While both services have their positives and negatives, Cable Broadband High Speed Internet gives the customer the potential for even faster downloads and internet experience than DSL, which is the most common reason that customers subscribe to any High Speed Internet service. Cable Broadband service is also lower priced in most instances when compared to DSL service offerings.

It's High-Speed Cable Internet service for your home computer. Vision High-Speed Internet uses a cable modem to connect your computer to the Internet, so you’re always on. Vision High-Speed Internet does not tie up your phone line, so you are free to talk and surf at the same time.

Our installation fee is $100.00. With professional installation, a Vision technician will come to your home and install the service for you. Professional installation includes a high-speed direct line and a NIC card, if required.

Cable modems can be purchased from Vision for $80.00 or rented/leased for $4.99 per month. Modems cannot be purchased from anywhere other than Vision so that we can provide the quality of service we know you will expect from Vision Communications. Our modems are competitively priced with other companies who sell cable modems in our local area.

Broadband is the high-speed transmission of multiple signal types over a single medium. Cable's broadband infrastructure provides an ideal pipeline for delivering large amounts of data at high speed. The "always-on" feature of broadband (there is no need to "dial up") saves time and does not interfere with normal telephone usage.

The cable is run to a cable modem situated next to your computer. Then, the cable modem is connected to your computer via a Network Interface Card (NIC) in your computer.

A network interface card (NIC) is a card that fits in an expansion slot of a computer so that it can be connected to a network. A NIC card is included in the cost of installation from Vision Communications. Computers that participate in a local area network (LAN) typically contain a network interface card. A laptop computer uses a PCMCIA card as its NIC and these are available for purchase through Vision Communications at a competitive price.

Yes. You can subscribe to Vision's Broadband Service for $49.99 broadband only. Or, you can save $5.00 per month on broadband service when you subscribe to one of Vision's cable television packages and pay only $44.99 per month for broadband service.

Yes. While the signals travel over the same wire, one service is not affected by the other.

No. Your computer can be located almost anywhere in your home.

Vision Broadband High-Speed Internet is currently available to Lafourche parish residents in Mathews south to Grand Isle. To find out more, please call (985)693-4111 from the South Lafourche area, (985)532-3111 from the mid-Lafourche area or (985)787-2111 from the Grand Isle area. We may also be contacted toll-free at 1-(888)-475-7111.

Vision Broadband High-Speed Internet is very fast! Actual speeds vary, but each customer can experience speeds as high as 6Mb per second. Each customer group is sharing 34Mb of speed! Factors that affect the speed of your Vision High-Speed Internet service include: your computer's performance and configuration; whether you are accessing non-cached or cached data; performance characteristics of each component of your data network; the number of users and overall traffic on the Internet and Vision High-Speed Internet network.

The unlimited monthly service costs $44.99 for residential service and $79.99 for business accounts.

Currently, Vision Communications High Speed Internet supports only Ethernet based connections because they provide the best quality Internet experience. We provide cable modems capable of utilizing an ethernet connection and will support that type of connection. NIC’s are provided if needed in the cost of Installation.

Residential accounts and Commercial accounts may have up to 5 additional e-mail accounts per subscription, which means each subscriber can have 6 e-mail accounts.

Power surges -- also known as transient voltage surges-- are brief spikes of power that can travel through power lines. Power surges can permanently damage computers, televisions, fax machines and other home appliances that contain microprocessors and sensitive electronic components.
Many people assume that surge suppressors can protect their home from lightning damage. Surge suppressors are not lightning protection devices - they cannot protect your home or your home's internal electrical wiring from a direct strike. Surge suppressors can, however, protect your equipment from voltage surges caused by unexpected occurrences such as a utility pole downed by a storm. Surges can also generate from inside the home. For instance, appliances such as furnaces, air conditioners and vacuum cleaners can cause power surges in your home's electrical system when turned on or off. And in some cases, remote lightning strikes cans cause surges. However, UL Listed transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS) can reduce the risk of such damage.
The unpredictable nature of surges makes it difficult to suppress them; you never know when, how long or how powerful they will be. In some cases, a surge may have a higher energy level than the device can handle. When this happens, the surge suppressor may be damaged and lose its ability to provide protection against future surges.
Some surge suppressors look very similar to multiple-outlet power strips but obviously have additional features to suppress surges. These devices often have more than just power connectors, they can have telephone line, Ethernet, and cable connectors also. Other surge suppressors resemble common plug-in adapters. Not all power strips and adapters offer surge suppression, so make sure the product and product packaging clearly states "UL Listed Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor."
The following are frequently asked questions about surge suppression, and definitions of terminology used when specifying surge suppressors:

