How long did your DSL take to get set up?

[zCypher]

Hello all broadband (DSL specific) users..

I used cable for three years, but finally cancelled the service. It's nothing against cable, but rather against limitations and that particular company, which happens to be a monopoly here. So I found this small DSL service provider that had awesome specs on paper, so I'm trying it out. When I say awesome, I mean no download limits, after living with 6GB/month download limits with cable for three years. After getting a +120 and +200 bill for going over the limit (were 4 people/comps on one connection), poof. So this DSL service should be slower than cable, but faster upload and no limits, and no contracts.. pretty sweet overall deal. Small ISP.

So in any case, signed up on Friday. Now, today on Tuesday they contacted me saying my DSL should be set up at the very latest by Thursday at 5, but it could be earlier (something tells me it probably will). When I called to sign up, I spoke to the same person as when I emailed with questions the next day, and it's the same person who called me back with my activation date.

I love small ISPs... quick and effective, good/available service. When I called to sign up, it rang twice and a person answered. No more going through an hour of automated phone BS and waiting on hold.

So how long did your DSL take to get set up? And did you just plug it in and it work? Or did you have the guy from the DSL company come and do stuff? I was surprised when I heard no installation/rewiring needed, just plug in the modem and it works when dsl is activated. How is it possible? As long as it works I don't care. It's a 10(/100?)mbps modem, I'm getting 1.2/160 service for $25usd ($38cdn) per month, without contract.

 

[scorpioLP]

there needs to be some installation.... not necessarily wiring though.

Signal goes through a regular phone line and if you only have one phone line in the house, they can use a second set of wires in the phone cable to run the dsl signal. They just need to make the right connections, but not necessarily in your house.

But if you are using all wires in your phone line, then they will need to run another line from the box, into the house and wherever you're setting up the modem.

I'm not a phone expert, but that's how they set it up at my office, no need for wiring, just had to show him the phone closet in the basement of the builing, then to the closet on my floor and then showed him where I wanted the modem (happened to be right next to an available jack).

 

[zCypher]

Originally posted by: scorpioLP
there needs to be some installation.... not necessarily wiring though.

Signal goes through a regular phone line and if you only have one phone line in the house, they can use a second set of wires in the phone cable to run the dsl signal. They just need to make the right connections, but not necessarily in your house.

But if you are using all wires in your phone line, then they will need to run another line from the box, into the house and wherever you're setting up the modem.

I'm not a phone expert, but that's how they set it up at my office, no need for wiring, just had to show him the phone closet in the basement of the builing, then to the closet on my floor and then showed him where I wanted the modem (happened to be right next to an available jack).

Exactly, you see? That makes perfect sense to me. But the way they're making this sound, nothing at all needs to be done. It's like, all they need to do is press a button there and I'll magically have DSL.

However, I'm not getting "FULL ADSL" or whatever, mine will probably classify under the G.Lite crap - would that mean there's less to be done? Ugh, I'm really not understanding how this will just magically work. I even asked the guy a few times - so there's nothing that has to be done here, no special installations or setup of any kind? And he confirmed. But he said it would be "activated" by Thursday - does this mean they're going to do whatever they have to do in terms of installation by then? He didn't make any hint as to any ISP guy getting sent here to do anything though.

weird... corn-fuzed.

 

[scorpioLP]

That is strange....

do you live in an apartment building ?? I'm thinking that maybe the guy is familiar with the building and knows how the setup is done. Or maybe it's pre-wired and he just needs to make the connection in the building's phone closet.


At the very least, he will have to install the DSL modem and then run the ethernet from your PC to the modem. Then just set your TCP/IP settings and your good to go.

 

[ktwebb]

I was thinking the same thing. Your in an aparment or perhaps in a house that has already been tested by the local phone company. I have had cable for about a year but when I first got broadband it was dsl from an ISP in california. I was in florida. They shipped the modem and I did it all myself. The only thing out of the ordinary network wise was placing filters on all the RJ-11 wall sockets. Other than that it was basically plug and play since it was an ethernet modem. Later when I transferred to Bellsouth I got a USB modem so I had to install the software. Again, all done solo. As long as your line are in good shape it is painless.

 

[QTPie]

well, I'm with Directv DSL. It took me total 3 weeks to : a) process my order (which was somehow messed up), b) Local TELCO test and setup my phone line (from outside box) and c) wait for them to send me the modem (Directv called it Gateway) after local Telco had my phone line ready.

After receiving the gateway, it took about 20 min to get everything up and running. Hooked the gateway to the phone line, ran the software configuration, connected the gateway to the router, configured the router, installed DSL filter in each and every phone jack that you use (otherwise, you'll hear a soft dial-up modem sound after talking on the phone about 2 mins). If your house has the security alarm, you need to tell them to send you a right DSL filter (security system uses RJ-45 jack to connect to the phone line)

Simple as that!

BTW, Directv DSL gives static IP so you dont need to dial (using PPPoE) to establish the connection. But they're going out of business, that's too bad!

 

[zCypher]

"Dialing" with PPPoE is an old thing of the past. Mine is PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) as well, but there is no dialing involved, it is an "always-on" connection as much as cable. I can authenticate via the router or via the modem through the adsl configuration tool. Aboslutely no need for this dialing utility (which I CAN use if I want, but there's no point).

Anyhow - I don't live in an apartment building. It's possible this house has been tested by the phone company before, but I don't see how that would change anything. This is a small ISP and they've never been here before.. It's not cause they "know" my place or anything along those lines.

I already did all of the physical dsl modem/computer installation myself. Plugged it in (power/ethernet/phone). Ran the adsl configurator, set up my router appropriately, etc etc. He said today that all I need to do when it's activated is make sure that my user/pass is correctly entered in the router's settings (I've already done this). Everything is set up properly. So I guess we'll see by Thursday at 5 how this works..

 

[bozo1]

There is nothing that needs to do on your end. The work takes place at your telco's local central office where they take your phone line and move it to one of their DSL DSLAMs. The telco then needs to program your traffic to be routed to your ISP's incoming pipe.

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: bozo1
There is nothing that needs to do on your end. The work takes place at your telco's local central office where they take your phone line and move it to one of their DSL DSLAMs. The telco then needs to program your traffic to be routed to your ISP's incoming pipe.

Bingo, usually about 10 minutes of good solid work Unless they need to do some engineering work of course. Sometimes there will be load coils, telephone duplexers or something that they will actually have to remove in the field. When I moved in it took verizon about 6 weeks to get the provisioning work done if they didn't have to do any line conditioning. They're down to about a week and a half or two weeks now. Unless you have old wiring or other problems they shouldn't need to do any rewiring.

 

[zCypher]

Thanks for all the great replies! Hopefully it's up by tomorrow! Never know. Dialup is disgusting.