• Will my old PC be fast enough for DSL?
• How does DSL connect to my computer?
• My new computer has a DSL modem. Can I use that?
• Do I always need filter for my other phone line devices?
• How many filters do I need?
• DSL modem and surge protection
• What is the difference between a hub and a switch?
• Where Can I Get A DSL Line Surge Protector?
• Do all surge protectors slow down your connection?
• Can I set up a router with my USB DSL Modem
• Will I have to upgrade my DSL modem every 6 months?
• What exactly is a RADIUS Server.
• Should the Network Packets light always be on, on my Hybrid Modem?
• Will a Efficient Networks 5250 work with ADSL
• I have this Netopia router from Northpoint/ other CLEC, What can I do with It?
• How do I remotely restart (for resync) my dataquest modem?
• Can I switch a Cisco 678 modem from CAP to DMT?

Yes. Although if you start to use the DSL line to view video on demand or other memory and processor hungry functions you may well decide your PC is too slow. PC makers are probably hoping that the revolution in bandwidth will fuel sales wave in the next generation PCs, but there are already so many interesting things to do on the web with even a slower PC, and the majority of sites can quite happily be seen and used by slower PCs.

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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:21:12

Some DSL installations require your PC have a network card. If you have to provide this yourself, you are looking for a 10/100mbps auto-sensing PCI network card for a PC. You are looking for something with a brand you are comfortable with, for instance 3com or Intel. Price range is currently from $20-$60. don't waste your money on cards with features such as wake-up packet and lan management, since you are buying for home use.
Several other connection options exist. Residential DSL is often provided with a combined DSL modem and card, that is added to your PC. This card is all you need. These cards are known as PCI DSL modems, and are designed for Intel PCs.
Another connection option is a USB DSL modem. These are newer and more likely to suffer from incompatibilities wth your PC or operating system, but they have the advantage of working on Macintosh, and possibly USB capable laptops as well.
For small business, you are likely to already have network cards, as you would almost certainly have an existing local area network.

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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:21:52

Recently, Dells, Compaqs and other PCs are being shipped with in-built DSL capability. This modem is likely to be a G.lite DMT modem. Unfortunately, existing DSL networks are in varying states of G.lite compatibility.. even large Telco ADSL networks may not support G.lite yet. Checking with your chosen DSL ISP should reveal whether or not your G.lite modem can be used. As of Q1 2000, the answer is most commonly, no.

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by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:23:21

The answer is basically no ... Here is why.

The use of filters is something that doesn't require a tech to come out and do. This means that it saves the ISP or CLEC some money for the tech.

Some ISPs (or you can ask) will install a separate line(pair) that is only for the DSL line. This requires a whole jack to be used and no phones or other devices attached to that jack. In this situation, no filters are needed.

Also see this discussion on "home runs" by SplitPair in the Bellsouth forum.

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by ASELabs edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:28:27

You need one for every phone jack you use (even for fax, and answering machines). Please be aware home alarm systems, or certain kinds of emergency assist phone hookups may complicate things and require you to use a splitter instead of microfilters.

Also keep in mind other terminal points, such as your cable/satellite TV decoder.

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by Tom edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:29:42

DSL modems can be taken out by thunderstorms so you do need a surge protector if they are frequent in your area.
Unfortunately, surge protectors have also been reported to reduce download speed, so you would be advised to test your speed before and after installation to make sure that it adds no problems to your line.

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by 2kmaro edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 21:20:42

A hub shares all traffic to all nodes whether they are interested or not. The maximum traffic that a hub can handle is when the SUM of all traffic reaches close to the hub speed (usually 10mbit). In reality, a hub starts to become inefficient when constant traffic on many ports rises to a SUM of just 3mbit! This inefficiency shows up as high "collision rates" being recorded by the attached devices.

A switch knows where traffic is bound for, thus a switch is able to handle its advertised speed (10mbit or 100mbit) on EACH port that it has.

With a correctly configured switch, and full duplex connections, ethernet interfaces should not show "collisions" when attached to a switch.

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by Grizwald54 edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2005-10-09 13:17:11

RadioShack has a surge protector (Model: 61-2146) specifically for DSL modems.

