Review by David - Location: Granite City, Madison, IL, USA
- Cost: $34 per month
- Install: about 7 days
- Ameritech
New modem, new house, new service None really; flatwire is still a bad thing a good install with plenty of options down the road.
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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Well I finally gave up the apartment lifestyle for a house, it is an older home so the wiring was a bit of a challenge this time. I had to install a nid splitter based on some of the wiring situations presented in this old house from the 1940's. When I inspected the current wiring situation my chances of a good install with the existing infrastructure was paralyzed. There was even flat telephone wire under brand new carpet!! So that was when I realized I knew I was screwed for DSL in the house from any of the existing internal wiring. The NID splitter was an answer, I bought an external box and installed it in the basement. Ran Cat5e wiring for the existing internal wiring jacks that the end user created. Ran a new piece to my computer area down here, and a new piece of wire to the NID and wired it the standard way. The NID splitter was not difficult to install and just using cat5e and keeping extra pairs on hand in case the cable gets hit was a real plus.If I ever have a tech come to this house even after I think he will appreciate the flexibility I gave him with the cables I laid down. I am going to take some pics and show my work. Speed I ordered was 384-1536/128, $29.95/12 months, I have an efficient 5100 modem, and a linksys router. The linksys makes the network run rather smoothly with little downtime at all. Don't like the router?? install RasPPPoE. It's quick simple and only 94k space. The only reason why I rated the Pre-Sales information a 4 was the Rep I talked to did not know about the pkgs offered, or any products. He did advise he was new to the job and hired last week. To his defense he did put in the order correctly and my install date was on track with what he told me. Side note: Keep in mind I am on line support here at BBR for SBC.. My successes and failures might not match what you experience. When I did my installation I did not do it the normal customer way. I did it with a built machine and used a third party software. So this review is only of my experience with dsl regardless who I work for.. 04/18/07- Yes it pestered me to update again, So far besides the occasional phone line outage. Which ironically the DSL was up for both times for even with the static. A bit perplexed on how my nid/sni splitter did that, but none the less the DSL was working. The power outage last year was kind of taxing. Had no power but ironically I had a spare generator that I got power to my computers and network and I had Internet. Seems like the office was still supplying power to the DSLAM. last year's power crisis I don't remember how many cell phone batteries I charged up, and access to the Internet (my own network) I passed out. I lost count with the neighbors, they were impressed I had sat service, Internet still working and phone service. Kudos to the Coleman Powermate 4000 generator as well. 11/11/08- Still have the service. still using it. 04/15/10 Still works as expected- Have some noise on the phone portion now but I suspect it might be external. It's intermittent so I will wait till it fails. 10/24/11- site pestered me to update again. Still have it. Only call I had to make this year was to the POTS side of the house to have a squirrel guard (damaged from recent storms I think) removed from the line as it was dangling. DSL with my phone line still works as it should. 05/15/13- still have the elite service works well for what I need. Will be moving to uverse potentially for IPDSL service in the latter 1/4 of this year (around october). Hopefully by then I will have most if not all the technologies I want figured out. member for 21.8 years, 7631 visits, last login: a few hours ago updated 10.8 years ago
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Old Houses + New WiresI, too, live in a house that's about 100 years old now. I've little by little had to run my own Cat5e wiring from the external phone box outside into the house and throughout to each jack. Cat5e was the best choice, as some of the runs actually had to be split into a heater duct. I've used the wiring all throughout the house for both phone and DSL and network. I can plug a PC in just about any room of the house now, and have hosted LAN parties for gaming with ease. A few cuts and connectors here and there and I'll actually install a switch in my basement, boosting my network signal even more (while making it more manageable too). When it comes to older homes, it so worth just doing the rewire. The original phone lines in the walls were just too noisy and deteriorated from age to be trusted. Besides, it gives you a warm fuzzy knowing you did it your self. -Mouser | |
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Re: Old Houses + New WiresHelp! I bought a house built in 1950. I had my brother come out (hes an IT specialist) and run new wire from the "block" in my basement to my computer room. He ran cat 5e wiring. However, my DSL connection with SBC Ameritech is only 135/120. I am very frustrated, Ive had it since Thursday, today is Sunday and its gotten slower since Ive gotten it!!!!! I installed the filters am using the wiring they gave me with the DSL modem. What gives? | |
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SBC ST join:2003-08-05 Strongsville, OH |
SBC ST
Member
2003-Dec-7 9:48 am
Whats with the cat 5?You only need cat5 wiring past you're modem and you're router/switch. The supply TO your modem and to the rest of your jacks does not have to be cat5. In fact in some circumstances in can actually be bad! Also, I have wired 3 of my familys homes for networking and used cat3 and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever, period. If you feel you have to run a new line off your nidsplit of from your NI, feel free to just use cat3! Not only is it Cheaper, but it is easier to work with. However if you do use cat5e9h700...God bless you. If it works it works. Oh, and if you ever have a house built, be sure to have the builder run you at least one dedicated cat5 run to every room or wherever you plan on having a hardwired connecion. Don't forget the CATV, while you are at it!! (dedicate that COAX line in case you plan on getting satellite! and if not, do it anyway!!!) | |
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Yeldarb
Anon
2003-Dec-7 10:03 pm
Re: Whats with the cat 5?My cat5 came from Lowe's at the whooping price of $3.00 for 1,000 feet. I doubt you can get cat3 that cheap.
