Residential DSL | Commercial
DSL | Customer Referral Program |
Support | Questions & Answers | Usage Policy | Contact
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| Residential DSL | Commercial
DSL | Customer Referral Program |
Support | Questions & Answers | Usage Policy | Contact
Us |
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1.What is DSL? DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line," a broadband technology that uses telephone lines and digital coding to create a connection to the Internet from your computer. That link can carry vast amounts of voice, video and data information at very high speeds. DSL service providers use the same copper-based lines that let you make and receive telephone calls. To send data at high speeds: Carriers use the lines' higher frequencies that telephone service doesn't need. DSL modems are hooked up at both ends of a telephone line -- one in the home, the other in the nearest telephone company switching station. The modems digitally divide your telephone line into three channels: One handles telephone traffic, one handles upstream data from your computer to the Internet; and the third handles downstream data traffic from the Internet to your computer.
3. I understand that there are several forms of DSL service. What are they? ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) is designed primarily for the residential consumer market. The "asymmetric" means that the connection transmits data at faster speeds downstream from the Internet to your computer than upstream from your computer to the Internet. The reason: DSL users rarely upload the same amounts of data as they download. ADSL can support speeds up to 8 megabits per second (mbps) downstream and up to 1 mbps upstream, although the connection rarely approaches those marks. HDSL (High-Speed Digital Subscriber Line) offers equally fast upstream and downstream data-transmission speeds ranging from 784 kbps to 2 mbps. IDSL (ISDN Digital Subscriber Line) also offers equally fast downstream and upstream speeds, but it's pegged at 144 kbps. SDSL (Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) offers similar upstream and downstream speeds ranging from 385 kbps to 2 mbps. Universal ADSL, which also is called "G.lite" service, is an easy-to-install DSL service primarily marketed for residential use. It supports downstream speeds of up to 1.5 mbps and upstream speeds of up to 512 kbps. VDSL (Very High Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line) offers downstream speeds as high as 53 mbps and average upstream speeds of 2 mbps.
4. I sometimes see the term "xDSL." What's that? It's a generic term for all forms of DSL service spanning transmission speeds from 128 kbps to 52 mbps.
5. What are DSL's major advantages? It's fast. It's always on. It doesn't tie up your telephone while you're online as a so-called "dial-up" service does. And it won't interfere with caller ID, call waiting or other telephone features.
6. How fast is a DSL connection? The technology can deliver data ranging from 128 kbps to 7.1 mbps. That's from six to 125 times faster than the standard dial-up connection's speed of 28.8 or 56 kbps. With a DSL broadband connection, you can: Download huge files from the Internet in a fraction of the time it takes a dial-up service. Move from Web site to Web site as if you were changing the channels on a TV set. Access a growing range of news, entertainment and information resources, including specialized services being developed expressly to take advantage of broadband's blazing speeds.
Once you've turned on your computer and clicked on your DSL connection to the Internet, that link stays on as long as your computer does. There's no need to dial a telephone number and then wait for your modem to connect you to the Internet -- often a time-consuming, frustrating exercise -- every time you go online. An always-on connection lets you hop on and off the World Wide Web whenever you want with no delay; send an e-mail at a moment's notice; or access vast databases at the flip of a switch.
8. What are DSL's biggest drawbacks? Probably the biggest one is the fact that it's not available everywhere, due to the technology's limits. Copper lines can carry data using DSL's high frequencies only so far -- say, three miles. Beyond that, the quality of the transmission erodes. That's why DSL service carriers say prospective subscribers must live or work within 12,000 feet or so of a telephone company central office (CO) to get a DSL link. Another downside: DSL service swear up and down that their broadband connections aren't subject to "traffic jams," or slowdowns. That's because your DSL link is yours alone. You don't share it in party-line fashion with other users in your vicinity, as you would with a cable modem broadband link. However, the speed that your DSL service provider boasts of for your connection can waver -- usually tilting on the slow, rather than the fast, side. Those fluctuations are tied to the physical condition of the copper telephone line used for your DSL connection; the amount of traffic at a particular Web site at a particular time; or the number of computers hooked up to your DSL link in your home or office.
