FAQ'S

We’ve become the experts in our field so you don’t have to. If you don’t see your question below or if the answer doesn’t quite make sense, please call us and we will be happy to help.

Billing

Q:I am getting ready to do some outside renovations, how can I be sure I don’t disrupt my service?
A:

Ohio law requires contractors and homeowners who have outdoor projects (that require digging) to call 8-1-1 at least 48 hours, but no more than 10 working days, (excluding weekends and legal holidays) before any digging project begins. This is the O.U.P.S. (Ohio Utilities Protection Service) hotline, it is used to notify ALL utility companies who have service on or near your property that they will need to mark their lines before digging can start. Not calling 8-1-1 before you dig can be costly if a line is damaged or cut, as you are then liable for the mistake.

Q:My service isn’t working, how do I report an outage? My service seems to be disconnecting a lot, how can I report a trouble?
A:

We encourage all customers to go through our trouble ticket process. We have a 24/7 Help Desk that is available to help troubleshoot issues and if they aren’t able to have the trouble resolved, your tickets get escalated to our techs. By creating a trouble ticket, there is a record of the trouble and a record for the resolution. Please follow these steps and have your account number ready:

  • Phone: (937) 653.4000, choose option 2 for the 24/7 Help Desk.
  • Computer: Log onto SmartHub—Available 24/7!! From ctcomm.net, choose “Bill Pay” and log into your account. On the HOME screen, you can choose REPORT A PROBLEM from the QUICK LINKS on the left-hand side, provide the appropriate information and a contact number for follow up.
  • Mobile: Use the SmartHub App—Available at the AppStore (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), you can download the SmartHub App, choose CT Communications as your service provider and log in with your username and password! From the HOME screen, you can choose REPORT A PROBLEM, provide the appropriate information and a contact number for follow up.
  • Office: Stop by the office at 126 Scioto St., in Urbana to report a trouble, you can talk to a Customer Service Representative over the counter and we will ensure a trouble ticket gets created; provide a contact number for the CSR or tech to be able to follow up. The office is open 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday (closed some holidays).

Customers who wish to use SmartHub or the SmartHub App but don’t already have a username and password can call (937)653.4000 and choose 0 for Customer Service for help setting them up in real-time!

Q:How can I make a payment?
A:

CT Comm has MANY ways to make a payment!

  • Computer: Log onto SmartHub—Available 24/7!! From ctcomm.net, choose “Bill Pay” and log into your account. A username (email address) and password are required for security, and once there, you can view your bill, make payments by credit card or check, and you can create a trouble ticket if you are experiencing service issues.
  • Mobile: Use the SmartHub App—Available at the AppStore (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), you can download the SmartHub App, choose CT Comm as your service provider and log in with your username and password! You have immediate access to your bill, making a payment by credit card or check, or creating a trouble ticket!
  • Phone: Call (937) 653.4000, choose option 3. We have a secure BillPay phone line that will walk you through the process of paying by credit card or check!
  • Office: Stop by the office, we can take cash, checks, and credit cards over the counter at 126 Scioto St., in Urbana. The office is open 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday (closed some holidays).

Customers who wish to use SmartHub or the SmartHub App but don’t already have a username and password can call (937) 653.4000 and choose 0 for Customer Service for help setting them up in real-time!

 

 

Q:I was quoted $44.99 for my service, but my bill is higher, why?
A:

CT Comm sets specific bundle prices, that was probably the price you were quoted. Some taxes and fees are mandated charges that are determined by the state and federal government. These fees include the Federal Universal Service Charge, the Access Recovery Charge and the E911 Charge, as well as the taxes that apply per each jurisdiction. Fees like these aren’t quoted because they can fluctuate month-to-month, year-to-year.

Q:When is my bill due?
A:

CT Comm has one monthly billing cycle and the bills are for the full month in advance. For example, the bill you receive on the first of January is for January 1 through January 31. Your payment is due on the 15th of every month. A late fee can be applied if the payment doesn’t arrive by the 15th. Should you disconnect service in the middle of a month, you will receive a billing statement the following month pro-rating your charges to the date you disconnected service.

We’ve become the experts in our field so you don’t have to. If you don’t see your question below or if the answer doesn’t quite make sense, please call us and we will be happy to help.

Internet

Q:How do I setup CT email to work on my smartphone or tablet?
A:

For an IOS(Apple) device: Settings–>Accounts & Passwords(not Mail)–>Add Account–>other–>Add Mail Account–>Name and Description categories are optional, reference Server information below.

For Android device: Settings–>Accounts–>Add an account–>select Email–>other–>enter email address and password–>choose POP3 or IMAP(preferred)–>enter incoming server information below into server field–> once settings are validated enter Outgoing Server information, make sure all fields are correct–>if settings are correct you will be able to set update frequency and other preferences. If you access your CTCN email through a mobile device or desktop client (like Microsoft Outlook, Mac Mail, Thunderbird) you will need to update Incoming and Outgoing server names as seen here.

If you access your CTCN email through a mobile device or desktop client (like Microsoft Outlook, Mac Mail, Thunderbird) you will need to update Incoming and Outgoing server names as seen here.

–>Incoming Server(POP/IMAP): mail.ctcn.net
POP with SSL- port 995
IMAP with SSL- port 993

–>Outgoing Server(SMTP): smtp.ctcn.net
SMTP SSL required- port 465
SMTP alternate no SSL-port 587

Q:Why do I get varying results from different Internet speed test providers?
A:

Speed test results are a useful tool in determining bandwidth available but are not the definitive tool in determining the amount of bandwidth available to a customer.  Speed test servers reside in various parts of the world.  Some speed test servers may reside in more congested networks than others.  CT Comm cannot manage how data is routed to all destinations over the Internet.  Once the data leaves CT Comm’s network to the public Internet, the route and speed it takes to reach the far-end are determined by all the intermediate carriers in its path.