What is TVSS? TVSS is an abbreviation for "transient voltage surge suppressor." A TVSS is a device that attenuates (reduces in magnitude) random, high energy, short duration electrical power anomalies caused by utilities, atmospheric phenomena, or inductive loads. Such anomalies occur in the form of voltage and current spikes with a duration of less than half an ac cycle. These high energy power spikes can damage sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, instrumentation, and process controllers.
How do surge suppressors work? Surge Suppressors are designed to divert high energy power away from a load by providing a lower impedance path to common point earth ground. Surge suppressors used most often for panelboard protection have metal oxide varistors (MOVs) connected in parallel.
Do I really need surge protection? Without some type of surge protection, excess voltage goes into your electronics or anything plugged in and can cause damage. You may not notice damage at the time a surge occurred; however, over time it will shorten the life of your devices.
Will Surge Protection Guard Against Direct Lightning Strikes? No. Direct lightning strikes have been estimated to be in excess of 250,000 volts. To date, there's no technology equipped to handle this formidable force of nature.
What types of components make up a surge suppressor? The device most commonly used in an ac surge suppressor is an MOV comprised of solid-state zinc oxide with multiple junctions.
MOVs provide low impedance when conducting, and are packaged for specific voltages and current handling capacities. Other devices (more typically found in dc applications) include single junction diodes and gas tubes that ionize at preset voltages.
Where are surge suppressors installed? AC surge suppressors are typically installed in these three areas: at a utility service entrance for protection of an entire facility. in distribution panelboards and switchboards for protection of sensitive downstream loads; connected to a wall outlet for individual protection of a specific piece of equipment, such as a computer or solid-state controller.
What is surge current capacity? Surge current capacity, as defined by NEMA standards, is the maximum level of current a surge suppressor can withstand for a single transient event. This level is used to indicate the protection capacity of a particular surge suppressor design, and when specifying a suppressor for a given application. For example, in a high exposure application with very large transients present from lightning, a higher level surge current capacity would be required.
What is clamping voltage? Clamping voltage-also referred to as peak let through or suppressed voltage rating-is the amount of voltage a surge suppressor permits to pass through it to the attached load during a transient event. Clamping voltage is a performance measurement of a surge suppressor's ability to attenuate a transient. This performance value is confirmed by Underwriters Laboratories during tests conducted while evaluating a surge suppressor for listing.
What features should be considered when selecting a surge suppressor? Two important areas to consider during the selection of an surge suppressor are performance and safety, and include the following criteria:
Performance: 1) surge current capacity; and 2) clamping voltage.
Safety: 1) the individual suppression circuit should be fused to clear an inoperative MOV during an extreme transient event, and 2) provide overcurrent protection for the surge suppressor during a fault condition.
The following definitions apply specifically to surge protective devices (SPD). They are provided for further clarification of the performance specifications in the data sheets.
Crest Value (peak): The maximum value that a wave, surge, or impulse attains. It is generally associated with the front of a wave.
Clamping Voltage: The peak voltage across the surge protective device (SPD) measured under the conditions of a specified surge current and waveform. Peak voltage and peak current are not necessarily coincident in time.
Impulse: A wave (surge) of unidirectional polarity. In testing, the risetime and duration of the impulse are specified, e.g., an 8/20ps impulse, a 10/1000ps impulse.
Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage (MCOV): The maximum rms value of the power frequency voltage that may be applied continuously between the terminals of the surge protective device.
Nominal System Voltage: A nominal value assigned to designate a system of a given voltage class, e.g., 120/240 Volt single phase. Note: see ANSI C84.1-1989
Operating Duty Cycle: One or more operations per unit of time as specified.
Pulse Life: The number of surges of a specified voltage and current amplitude and waveform that may be applied to a SPD without causing a change of more than 10 percent in the clamping voltage. The time interval between surges must be specified.
Maximum Single Impulse Current: The maximum amplitude of current which may be applied for a single 8/20us impulse without causing device failure.
Power Dissipation: The power dissipated by a protective device while connected to an AC line of the rated voltage and frequency while no overvoltage condition or surge exists. Steady state power dissipation.
Response Time: The time domain response of a surge protective device to the front of a voltage waveform depends on the rate-of-rise of the incident wave, the impedance of the surge source and connecting wiring, the effects of protective device reactance, and the response behavior of conducting mechanisms within active suppression elements. In other words, response to the front of a wave can be affected more by the test circuit conditions, including lead inductance, than by the response time of the active suppression element.
Surge: A transient wave of current, potential, or power in an electric circuit.
Surge Let-Through: The voltage seen by the protected load, includes the SPD clamp voltage plus the voltage drop in the connecting wires. The part of the surge impulse which passes through the protective device.
Surge Protective Device: A device for limiting the surge voltage on equipment by discharging or diverting surge current. A SPD should be able to repeatedly perform these functions are specified.
Turn-On Time: The time required for a device to make the transition from an "OFF" state to an "ON" state.
Turn-Off Time: The time required for a device to make the transition from an "ON" state to an "OFF" state.
Voltage-Current (V-I) Characteristics: The relationship between the suppressed voltage and the magnitude of the surge current which induces this voltage.

You can download the user's manual for the cable TV Universal Electronics Millennium 4 Universal Remote Control here in PDF format.

Vision Communications pays local taxes, staffs local offices with local employees, and broadcasts local channels at no extra cost. You don't have to worry about rain-fade or sign a contract, yet we give you free 24/7 technical support.

Don't I get more channels with satellite? Not necessarily. When you compare the channels offered from cable to those from satellite, the numbers are about the same. Some satellite providers use inflated numbers to advertise the total of channels they offer although the numbers might be even less when offered to individual towns.

Is satellite cheaper? At first, satellite might appear cheaper as advertised. However, you'll have to factor in additional non-recurring or monthly costs for setup fees, equipment for each room needing service, local stations, and repair.

How does installation work? Vision Communications employs a local staff who will make sure your location is ready for cable use. With satellite, you either have to find a freelance installer or do it yourself (get on the roof, clear obstructions, test angles to get the best signals, run wires through the walls, connect to the phone outlet, etc.)

Does cable offer a better picture? Although they're about the same, satellite signals can be hindered by nature's factors like weather or trees. Digital cable displays an excellent picture, but basic cable is also an excellent, reliable alternative.

If you're considering switching to satellite, think about this:

• What are your current favorite channels? What other channels you would like to see? Make sure to factor in your local channels before you compare cable with satellite service. Realize that some channels, such as PBS, might be offered on satellite but not from local stations.
• How many TV sets need to get the satellite signal? You will probably have to add at least $5 extra per TV per month because each will need connections.
• Quality, location and reliable service: Vision Communications is located in Larose, Louisiana, where you can stop by our office anytime during regular business hours. We are also available after hours by phone.