boomer

Now that BT have reduced the price of their ADSL service (for me, it will be via Demon), i am interested in what it actually comprises of.

Currently i used the POTS via a modem that typically hits 30K to 40K bps - possibly due to crap wiring in my house.

I understand what the Home Highway (ISDN) kit consists of, but i am not sure about ADSL.

I believe (simplistically), that for ADSL they swap a board at your local exchange, and you have to stick a "splitter" (one in/two out) into each of your existing sockets to allow you to choose phone or digital. This is for the cheaper self-install option.

Is there an equivalent to the Home Highway option, with a single box that provides analogue and digital output from which you can then wire your preferred devices?

I don't think that i want NATS, because my e-mail is via SMTP (not POP) and it needs a permanent address - and Demon will support this.

Also, is it true that you can receive/make phone calls whilst still online on ADSL? Presumably you pay for your calls as normal, but the ADSL bit is free?

Sorry if these are dumb questions, but the BT web-site isn't exactly helpful in this respect (don't they want my business?).

Thanks in advance,

mb

Jeff Wiltshire

ADSL works by using a high frequency carrier for the data traffic. This allows a standard PSTN circuit to be used for Voice and ADSL at the same time.

When you have a 'Wires Only' install your PSTN circuit is attached to a DSLAM in the exchange but there is no physical work undertaken at your end of the circuit. Once the line has been ADSL enabled you will need splitters on all of your current extension so as not to hear the high frequency noise from the ADSL (a splitter is simply a filter circuit). You then plug in your ADSL modem of choice and away you go....

There are ISPs who will do static IP addresses for ADSL circuits but you'll probable pay a premium for it.

For more info check
www.adslguide.org.uk



Cheers

Jeff

stevem2k

Demon's pricing of ( I think 29.99 ) includes a static address.

You get the DSLAM change at the exchange and a splitter box for the 'phone socket. It is up to you to purchase the modem - I think initially the amount of support you will get from the ISP for setting it up will be minimal - due to the amount of permutations. It may be worth while phoning them up and asking for reccomended types before purchasing if you are unsure. Usually all the config required is a couple of changes on a web page when you hit the modem/router's admin i/p .

Steve

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I have BT's Business 500 Plus service (now about £80/month, thankfully paid for by my employer and not me!).

In my case, the master socket (where the line enters the house) was replaced by a new one which incorporates a splitter. The secondary sockets remain unchanged, and any phones attached to those continue to work exactly as before. The secondary sockets are wired such that they're after the filter.

The new master socket provides a conventional phone socket, plus the new DSL port. The DSL port connects to a black box on the wall which includes the DSL 'modem' and a four port Ethernet hub.

In use, the voice and data paths work completely independently of each other. You can use the phone while the computer is on, and the internet connection is always available - you don't have to specifically dial up any more.

Andy.

stu200

iTrader: (1)

boomer,

Be aware that (unless they've changed very recently) Demon's ADSL package does not include use of a dial-up connection as a backup. If you want that, you'll have to pay your current £11.75 p/m on top of the ADSL price

That was why I moved to wires-only with Nildram a couple of months ago.

If you go wires-only, I can thoroughly recommend the Asus AAM6000EV router from Solwise.

boomer

Jeff,

aha, so every one of your phone sockets will have both ADSL and voice coming out of it, so to separate the two each socket will need a splitter (unless you hang the rest of your normal wiring off a pre-split socket).

Thanks for the URL - thats a lot of reading

Steve,

Demon's new pricing for the Demon Express service is now GBP28.99 including VAT, and yes it has one static address. The more expensive services aimed at businesses use NAT.

Andy,

your configuration (new master socket) sounds like the kind if thing that i ideally want, but i have a feeling that this will cost quite a lot versus the "DIY" method of installing individual splitters in each socket. I'll have to check the prices.

Stu,

eek, i hadn't thought of that - and SDU also comes in useful when you are away from home or using a mobile to dial in.


Cheers all - i think that i now understand the basic concepts, so just need to look a little deeper into pricing and configurations.

mb

Jeff Wiltshire

Boomer

That's right. But splitters are only around £8 each so it's not going to break the bank.


Jeff

stevem2k

Just a small point .. my Demon Express comes with a dial-up account too, one small benefit for having shelled out the extra all this time, I suppose.

Steve

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

You can always re-wire your extension sockets if having multiple splitters is a problem. They all have to be connected to the master socket anyway, so it should just be a case of disconnecting the four wires from the existing master socket and re-conecting them after the splitter.

Andy.

shunty

my 2c's
fyi:
SSDL's the next one apparently, BT are testing & nearly finished I think, upto 80meg over your normal phone line. So I think it's feesable to say that majority of people will be running 2 meg+ from home in the next 1-2 years.
We are way behind in the UK, if you live in the USA, T1 link from about $40 per month
Norway run fibre for just about everything, all new houses are fibre equiped

shunty

shunty

Jeff Wiltshire

SSDL ? do you mean SDSL ?

ADSL is capable of 8Mb down & 768K up now...BT chooses not to implement it as such. SDSL is distance limited and requires a private circuit (EPS-9) and only works on copper exchanges.


Jeff

IanW

And so is any form of xDSL, be it ASDL, SDSL, HDSL etc....

NumptyScrub

Nah, if you want 80Mb then you're looking at VDSL, which has a limit of around 300m over standard grade copper. Great if you live next to the exchange, pants if you don't...

V.SHDSL is ok, symmetric bandwidth and the capability of hitting good data rates, but BT won't be implementing it for a good while. It'll also be expensive, but you'll be paying premiums on anything over 512k anyway given the extra backhaul required (DSLAMs are normally ATM over OC-3/STM1 backhaul these days).

I'd go with the Demon offer (I'll have to check their site, I'm on dial with them at the mo anyway), and it looks like the option on company (Easynet) supplied xDSL for me is slipping away... damn mergers and "streamlining"

Derek

shunty

oopps you are in deed correct SDSL
I bet everyone hit google then with SSDL query lol. Genuine mistake though.
I was quite surprised that you could get 80meg over copper to be honest, the BT engineer explained this to me when fitting my ADSL.
He did say that depending on the grade of the copper, distance from local exchange etc would have an effect....

shunty

[Edited by shunty - 3/12/2002 9:33:50 AM]

gregh

[edited cos the bargain ADSL modem I posted appears to not work very well]

see thread here:

http://217.33.154.203/forums/showthr...threadid=61400

[Edited by gregh - 3/12/2002 12:14:46 PM]