Another issue that effects speed test results is the amount of data being used at the customer’s location during the test.  Speed tests can only guess at the available amount of bandwidth between the user and the test server.  If the customer is, for example, gaming or streaming services over the network at the time of the speed test, the results will be lower than expected.  Keep in mind that many devices that connect to the customer’s service, but they are not using, may still be communicating over the Internet.

Additionally, older computers or computers with many processes running will report lower than expected results.  The PC used in running the speed test must have resources available to respond to the test process in a timely manner, or the results will be lower than expected.

 

Q:My service plan states I should get 15 MB download speeds, but there are times I do not get it. Why am I not getting what my plan says I should receive?
A:

Please refer to the speed test FAQ to determine what bandwidth you are receiving.  Also, keep in mind that all service plans are stated as being “up to” a maximum amount of bandwidth.  While CT Comm does attempt to provide the plan’s bandwidth from the customer’s location to our central facility, there are many factors that are out of CT Comm’s control when it comes to bandwidth to specific sites.   Congestion during high usage time periods are unavoidable.  CT Comm is constantly updating its network to keep in step with bandwidth demand during peak times.

Unfortunately, there are some areas where CT Comm cannot provide the bandwidth as advertised on our baseline plan.  As we continue to update our infrastructure, this issue will get resolved.  CT Customer Service is willing to work with customer’s affected by this limitation of being placed on a reduced plan.

Q:How do I manage port forwarding on CT Comm’s Internet service or gain access to the modem?
A:

CT Comm does not currently provide customers with management access to our modem, however, CT Comm does offer a “bypass” service in which the customer can supply their own router to manage advanced services, such as port forwarding.   It is important to note that CT Comm does not support customer-owned modems for our service.  CT Comm will always provide the modem that connects to our network.

When in “bypass” mode, CT Comm’s modem will not provide network support elements, such as NAT or DHCP, to the customer’s network.  All of these services would be managed by the customer’s router, which plugs into the modem.  PPoE credentials will be provided to the customer in order for them to program their router to gain access to the Internet.  Our Internet Support Department will be happy to assist in managing the customer through this process.

Q:The Wi-Fi on CT Comm’s modem is too weak to cover the area I want to use my service. What can be done?
A:

The Wi-Fi service provided by CT Comm’s modem is a “best effort” service.  While we try to obtain modems that provide reliable Wi-Fi service, we know that there are many routers on the market that exceeds its performance (and permits more devices to connect simultaneously).  Customers may choose to invest in Wi-Fi range extenders or provide their own Wi-Fi router using CT Comm’s “bypass” service in order to get better coverage.  Our Internet Department will be happy to assist customers with this issue.

Q:How do I get Fiber to the Home from CT Comm?
A:

Two factors play into whether CT Comm will install Fiber to the Home of a customer location. One is availability. There is a limited area where CT Comm has built a fiber network that can connect to the customer locations. This area is expanding every year, as we continue to update our infrastructure. Visit our Blog for the latest news and expansions.
The second factor is the necessity for a fiber build. The only difference in DSL and Fiber to the Home is the amount of bandwidth available from each service. CT Comm will use DSL as the primary means of delivering bandwidth to a location and implement fiber optics when the need has exceeded DSL’s ability to deliver. The differing factors between bandwidth delivered via DSL and fiber optic are very minute.

We’ve become the experts in our field so you don’t have to. If you don’t see your question below or if the answer doesn’t quite make sense, please call us and we will be happy to help.

Phone

Q:I am receiving threatening or harassing calls. What should I do?
A:

Contact your local law enforcement. They may subpoena CT Comm for call records related to the time period when the threatening calls were made. CT Comm cannot provide any detailed call information directly to the customer.

Q:I get phone calls that show up on my Caller ID as being familiar to me, but when I answer, it is not the person I expect but a telemarketer. How do I stop these calls?
A:

“Spoofing” Caller ID (using someone else’s ID when making calls) has expanded exponentially over the past several years. The FCC forbids this practice, however that has not deterred unscrupulous vendors from continuing the practice. CT has little control over these activities. The Selective Call Rejection feature only can manage a set limit of phone numbers, therefore it is not an efficient solution to this issue. The FCC provides a website for consumers to post their complaints about deceptive calls, emails, and the such.

Please visit the following site: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls?from=button

Q:My faxes are not getting through and no matter how many times I open a trouble ticket, the problem seems to return. What can be done about this?
A:

Unfortunately, faxes are becoming more and more difficult to use over the long-distance phone network, as more carriers convert to using VOIP technology to manage call volume. VOIP has protocols that are designed to support modem/fax communications, however, those of us in the industry have noticed that these protocols have not been as reliable as the legacy technologies of the 1990s. Additionally, carriers have started to refuse to take trouble calls from local phone companies when the trouble is a matter of faxes not synching. This refusal leaves the local carrier with no approach to resolve the issue. As a workaround, customers should consider if they can utilize alternatives such as email in place of faxes. If they cannot, there are online fax services that are built specifically to support fax communications. Subscribing to these services would provide a higher success rate for long distance faxing.

We’ve become the experts in our field so you don’t have to. If you don’t see your question below or if the answer doesn’t quite make sense, please call us and we will be happy to help.

TV

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Technology

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Business

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Community

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CTComm

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UPS

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CT Comm has excellent customer service and good, quality rates. We’ve been XpressNet customers for 4 years and are satisfied with our services!

Miranda T., Residential Customer, CT Comm