quickreference What are the benefits of DSL? Which "flavors" of DSL does Access US offer? Is DSL reliable? Can DSL help telecommuters? What speeds does Access US offer? What is meant by upstream and downstream? Why should I use Access US instead of my phone company? Does DSL require special equipment? Who installs this equipment? What if I want to upgrade my DSL connection to a faster speed? Can a DSL line be shared among multiple users? Is DSL better than 56 Kbps analog modems? How does DSL compare to Cable modems? How does DSL compare to a T-1 line? What about DSL and ISDN, how do they compare?

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is a high-speed Internet access product for homes and businesses that use existing copper telephone lines.

 

• Fast Access - DSL allows you to access the Internet up to 50 times faster than a 28.8K dial-up modem. This means Web sites will appear much faster, especially those with large graphics. Your e-mail will arrive and be sent much quicker, and advanced business applications are possible, like Web hosting and e-commerce.
• Always On - DSL is a dedicated service, meaning it is "always on," so there is no need to dial-up to connect to the Internet. No more busy signals, and no more dropped connections when trying to connect to your ISP. No more waiting for an open phone line, or an available modem at your ISP.
• Inexpensive - DSL offers high-speed Internet access at a fraction of the cost of other dedicated services, such as a T-1 line. T-1 lines can cost over $1,000 per month, while DSL costs much less, so even small businesses can afford to buy it.

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Access US provides SDSL, IDSL, and ADSL.

• SDSL is a symmetrical business class service for demanding Internet users, offering higher upstream data rates than ADSL and IDSL. Higher upstream data rates make it possible to host a website or do video conferencing.
• IDSL is a symmetrical service with a farther reach than either ADSL or SDSL. It is meant primarily for customers who are too far away from the Central Office to qualify for ADSL or SDSL.
• ADSL is an asymmetrical, residential service for casual Internet users, because it offers more speed downstream than upstream, and it is primarily for downloading Web sites and e-mail. Both ADSL and SDSL are distance limited, meaning customers who are located too far away from the Central Office equipment will not be able to get the service.

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Yes. Access US realizes the importance of providing customers with a reliable connection to the Internet.

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With VPN software, DSL will make your home an extension of the office LAN. You will experience high-speed access from home as though you were sitting at your desk in the office. If you are familiar with attempting to open e-mail and then waiting 20 or 30 minutes while it downloads to dial-up modem, you will love DSL!

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Here are the details of Access US' DSL service offerings. It is important to note that the speeds listed may vary depending on the line quality of the copper loop to the end-user location. All speeds will not be available to all customers, based on the quality and length of local phone lines from the Central Office. The distances below are estimates. Actual distances will vary.

Speed	Delivery	Distance from Central Office
Up to 1.5M / Up to 128K	ADSL	Up to 15,000 ft
384k - 1.5M / 128k	ADSL	Up to 15,000 ft
1.5 - 3M / Up to 384k	ADSL	Up to 12,000 ft
1.5 - 6M / Up to 512k	ADSL	Up to 8,000 ft
144 Kbps	IDSL	up to 36,000 feet
192 Kbps	SDSL	up to 17,500 feet
384 Kbps	SDSL	up to 15,000 feet
768 Kbps	SDSL	up to 12,000 feet
1 Mbps	SDSL	up to 12,000 feet
1.5 Mbps	SDSL	up to 8,000 feet
* Access US also offers dry loop / dedicated DSL for customers without AT&T

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• Downstream means downloading information from the Internet to your computer. Examples are waiting for a Web page to load on your computer screen, or opening e-mail messages.
• Upstream means sending information from your computer out to the Internet. Examples are sending e-mail messages, hosting a Web server, providing video streaming, or video conferencing. If you have ever tried to send an e-mail with a large attachment, like pictures, large spreadsheets, or electronic presentations, then you understand how a poor upstream connection can really slow down your business.

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There are many advantages of using Access US over your phone company.

• Access US specializes in providing Internet solutions and our company is based on supporting this service.
• Access US offers a true business class DSL service, while many of the local phone companies focus only on residential users. As a result, Access US offers three different flavors of DSL: SDSL, IDSL and ADSL. Many local phone companies only offer ADSL or RADSL to satisfy residential demands.
• Many of the local phone companies have focused their DSL services in large cities. It is probable that Access US is the only DSL provider in your area, because we are trying to bring DSL to everyone.
• End-users can count on Access US DSL to work when they need it, without worrying about network downtime or poor quality service.

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Yes. DSL requires that the customer use a special DSL router or modem. Access US must have a similar modem located in the Central Office as a part of our DSL equipment. Together, these two pieces of equipment increase the capacity of the copper phone line between them so it is capable of moving data at extremely high speeds. Access US sells the DSL modem or router you need to get connected to DSL. There are different options available based on the type of service you purchase. Pricing is different for each of the equipment options.

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An Access US authorized installer will install the inside wiring and equipment for end-users who purchase authorized bridges and/or routers. The installer will complete standard inside wiring and connect the DSL equipment to the wiring, making certain the connection is live and functioning properly. However, the installer will not connect the equipment to a computer. However, Most customers choose to install their equipment themselves to save money.

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Normally, you will be able to upgrade to a higher speed service without needing to upgrade your equipment. For example, the equipment used for 192 Kbps SDSL is the same equipment used for 1.1 Mbps SDSL. However, typically IDSL, SDSL and ADSL equipment is not cross-functional.

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Yes, multiple computers can use the same DSL line. Using a DSL router will allow you to connect virtually limitless numbers of computers to one DSL connection. This is perfect for businesses that need to connect an entire office to one DSL connection. Every worker can be online at the same time.

Home networking is also growing as a direct result of broadband access. The world of the wired home is here now. It is not unusual for a family to have multiple computers at home, and fighting for the phone line used to access the Internet can be annoying. With DSL you will enjoy using the Internet instead of being frustrated by it, and you will eliminate extra phone lines and multiple dial-up accounts at the same time.

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Yes. DSL is significantly faster than a 56 Kbps modem. Also, DSL is always on so there is no need to dial-up to connect to the Internet. No more busy signals, and no dropped connections. And because the connection is dedicated you will be able to host a web server whereas this is not feasible with a dial-up connection. DSL also makes it easy to connect multiple computers to one high-speed line to share the speed on that line among an entire office.

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Although cable can be appealing because of its price, there are some inherent drawbacks to cable modem service. First, the cable network is shared, which means as the number of cable users increases the speed on each individual's line decreases. At times of peak Internet usage, cable modem speeds fall off dramatically. Second, a shared network is inherently less secure than a dedicated service like DSL, as neighboring cable customers can more easily intercept data or hack into another user's computer. Third, the upstream speed on a cable modem generally is no higher than 128 Kbps. Thus, cable modems are unable to provide acceptable levels of speed or security for business purposes such as video streaming, video conferencing, or sending large e-mails.

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T-1 is a technology that bundles several phone lines together to provide downstream access speeds of 1.54 Mbps. The decision between DSL and T-1 access when DSL is readily available is usually based on pricing. Normally, for comparative high-speed connectivity, a business will pay significantly more every month for a T-1 line than it would for DSL.

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DSL will be the cause of ISDN's demise for several reasons:

• ISDN is only available in two speeds: 64 Kbps and 128 Kbps, both of which are significantly slower than most DSL connections.
• ISDN sometimes offers dedicated, always-on access, but not always. Furthermore, ISDN is subject to additional per-minute fees in many locations. ISDN fees can easily be in the hundreds of dollars on a monthly basis.
• ISPs will charge between $30-150 a month to provide Internet access to ISDN customers.

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