The story? I was wheeling my cart around the store one day and some shelf-stockers were setting all these boxes of wire out on a pallet. I overheard one questioning who would ever buy this crap anyway as I approached.
Most of the boxes were 3 pair phone wire, but there were two magical boxes of cat5 just waiting there for me.
Needless to say, all my phone lines are cat5 now, too. | |
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BS POLICE
Anon
2003-Dec-8 10:15 am
Re: Whats with the cat 5?Bull shit cat 5 cable can not be used for phone lines. And Cat three would never be $3 for 3 feet much less 1,000. | |
| | | | SBC ST join:2003-08-05 Strongsville, OH |
SBC ST
Member
2003-Dec-8 5:45 pm
Re: Whats with the cat 5?Yo, I never said it COULDN'T be used for DT, I said it SHOULDN'T. In my professional OPINION. | |
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Re: Whats with the cat 5?Something to keep in mind before going nuts with the Cat3/5 wiring, and wondering where it needs to be installed... The dial tone leaving the central office and snaking its way through the city,subdivision,etc...was installed years and years ago (in many cases). Any new cable that's installed has no significant "CAT" designation, other than factory twist. I work on those lines, and trust me, the only "CAT" anything we ever find in a manhole or backyard is the floating,fluffy kind. Wiring every jack in the house with the most expensive wire may make a difference if A) speed is critical for constant data use or B) Like me, you need to know it's there because it's one less thing to check off if speed drops. For the average everyday surfer, however, the wire that came with the house and a NID splitter should be enough. | |
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Re: Whats with the cat 5?OK, here's my 2 cents on the cat3v.5e debate-as a former DSL installer for a CLEC, former SBC tech (thanks for the layoff), and current SBC DSL user, I put forth the following opinion: copperdocter is right on with the info about the outside cable being mostly old. Here in Akron, there is still a lot of lead (lead jacketed cable, with paper insulation on the completely untwisted or barely twisted pairs) being used. As a troubleshooter, I found the #1 cause of DSL problems to be: 1) old,single pr, untwisted drop wires (house to pole), with ancient splices and 2) old inside wire. Call telco about drop. Newer style drop wire has a shiny vinyl jacket, older drop is solid rubber with a distinctive seam running the length of it, or is rubber reinforced with cotton weaving, which is dull, somewhat rounded, and has a noticeable ridge on one side. About house wire-even if you use cat 3 or better to your computer jack, the lineshare DSL signal is still present in all of your jacks and wiring. The splitter (or filter) is not separating the DSL signal from the dial tone, it is only filtering the DSL 'hiss' from the dial tone. This means that the DSL is hitting every crappy wire, splice and used or unused jack in your home. Old, bad wire, corroded splices and jacks will have a significant negative affect on your speeds. One test you can try on your own-disconnect all wire at the network interface(box) on your house, except the pair going to your computer jack, and see if your speed improves. Reconnect other pairs one at a time until speed drops. This will be your offending pair/jack/phone/etc. Disconnect this pair again and see what jack you now don't have dial tone on. Often you will find that all the jacks you use will still be working, and the the bad wires were going to an unused jack or to abandoned wiring in the wall. The biggest offenders are bathroom jacks, basement jacks, and older 4-prong jacks. Hope this helps. | |
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| | | DRCray join:2000-12-29 Chandler, AZ 1 edit |
to BS POLICE
BSPOLICE: LOL@U - Why would you say Cat5 can't be used for phone lines? I use CAT5e for my four phone lines (one of them is 1500/256k DSL) and it works great!! | |
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Re: Whats with the cat 5?My main complaint with higher CAT rated wire...try UN- twisting it to splice sometime! Make ya wanna go wireless... | |
| | | | | SBC ST join:2003-08-05 Strongsville, OH |
to DRCray
I again, didn't say you COULDN'T. I have a headache | |
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Re: Whats with the cat 5?LOL@headache---Hands bottle of aspirin...there there...its only wire. | |
| | | | | | | SBC ST join:2003-08-05 Strongsville, OH |
SBC ST
Member
2003-Dec-13 10:19 am
Re: Whats with the cat 5?Yeah, I keep tellin myself that! | |
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ILpt4U Premium Member join:2006-11-12 Saint Louis, MO ARRIS TM822 Asus RT-N66
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ILpt4U
Premium Member
2013-May-19 7:02 pm
IPDSLAMWhen you go IPDSLAM, get yourself a 2210 (unless you are getting statics and/or VoIP)
IMHO, 2210 + own router >>> NVG510
Of course the new modems may be out by then, so who knows
And not really part of the review, but David rocks =) Helps out a lot of people around this place & others! | |
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