Almost every telephone carrier in North America and Europe is at some stage of DSL deployment. That ranges from Baby Bells such as U S West (now Qwest) and SBC Communications to independent companies such as GTE. A handful of independent companies also are rapidly launching service in most major and mid-sized U.S. markets. Those players include Rhythms NetConnections, Covad Communications and NorthPoint Communications. Finally, smaller DSL service suppliers, such as Broadband Solutions in Colorado, are competing for market share, as well.
10. How many DSL connections are there today? Through the spring of 2000, DSL had been installed in almost 1 million U.S. households. By some estimates, that figure could reach 9 million by 2004.
11. Can I get a DSL line for my business? Yes.
12. How much does DSL service cost to install? Many companies offer free installation. Others charge $100 and up for a residential connection, and from $200 to $500 or more to connect a business.
13. How much will a DSL connection cost me per month? Again, it varies. Your monthly bill will depend on your connection's speed and whether you've ordered extras like additional e-mail boxes. A typical home user can expect to pay $40 to $50 a month for service. Businesses can expect to pay from $150 to $300 a month.
14. What kind of equipment do I need? A DSL modem — commonly called a "router" — that's usually leased from your service provider and included in your monthly bill. Your computer also must connect to the router, which is done through an Ethernet cable that your DSL service vendor usually provides. To transform a telephone line into a high-speed data line, DSL equipment must be installed on both ends of the line — at the customer premises and the local telephone central office.
Yes. It will cost from $150 and $300. But before making a purchase, ask your DSL service provider to recommend a manufacturer or router model that will work with the company's system.
16. Will the router run on my computer? Probably. Most DSL companies require at least a Pentium processor and 40 megabytes of free space on your hard drive. If you purchased your computer less than five years ago, you should meet those requirements.
17. How many DSL lines do I need? You need one DSL connection for every Internet connection you want. With home networking more than one computer can share an Internet connection.
18. Can I use more than one computer on my DSL line? Yes, but you'll need unique High Speed Internet User IDs and passwords for each computer if they're used at the same time. Be aware, also, that using more than one computer at a time probably will slow download speeds.
19. Should I worry about security issues with a DSL connection? It depends on the level of trust you operate at in other areas of your life, your comfort level with technology and technology service providers, and the kinds of information you keep on your computer. Generally, it pays to take a few precautions — the online equivalent of locking your front door — to keep intruders at bay.
20. What precautions can I take? If you have a Microsoft computer, turn off the file-sharing function. Get a good anti-virus program and have it scan your computer each week. Don't run a program or open an e-mail attachment without first running a virus scan.
You might consider a firewall. It monitors your Internet connection and refuses to let anything suspicious into your computer. Software firewalls, like BlackICE Defender, are programs that you download from the Internet to your computer. These applications scan for hackers, just as anti-virus programs look for bugs that can disable your PC.
22. Compare Business Broadband to T1
23-A. What is a Static IP or Dynamic IP Address? An IP address identifies who you are while you are online. Internet Protocol (IP) uses 32-bit numbers in the form of 4 numbers from 0 to 255, separated by a dot '.' to differentiate between machines (hosts) on the Internet. Most IP addresses allow a machine to be located anywhere on the Internet, while certain addresses (those starting with 10., 172.16, or 192.168) are reserved for private networks, and may not be globally unique. Globally unique addresses must be used for servers. A Static IP address is an address assigned uniquely to you. It remains the same ("static") each time you access the Internet, making it easier for others to locate you or your business online. A Dynamic IP changes each time you access the Internet.
23-B. Choosing Between Static IP and Dynamic IP Businesses that rely heavily on the Internet for various internal and external operations, often find that Static IPs allow them greater efficiency, flexibility and control over their Internet-related functions, including managing email and web servers in-house and allowing employees remote access to company servers or email. To decide which IP format best meets your business needs, you must first evaluate how your business uses the Internet. A Static IP is best if your business plans to:
Otherwise, a Dynamic IP should meet your needs.
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