Please take a moment to read this FAQ.  It will likely answer many questions you have about SAMnet DSL and DSL in general.  If, after reading this, you still have questions, feel free to e-mail us a dsl@samnet.net.

What is DSL? Are there different types of DSL? How do I connect to DSL service? Where is DSL offered? How can I find out if I can get DSL? You said I was eligible but my order was rejected. Why? What speeds are available? I ordered 768 kbps but only got a 512 kbps connection. Why? What is a DEMARC? What is a DEMARC extension? What does the DEMARC extension cost and who does it? I've heard you never get the subscribed speed. Why? I read that DSL service is unreliable. Is this true? I'm happy with my dial-up connection. Why should I switch to DSL? Is cable better than DSL? I was told that I can save money by switching to DSL. Is this true? How do you assign IP addresses? How many IP addresses can I obtain? I have more than one device - how does that work with only one IP? Why do I need a DSL router or firewall? What equipment do I need with a SAMnet DSL connection? Why should I choose SAMnet DSL? What does it cost? How do I order? Why do I need a dial-up account if I've got DSL? What is DSL? DSL ("Digital Subscriber Line") is a broadband communications technology designed for use on POTS ("Plain Old Telephone Service") lines. DSL service is capable of transmitting data over copper lines at much greater speeds than conventional analog modems. This is accomplished by using the bandwidth over and above the normal audio spectrum. Are there different types of DSL? Indeed. DSL is a term for a family of similarly operating products and standards. There is SDSL, where the download and upload speeds are usually identical. ADSL provides typically faster download speeds at the expense of slower upload speeds. IDSL is a form of DSL that interoperates with ISDN telephone lines. How do I connect to DSL service? A DSL modem is used to convert the DSL service delivered to your residence or business to Ethernet, which is a networking standard that 99.9% of today's computer systems support. Not all DSL modems are the same, though - they must be compatible with what is at the telephone company office on the other end of your DSL connection. Where is DSL offered? 1) Fist and foremost, the telephone company office (central office, or CO) serving your town must have the requisite equipment to support DSL. Most major cities and towns are DSL ready. 2) You must be within approximately 18,000 feet (or three miles) of the CO. 3) The connection between your town's CO and your location must be entirely on copper. (Sometimes the telephone company runs fibre to a location closer to you, and then copper to your house or business - this will not work for DSL.) How can I find out if I can get DSL? Given the address you would like service at, along with a telephone number at that location, we can determine if your location is eligible. You said I was eligible but my order was rejected. Why? We can pre-qualify DSL service based on equipment availability in your telephone company office and the distance between your location and that office. When an order is placed with the local telephone company, they verify that available telephone lines exist to your location and are of a quality that can support a DSL connection. Sometimes orders can be rejected due to the lack of facilities (i.e., no copper lines available), your area being served by fibre (copper is needed for DSL), or a suitable line for a reliable connection is not available. Note: If your DSL service order is rejected by the phone company there is no charge to you. We also have a variety of other options you can consider, too! What speeds are available? DSL connections start at 128 kbps. Maximum speeds differ depending on the technology deployed in the telephone company central office, but are typically at least 768 kbps. I ordered 768 kbps but only got a 512 kbps connection. Why? DSL service is sensitive to both the quality of the phone line as well as the distance to the telephone company central office. The maximum speed decreases the further you are form the CO. Unfortunately there is no simple rule to this equation, as other factors also play into the maximum speed. Most of this is out of your and our control, as it pertains to the phone company's wires. Customers can ensure that their connections run at the best possible rates by having their DEMARC extensions professionally done. What is a DEMARC? DSL service is typically provided on the local telephone company's lines up to the DEMARC for your residence or business. The DEMARC is where the telephone company's wires end - and yours begin. Sometimes this is a box on the outside of your building or in your basement. In business environments this may be punch-down blocks or other high capacity interconnects, most often where large telephone cables enter your building. What is a DEMARC extension? Sounds complicated - but pretty simple: the extension of the DSL line from the telephone company DEMARC to the location where you would like to have your DSL service. This is usually where the computer will be connected to the DSL modem, or where your local area network equipment is located. What does the DEMARC extension cost and who does it? SAMnet DSL service comes with a fixed price DEMARC extension that accommodates most residential and business environments. In some special cases additional costs may be necessary, depending on the amount of wire and hours necessary to extend the DSL line. Additionally, customers upon request can perform their own DEMARC extension - please consult one of our service professionals for additional info. See our residential and business pricing pages for information on these and other fees. I've heard you never get the subscribed speed. Why? Although there is some accuracy to that statement, much of the hype comes from some telephone companies severely oversubscribing their services (customer bandwidth requirements exceeding the limitations of their facilities). There is some inherit overhead in DSL; your actual throughput should be between 90% and 95% of your subscribed speed. SAMnet takes pride in ensuring that our network is not oversubscribed; that you have access to the bandwidth that you've subscribed to. Of