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by defiant edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 23:06:55

Not all of them. I have a tripplite isobar with network and cable protection that allows me download speeds of over 1500.
From another user: I use an APC Back-UPS Office with network/cable protection and cannot see a measurable difference between running through the protector and going directly to the NIC.

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by 2kmaro edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-07-22 23:07:14

UPDATE: There is a router for the Alcatel USB modem - the Vigor 2200USB, sold in the US.

Find out more here.

Linksys has a USB router (BEFSRU31 - EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with USB and 3-Port 10/100 Switch) that only replaces you NIC card in your PC. You cannot hook your USB DSL modem into it.

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by kendive edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-08-13 19:55:24

No. Even if you upgrade your line speed, your CPE (customer premise equipment) does not have to change. Until the commercial availability of G.lite (a newer DSL standard, offering vendor inter-operability), though, moving from region to region, or from one provider to another, may require different equipment. Check here for equipment pictures.

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by

A RADIUS (Remote Authentication DIal Up Server) is used to verify your username and password. Most ISPs are using this type of Authentication Verification.

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by cnetwrks edited by DrTCP

Yes, the Network Packets light should always be on and semi-flickering. The Power and Lock lights should also remain on.

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by Pontiac Freak edited by DrTCP

No. The 5250 is a SDSL modem.

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by kendive edited by lev

Netopia Routers are modular and contain 2 WAN slots, and They support many different Wan types, and can be field upgraded to other Wan Technologies, so you have an R7100-C (Copper Mountain Compatible SDSL), Meaning it has a SDSL card in Slot 1. Some ISPs provided customers with a R7120-C this router has a SDSL card in slot 1 and an Analog Modem in slot 2 (for Dial Backup). If you have a Netopia R series router you can purchase either from your ISP or a distrubitor like CDW, Ingram Micro, Tech Data or Microwarehouse different WAN cards (WANLETS) they are available for the following Technologies:
T-1 TER/53
SDSL (Nokia, Paradyne, Lucent Stinger , Nortel) TER/72
IDSL/ISDN (Copper, Nokia, Paradyne, Lucent, Switched ISDN) TER/31
ADSL (G.Lite/G.DMT) TER/61
Analog V.90 TER/20
Netopias can also have the same DSL technology in both slots and combine them in to a Single Pipe (Duoble bandwith) but the ISP and CLEC must support it.

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by NtpaTech edited by lev

Background:
Because I found better performance (speed) when my dataquest modem was located some distance from my computer, i.e. directly at the telephone entry point, I wanted a way of asking my modem to resync to a higher data rate periodically when I discovered it had ratcheted down to a lower rate due to loss of sync. This saved a long walk down the driveway in the rain.

Solution:
Go to the built-in modem diagnostic web page, (»172.16.0.254) then click on "Help", then click on "advanced settings", then without changing anything click "save settings".

This forces a resync. One can watch the progress by going back to http://172.16.0.254/adslstats.htm, the dsl diagnostics page and periodically asking for a reload.

It takes a bit of time for anything to happen, and you will see 0 bytes/sec for a time, then when it's all setup (at the hopefully higher rate), the new data rate will be displayed.

Some restraint is necessary here as the ratcheting down in speed is supposed to place you at an acceptable speed for your line condition, but I find that periodic restarts keep the speed up.

I found much improvement by placing my modem far from the computer and home generated noise. The ethernet connection is now 250 ft. long and seems to work flawlessly.

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by richpatak edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2003-04-13 10:43:27

Yes.

If you download the DMT firmware upgrade and follow the instructions EXACTLY you will get a working Cisco 678 with DMT that was previously set at CAP.

As a Qwest customer, I got the firmware and followed their instructions here:
»www.qwest.com/dsl/customerservic···ups.html
using their downloads and hyperterminal.

Cisco has a guide here:
»www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/···d1095542

Of course, the standard warnings apply that if you mess up the firmware upgrade you will be the proud owner of a new doorstop instead of a router.

Since at the central office a DSL connection using CAP uses different hardware than DMT uses, you will lose your DSL connection until your provider makes their hardware change at the Central Office. You will see your WAN link and activity lights go dark until this happens.

After flashing, you will also need to completely reconfigure your modem as the setup commands for DMT are different than for CAP. (e.g. for Qwest see »my.qwest.net/nav4/help/your_acct···675.html )

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by cisco_dude edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2005-07-08 16:07:32