# DSL dummy



## jamala (May 4, 2007)

ok today we find out that DSL is finally available out here in the sticks. My box should be here Wed. what do I need to do to make this work right? We have 3 laptops all wireless capable and a wireless printer. Will DSL be wireless? What else will I need to buy to make this work? My darling Hubby ordered the DSL today while I was out so he got NO INFO for me. Thanks for any help I am a dummy when it comes to this stuff.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Wait and see what they bring you. The DSL router that the phoneco supplied me with is both a wired and wifi router, so I had everything I needed.

If the phoneco wants more money to meet your exact needs, post back here before committing to additional equipment fees with them.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

thanks so much I will let you know when it gets here


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## hillbillly (Jun 28, 2009)

ask what is your new user name and password on the DSL account,
you'll need it to set up.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

ok the box is here and it is not wireless, can I make this wireless or am I stuck with wires forever? I have no clue what I am doing but it says I can't set it up until in the a.m. when the service is turned on, so I am just reading the directions tonight. Thanks for the answers I really appreciate it.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

jamala said:


> ok the box is here and it is not wireless, can I make this wireless or am I stuck with wires forever? I have no clue what I am doing but it says I can't set it up until in the a.m. when the service is turned on, so I am just reading the directions tonight. Thanks for the answers I really appreciate it.


Sure. You'll need a wireless router to do that. You can probably find one locally at Staples or OfficeMax, but they'll probably want $50 or $60 for it. Check it out and see what they have, but keep in mind that you can order one from eBay for around $20. For example, here's one for $7 with $10.20 shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-AND-TESTED-...wItemQQptZCOMP_EN_Routers?hash=item230423a333

If it's reasonable locally then get it, but don't get hosed.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

We got our Linksys Wireless WRT54GS from WalMart for around $50.00, I think. We're wired, but _it is_ a wireless router. Been pretty happy with it, especially the more I learn about it. FWIW, we have no user name or password for our DSL account.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

UPDATE: Oh I am so angry! The tech came out to turn the DSL on today and told me we were a little over the limit of feet from the hub but not to worry and he would turn it on and it would only take a few minutes. He came back 20 min. later and told me we were too far and he couldn't turn it on! you have to be 18,000 feet or less from the hub and we are 20,000. We called the phone co. to return the stuff and they say OH NO YOU CAN GET IT! Called the tech back and he said" YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET DSL" Well he is in for a bad week because after they told us we could Monday all our neighbors called and ordered their equip. and now they have to be told no. Guess I am stuck with dial up forever. Thank you all for your help anyway I really appreciate it!


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Your phoneco installer is being more anal retentive than he should be about this. It's not a hard obstacle at the 18,000 foot mark. You may have some deterioration in speed, but DSL modems are capable of dropping back the data rate to ensure data integrity when it's necessary. 20,000 feet should work well enough to make DSL worthwhile to you.


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## lharvey (Jul 1, 2003)

Nevada

Maybe in the perfect world but not always the case.

For instance. The copper wire in my area here is soooo bad that the 18000 feet is just a dream not a given.

The switch for my feed is 15206 feet of copper from my house. It's a no go.

Jamala may live in an area where their local phone co has not upgraded their copper too.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

lharvey said:


> The switch for my feed is 15206 feet of copper from my house. It's a no go.


That can happen too, but I wouldn't give up solely on the basis of being a little over distance.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Thanks all, well my brother, Just across our 60 acre field is getting it so our plan is to have a phone and DSL installed at his house and run the line ourself across the field to our house, a phone co. repairman told us it should work that way (WHO KNOWS)! we tried the cell phone cards and they will not work here either, the cell phone co. told us to get a booster for our house so we are researching that option.


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## Mechanic Intern (Jun 10, 2007)

Jamala, I hate to tell you this, but running your own line is going to be pretty costly depending on what kind of line you use (phone-line grade wire, or Ethernet, or something else). I could go into much more detail, but from your previous posts, I'd say that's a WEE bit over your head.


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## lharvey (Jul 1, 2003)

Max length of a run for Cat5 is 320 feet.

Anything beyond that and you will loose too much signal.

Then there is the lightning protection and stuff like that. 

You can't run standard CAT5 in an outdoor use, you have to run shielded CAT 5 and should be buried in a conduit. You should also have lighting surge protection at both ends.

Here is a simple guide but like someone else said, you are probably over your head http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/cablingcat5/f/cat5outdoors.htm


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

If you need to go more than a few hundred feet, why not go wireless... 
Put up a dedicated router at your brothers with a direction antenna pointing at your house. setup a directional antenna at your house...


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## farmerbrian (Aug 29, 2009)

Before you start laying that line across the pastures take Nevada's advice and insist the service get activated at your house first to test. If the phone company says its gonna work and it doesnt you should be able to get a full refund of any money spent (including onsite installation fees). 

If DSL performs acceptably at your house then great, stick with it. If its a little on the slow side maybe you could as the phone company for a discounted rate? 

If if it doesnt work at your house but does at your Brother's house then consider a point-to-point wireless link between your properties if there is a good line of sight. Investment would probably be a lot less than a hard wired solution. Once the PtP wireless link is setup at your house you would be good to go to install a cheapo wireless router (linksys etc.) for your laptops to use wireless throughout the house. 

People have used line of sight wireless connections over much greater distances than between you and your brother's house.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

update: Well ALL our neighbors got theirs turned on and it works! (neighbors futher away than us by at least 1/2 a mile or more) So DH calls phoneco. man back and asks why he will not turn on ours and he said another tech turned their's on and is now in trouble for it that he refuses to break the 18,000 ft. rule! So we are calling to have it turned on at our farm (chicken houses about 750 ft from our house) and will to the point to point wireless to our home. BUT DH is very angry that everyone else got it with no problems and we get the one employee who wants to make it difficult. And to top it off we get another letter in the mail today from phone co. saying DLS is now available at your home call today to sign up! Thank you all for your help! Have a great weekend everyone!


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

I assume you're talkin' about At&T DSL? Not sure exactly where you're at, but know it's in the general area I'm in. The descrepancies between the company and the actual installers regaurding exactly where it is and isn't available around here are all too common...same goes for the Comcast cable internet service. 
The installer told my next door neighbors they couldn't get it, even though I'd already had DSL for a long time, and I'm further out than they are. They has it installed, and it works fine.
Good luck to you, cuz dialup stinks.


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