course, your performance is often limited by the connections through Internet itself as well the remote servers you are accessing. I read that DSL service is unreliable. Is this true? Because DSL utilizes low cost voice grade copper circuits, its cost is typically a magnitude lower than traditional dedicated data services. As expected, when problems occur on DSL circuits they receive a lower priority than T1's or frame relay circuits. Local telephone companies typically provide service windows not to exceed 48 hours for DSL trouble tickets. Our experience has been that most service calls are resolved within a day, and most customers have never had an outage related to their DSL circuit. Due to the level of service commitment from telephone companies, SAMnet recommends that if you have mission critical applications, that you consider either having a backup strategy or other traditional data circuits. We'd be happy to work with you on your needs! I'm happy with my dial-up connection. Why should I switch to DSL? Our slowest DSL offering is at least twice as fast as any dial-up connection. As technology moves forward bandwidth needs will increase: streaming media, sending large digital photos, etc. With a DSL connection, there is no need to share a phone line - you have always-on Internet connectivity, which can be easily shared by multiple computers. Is cable better than DSL? Both cable and DSL provide broadband Internet connectivity, but via extremely different technologies. Although cable operators tout better performance, cable performance will vary greatly depending on the activity of other users who are on the same cable segment you are connected to. In contrast, your SAMnet DSL connection is supplied on a dedicated connection connecting you directly to the telephone company central office and is not shared by anyone else. Cable does not have the same distance limitations that DSL has - but most cable operators won't serve businesses. SAMnet DSL offers business quality DSL to both residential and business subscribers. I was told that I can save money by switching to DSL. Is this true? Most certainly! Business customers can easily save by switching to a DSL connection. If your business is using a dial-up connection (where you're paying message units) for more than 2.5 hours per day you can switch to our entry level DSL connection for no additional cost! And if you're using more hours, you'd actually be saving money by switching to DSL. We'd be glad to help with a cost justification analysis - just call! How do you assign IP addresses? SAMnet has a variety of DSL offerings. Wherever we provide the Internet bandwidth, we also provide - at NO additional charge - a static, pre-determined IP address for your DSL connection. (Many other providers will only provide dynamic, i.e., subject to change, addresses - or static addresses at additional cost.) How many IP addresses can I obtain? Each SAMnet DSL connection is provided one address. Additional addresses can be obtained based on specific requirements - please consult with one of our service professionals for more information. I have more than one device - how does that work with only one IP? Your DSL connection should include either a DSL router, or a VPN firewall. These devices can help isolate your private, internal network IP address space - and using the NAT (network address translation) protocol, share a single external IP address. We'd be glad to provide assistance with the configuration and setup of your network needs. Why do I need a DSL router or firewall? Technically you don't - you can directly connect any Ethernet ready system to your DSL (or any Internet) connection. In conjunction with any Internet connection, especially always-on connections, you should consider network and system security. Whether a single home computer or a large corporate network, SAMnet strongly advises that you invest in appropriate hardware or software to ensure that unauthorized access is not gained to your network and equipment. What equipment do I need with a SAMnet DSL connection? We have compiled a number of examples that can be viewed here. The bare minimum is a computer with an Ethernet interface and the DSL modem (noting that SAMnet recommends the use of appropriately configured firewall software in this configuration). For home and small business configurations you may also need a DSL router and possibly Ethernet switch. For larger businesses or where VPN connections are desired, a VPN firewall device. We'd be glad to discuss your needs and make appropriate recommendations. Why should I choose SAMnet DSL? We realize there are a lot of choices for broadband Internet access. When you choose SAMnet DSL, you're not only getting DSL service - but service from people who can assist you in all aspects of your Internet and networking needs: from LAN's to VPN's, connectivity and web hosting. This is backed up by our new state-of-the-art infrastructure (as of October 2002) with redundant Internet connectivity including ATM, fibre and DS3 connections. What does it cost? Recurring charges can be found on our residential and business SAMnet DSL pricing pages. There is a one-time order installation fee as well as DEMARC extension fees. These are also enumerated on our pricing pages - along with any specials and discounts that we offer from time to time. We realize that your purchase decisions often revolve around pricing; our service professionals can provide you an all-inclusive price quote - along with our no hidden price guarantee. How do I order? Ordering is simple - a short application with basic information for your service location. Residential subscribers will need to supply a credit card, which will only be billed upon successful installation of your service. Business customers can choose between recurring credit card billing or terms based on credit application. Why do I need a dial-up account if I've got DSL? We realize that your Internet connectivity is important, whether you're an individual or a business. Therefore we offer you as part of your DSL service a limited use dial-up account, which can be used in the unforeseen event of a DSL outage, or for occasional Internet access away from your dedicated DSL location - perfect for users of portable computers on the go. Another SAMnet DSL benefit!