists at the
Door Community Auditorium, donating refurbished computers to worthy causes and
helping support various children’s centers and Feed My People.
Door County Computer and the company’s Internet Café are
both open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays. Door County Computer,
4243 Juddville Road, Fish Creek, 920/868-9100, www.dcwis.com.
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