SDSL FAQ

1. What is SDSL?
    There are two major types of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).  ADSL (asynchronous) and SDSL (synchronous).  They are the follow on to ISDN (Integrated Services Dial Network).  xDSL lines provide huge bandwidth over standard copper phone lines.  As of now (7/23/99) there still are no standards for DSL so I can't provide exact numbers on speed.  Each vendor is providing their own "flavor" of DSL.  This FAQ will deal with Digital Select in the Washington D.C. area since they are the people that I am dealing with.
    ADSL provides a faster down stream speed than it' up stream speed.  It is specifically geared for home users because it can download much faster than it can upload.  Examples of Bell Atlantic's speeds are 640K down/64K up, 1.6M down/64K up, etc.  You will also have to get an ISP that can handle Bell Atlantic's flavor of DSL and pay extra ISP charges.  (Also, BA will NOT provide static IP addresses so forget about running a web server from home).
    SDSL provides the same speed down and up stream.  It is geared for businesses that want to run their own mail server, web server, etc.  Digital Select provides speeds of 144K, 192K, 384K, and 768K in their home user/small business packages.  They will also provide static IP addresses at no extra charge (up to 16 without a network topology map) and you become your own ISP (no extra ISP charges :)
    All xDSL lines require a special modem or router.  They range in price from around $300 for a simple modem to $600 for a full blown router.

2. What did you order (give me the details).
    I ordered a 192K SDSL line with 16 static addresses and a router with the firewall option.  The prices are:  $250 for installation, $600 for the router, $200 for the firewall option, and $135 per month for unlimited (always on) access.  (Unfortunately, since DSL lines are not standard, I couldn't use my Cisco router (not supported)).  I will become my own ISP so there are no additional ISP charges and because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, there will be no Bell Atlantic local loop charges (BA can kiss my a-- :) (Or, at least, BA won't bill *me*. I'm not sure what Digital Select has to pay)

3.  How long does it take to get a xDSL line.
    Digital Select (A Covad Communications reseller) said 30 to 45 days for installation.  THIS DID NOT HAPPEN.  This is the time line for me:

• June 2, 1999    Ordered SDSL line from Digital Select in Washington DC (I live in Northern Va).
• June 14, 1999    Received bill  (which included first month services payment as a deposit)
• June 23, 1999  Received call confirming installation dates; Aug. 3 for Bell Atlantic outside wiring and Aug. 5 for actual service
• July 9, 1999  Received call from Trasher Construction (a BA contractor) telling me that they had received a work order and that Miss Utility had been called!  HUH!?  Why is a construction company calling me!  I told Digital Select to switch over my second phone line to SDSL.  I don't want to see a bulldozer in my backyard!  I call Digital Select and they tell me that this is "standard procedure".  Hummm, ok.......
• July 20. 1999  Came home and saw orange lines painted in my backyard.  I looked alittle closer and discovered that someone (I guess Trasher Construction) had run another phone cable to my house (now I know why Miss Utility had been called!!)  They did a pretty good job, the trench that they had cut thru my backyard was not _real_ noticeable.  They also installed another phone junction box on the back of my house.  I now have 6 more phone line circuits to my house.  I'm alittle pissed that no one told me that this was going to happen and BA did not stick to their original scheduled date.  Oh well, at least I have another six phone circuits...
• Aug. 3, 1999  I have a message on my answering machine telling me that there is a problem with the new line and to call Digital Select.
• Aug. 4, 1999  I call Digital Select, they know nothing about the problem.  The guy tells me that he will call me back.
• Aug. 5, 1999  Digital Select calls me and tells me that the line won't support 192K.  I can only have a 144K ISDL line.  I'm alittle bit erked off because an ISDL line cannot be upgraded whereas a SDSL line can be upgraded all of the way to 768K.  I go ahead and sign a new contract for 144K.  Then, I was told that it would take another 20 DAYS to have the line configured! (the physical line is already installed!)
• Aug. 15, 1999  Still waiting for an install date.....
• Aug. 23, 1999  Received e-mail from Covad Communications that my local loop will be tested on Aug. 31 and the install date is now Sept. 7, 1999.
• Sept. 2, 1999  Received phone call from Digital Select. Bell Atlantic missed their local loop check date, it will be done today. Luckily, the installed date is still set for Sept 7.....
• Sept. 7, 1999  Covad Communication shows up to do the inside wiring.  Unfortunately, the Covad man doesn't have a ladder or any tools with him.  The Covad man proceeds to simply throw the DSL wire out the window of a third floor bedroom and hook the line up.  He tells me that Covad will come back out this weekend install the wire correctly.  He is able to get the line all setup, but it doesn't work.  It looks like Bell Atlantic hasn't finished their part in the central office.  While the Covad man is in my house I ask him for my IP addresses and the password to the router.  He tells me that HE CAN'T TELL ME!  I have to call Digital Select to get the information that he just programmed into my router!!!  So I call Digital Select and find out that they made a mistake and only assigned me 4 IP addresses instead of the 16 that I contracted for.  Digital Select fixes the problem and tells me what my addresses are.  The Digital Select person then proceeds to tell me that they are not allowed to tell me the password to the router THAT I JUST BOUGHT!!   The Digital Select person informs me that I have to call the installation manager get explain why I want the password to my router?!?!?!   So I called Doug Orr, the installation manager, and he asked me why I wanted the password.  I explained that I know what I'm doing with routers  and that I also bought the firewall option with my router and would need to configure it.  He grudgingly tells me that once the line works, he'll log into the router and change the password and then give me the new password (apparently, ALL Digital Select routers have THE SAME PASSWORD!).  In the mean time, I read the manual for the Flowpoint router and find out that throwing DIP switches 5 and 6 clear the password.  So I went ahead and configured the router with my own passwords.
• Sept. 11, 1999  The Covad Communications man shows up to install the DSL wire correctly.  He has the drill bit, but no drill.  He has the face plate, but no mounting bracket.  And, he doesn't have any sealing putty (to put around the hole that he is going to cut thru my outside wall).  So I loan him all of the equipment that he needs and go to Home Depot to buy the parts that he needs.  After around 3 hours, he finally has the wire installed correctly.  Of course, Bell Atlantic still hasn't done their part so the line still doesn't work.
• Sept. 14, 1999  Digital Select calls me to tell me that Bell Atlantic will be out to my house to check the DSL wire.  Later, I get a call from a Covad guy that tells me that he has been to my house and that Bell Atlantic has not set their Paragains (a DSL device that BA owns) correctly.  He says that he is leaving a note for the Bell Atlantic guy to explain what is wrong.  Later, I get a call from Digital Select and they tell me that Bell Atlantic said the my outside wiring box was inaccessible (either a dog was in the backyard or the gate was locked).  I tell the Digital Select guy that BA is wrong; the gate is not locked and the dog is not in the backyard.  The BA guy must have gone to wrong house (the Covad guy didn't have any problems...)
• Sept. 15, 1999  I come home and test my IDSL router.  IT WORKS!!!  HURRAY!!!!  I don't know who did what, and I really don't care because my IDSL line is now UP!!!  HURRAY!
• Sept. 17, 1999 I come home looking forward to a weekend of high speed Internet surfing.  My IDSL line is down again (The NT1 LED is blinking again which means that Bell Atlantic has screwed up the line again).  I call Digital Select and tell them that the line is down again.
• Sept. 20, 1999  Digital Select calls me at work and tells me that they have fixed the problem.  They tell me to cycle the router when I get home and that everything will work.  When I get home and cycle the router it still doesn't work.  I don't think that the Digital Select tech support guy understands what a blinking NT1 LED means (no carrier detect).  It's still a Bell Atlantic problem.....
• Sept. 20, 1999 Still waiting for a WORKING IDSL line.....
• Sept. 27, 1999 My IDSL line finally works, hurray!!!!!
• Sept 29, 1999 I still haven't receive the Firewall option for my router that I paid an extra $200 for. I call Digital and inquire when I can get it. I'm told that they will try to get it to me.
• Oct 11, 1999 I still haven't receive the Firewall option for my router. I call Digital Select and they tell me that they are working on it.
• Nov 15, 1999 I still haven't receive the Firewall option for my router. I call Digital Select and they tell me that they are working on it.
• Sometime in Dec, Digital Select is bought by Primus. For better or worse, I'm still dealing with the same people as I was before, they just answer the phone differently.
• Dec 6, 1999 I still haven't receive the Firewall option for my router. I call Primus and they tell me that there is a problem getting the Firewall option. Flowpoint (the maker of the router) has been sold again and they are having problems getting the Firewall option.
• Dec 13, 1999 I still haven't receive the Firewall option for my router. This time my customer rep tells me that they are really sorry about this mix up and that they will give me the Firewall option for free and refund my $200. Cool!! I tell him to just apply the refund to my monthly charges (this will cover 2 months). My customer rep says that someone will be in touch with me soon.
• Dec 26, 1999 I receive a bill for January's service (you pay in advance for service with Primus). I call my customer rep and ask what's going on, I'm supposed to have the next two months free. He says that he will take care of it.
• Jan 10, 2000 I receive an e-mail from Primus tech support asking what kind of router I have (don't they know?). I reply with the information. A couple of hours later the tech support guy e-mails me a router image that includes the Firewall image. It's corrupted..... I ask for another one.
• Jan 12, 2000 I receive another router image in an e-mail from tech support. This time it works! Hurray!!
• Jan 17, 2000 I receive another bill for service (payment for Feb) which I'm not supposed to have to pay because of the refund for the Firewall software. I call my customer support rep again. Again he says he will take care of it...

Well, at this point I think that I have everything that I ordered back on June 2, 1999! I now have the Firewall option and my credits are now correct (I think). It only took 8 months for everything to finally be done right!!!

My current 1 year contract ends in 4 months, I don't think that Primus will be my first choice for my next DSL contract....

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