DSL Question

[audiyoda]

Okay, some of you know I had DSL via MSN/Northpoint until Northpoint went belly up. I've been playing around trying to get my dedicated line released from Northpoints hands and into mine. A tough job since Northpoint doesn't exist any longer, MSN is stupid, and the telco doesn't care. But there is something invloving my loop that prevents my local telco (Ameritech) from installing another dedicated line for another DSL provider.

Interestingly, with as much trouble as I'm having getting the dedicated line released, Ameritech is more than willing to sell me their DSL product. Unfortunatly, it's not the product I really want. With MSN/NP, I had a 1500/128 static IP. With Ameritech (SBC), I'll get a 1500/128 dynamic IP using PPPoE. Thats what I don't want, software based DSL. I also want a dedicated line, not in-line filters on my existing voice line. I know I'm knit-picking, but I liked what I had as I could set up my own ftp server or host/mirror my MSU web page.

But it looks like I'm stuck with Ameritech SBC. So, anyone have any thoughts on the SBC product? It's the same thing PacBell, Southwestern Bell and some others offer. Is it good, bad, indifferent? Also, how does PPPoE work with my router? As I recall, the router has a PPPoE radio button on it's main page, can I assume it will do the work rather than installing the software on my computer?

Thanks all.

-Craig

[SARGE]

SBC owns PacBell and bought Ameritech (WHY???) recently, so all same same.

http://user.cs.tu-berlin.de/~normanb/README98.HTM

[Edited by SARGE on 04-24-2001 at 10:23 PM]

[audiyoda]

Yea, I had that figured out when I went to the DSL info page for Ameritech. Half the links are PacBell links, half are Ameritech.

What I'm interested in is are there any problems/disadvantages to PPPoE based DSL access v. hardware (modem) based access. Also, like I said, my router has this PPPoE enable radio button. If I enable that, would I still have to install the PPPoE software from SBC?

-Craig

[SARGE]

Carlgif and Xayd had a long discourse about this recently. Do a search under carlgif and dsl. I'm able to get dsl now, but am waiting for bugs to get ironed out. Since I live too far, they placed fiber up to a point, added equipment at a remote location, then use existing copper to carry it to the sub. I'll wait .

[Xayd]

SBC isn't bad, their uptime is good from my experience, they just take their sweet time in dealing with install problems.

You can get a static IP from them, but it'll cost ya an extra 40 a month or so. On your router, for SBC it needs to support DMT line coding, PPPoE if that's what you get stuck with, and VPI/VCI settings of 0/35.

If your router won't work and you get stuck with PPPoE, lemme know and I should be able to scrounge up another like the one I have. There are a few former SBC techs who are co-workers of mine now .

Xayd

[audiyoda]

Originally posted by Xayd On your router, for SBC it needs to support DMT line coding, PPPoE if that's what you get stuck with, and VPI/VCI settings of 0/35.

I just checked every page of my routers setup and didn't see anything remotely similar to DMT line coding or VPI/VCI settings. And considering I really like this router (not to mention it wasn't cheap), I'd like to keep it. It's a Linksys BEFSR81 and fast as all hell not to mention highly customizable.

-Craig

[Xayd]

Yes, your Linksys will work fine behind the modem that SBC gives you.

Xayd

[audiyoda]

Very cool. Just placed the order this afternoon. They said I should have the equipment within a week and my service should be up by 5/9.

The only thing that disappoints me is everything on their web pages regarding speed is from the PacBell/SBC pages and lists 15K/128 as the max. Well today the Ameritech rep told me that they will only guarantee 768 down 128 up. After grilling them about the SBC claims I was told by a supervisor that although SBC owns PacBell and Ameritech they are different services. And as I said to him, that's all fine and good, then don't integrate the web pages.

-Craig

[SARGE]

Guarantees are issued based on distance from CO. I've heard some folks offered a 300+ max. A bud at work lived so close the tech, after installing, whistled and said they would have to "tweak it down" or else charge him a premium rate.

[glc]

Craig - don't let them stick you with a USB or internal DSL modem - insist on an external Ethernet model. You may have to bust your network and install the modem standalone on the network card first - and install the godawful EnterNet software - then you can shoo the tech out the door and move it to the router and reconfigure.

[audiyoda]

Already told them not to come near my house. The entire house is wired with cat5 cable. So they are opting (with much apprehension) to UPS me the ethernet external modem. I think they asked me five of six times if I was sure I could handle the install myself.

One thing I'm still not clear on: since my router does offer PPPoE emulation, can I just click that radio button, enter my user name and password and surf rather than install the software? On a related quesiton, should I enable DCHP in the router and on the computers or not?

-Craig

[glc]

You can try it. Set up PPPoE with the aid of the Linksys help system and use the Linksys DHCP services. Make SURE they give you all the parameters for setting up the PPPoE.

[Xayd]

You mentioned that you host a website on one of the machines, so the proper way to do everything if you have multiple machines would be to assign each machine a static IP and then route requests to machines by port number through NAT accordingly. A dynamic IP with SBC isn't a totally bad thing. Folks usually keep the same IP for a week or more with a router.

As far as PPPoE goes, yes, just enter your username and pass in the pppoe settings in the router and you should be good to go. On the download speed, if there's a question about whether or not your line can handle a certain speed, they'll cap you at 384, 768, or 1024 respectively. That's not set in stone, though. After you get everything working you can give ASI a call (SBC's network ops people) at 877-274-3282, and have them uncap you and/or raise your cap, then see if it works. If it does, great, if not, they'll cap you back and chalk it up to "was worth a shot".

Just hope like hell it works on the first try, if not get ready for a long ride. Be nice to the ASI people, they're the only knowledgable folks who can actually do anything in SBC's whole operation.

Xayd

[audiyoda]

Gracias guys!! Now....how do I get rid of this red light at the bottom of my optical mouse?

-Criag