US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon Online DSL > Thinking of going to dry loop DSL. What are the pros/cons

Thinking of going to dry loop DSL. What are the pros/cons

just adding email notifications with this reply

With Vonage (or any VoIP) you need to be aware that if the internet is down there will be no phone, which means no 911. This is also true if your router or the box that Vonage gives you is down, do you may want to put them on a UPS to cover power outages.

Vonage is a great consumer friendly service, but you pay extra for that ease of setup and use. If you're interested in doing a little more technical work and setup, there are other services that could actually save you a lot more money each month. Check out one of the VoIP forums for more info on options (»Voice Over IP - VOIP).

Also, for dry loop, you may want to look for a local ISP that can provide you dry loop and see how their pricing compares. Obviously that ISP will still be running their services into your home over Verizon's physical infrastructure (wires), but thats about it. These ISPs are not 'resellers' of Verizon's DSL service.

You may want to ask around in the Vonage forum about how well VoIP will work on your speed connection. 768k down isn't a problem, but your upload speed may be a slight concern. Sometimes if the upload speed is slow you can't do things like 3-way calling.

I usually go overboard with this kind of pricing research, so I hope I'm not boring you. My Son recently got setup with Verizon dry loop at his new house + DirecTV on a Verizon combo package. He saved money doing that.

reply to ken2400
If you stick with Verizon they will hit you with a $10 fee added to DSL for no phone. As suggested you can go with another DSL provider . Have a backup way to get online in case of a mishap when switching DSL providers. If something goes wrong you may be without DSL for a week or two. Another dry loop con is if theres a problem with the line with voice service you can get the line fixed quickly by calling voice repair and it gets fixed within a day or two tops. With dry loop you may have to wait and go with poor DSL or none until they dispatch a tech. Keep in mind verizon owns / maintains the lines . It would be better if you kept the measured / limited message service but DROP long distance access . This will shave a few dollars and fees off the bill. You can still do vonage and have a hard landline for backup. Keep in mind when using vonage its best if no one is online due to your slower speeds or the phone can cut in and out if someone were trying to stream something at the same time. Keep in mind even with a measured landline you can still receive unlimited calls so the landline will back up your vonage.

reply to norbert26
Thanks I dropped the long distance years ago and am saving a few dollors there

reply to ken2400
I'd be very leery of using any VOIP with the upload speed you have. VOIP usually requires 90kbps. With a router that does QoS, you could control that part though.

I have Vonage on Charter and love it. Just called them a couple days ago and got the $9.99 for life, unlimited plan!! Yes, there are cheaper even, but I haven't ever had an issue with Vonage and they've probably been around the longest, so might have a little more stability.

»Vonage made me an offer (I can't refuse)
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reply to ken2400
I am upgrading my modem.
I have a 6100 going to a Actiontec GT701D
My testing shows the upload speed will increase.
Download says about the same.

Thanks for the info.

reply to ken2400
Get more upload if you're going to be using VoIP if possible. An upgrade to 384kbps can help you out a bit.