# DSL!!!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231 "2001-06-26T19:24:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/21 "2001-07-20T00:31:36Z")
The UnaBoard runs off of my DSL connection, and overall has been pretty stable - more than 99% uptime. DSL works great, IMO, once you bite the bullet and get static IPs. With dynamic IPs, PPPoE, and all that other shitty stuff you are cruisin’ for the proverbial bruisin’. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/22 "2001-07-20T00:43:19Z")
I have had PPPoE since I got this thing. It was a little complicated to set up w/ the dsl router but not anything that bad. When I got DSL it was stable, then the verizon strike happened and service went down about 5 -10h/month since the start of the strike. That lasted long after the strike maybe 6-7 months then all very stable. But having a static IP address must be great. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/23 "2001-07-20T00:51:02Z")
What the hell are you whippersnappers talking about? PpoopEoE? Static IP’s? I don’t THINK I have one, but how do I find out? BTW, I was abe to log on tonight, and am zipping along at great speed. Woo! Funny how ADSL can make you manic one moment, and depressive the next. ---
**Author:** ![BobbySuezQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@BobbySuezQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobbySuezQ)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/24 "2001-07-20T01:16:51Z")
well … had my best friend not worked for a division of Bellsouth I probably would STILL be waiting for my DSL to be connected. Here is what I learned. Even if you are told DSL is available in your area, ask if it is available for **immediate** hook-up. It’s technically available in my area because they have this thing called a miniram that serves 8 (yes EIGHT) customers. Of course my area was on the list to have service upgraded, and they projected it to be done in September, 7 months down the road. In the meantime I was given free dial-up. Can we say that sucked? Dear friend at Bellsouth gets curious one day and tells all the engineers he works with about my bitching about slow dial-up and how this DSL thing is taking forever. That’s when engineer buddies pull out the maps and study them. Then take a trip at lunch to view the site. Then come back and say, they are installing a whatchamacallit doohickey. It services 100 n something people or some ridiculous number. Oh, and all DSL providers use this whatchamacallit, so not all hundred n something go to bellsouth. mysteriously my work order was put at the top of the list. Okay, then the free modem. Now of course tech support told me it would work swimmingly with my laptop. I specifically asked about compatibility with the laptop rather than the desktop. Months later when I finally get the service. First the line is screwed up, and the line guys have to do goodness only knows what. Then the modem doesn’t work with my laptop, so I have to buy one anyway. Now of course Tech support didn’t tell me this. It took dear friend, who works for BLS Tech Support to talk to the guy and speak computer-nerdeze to eachother. TS tells **me** I have to call my computer manufacturer and find out how many miliamps my USB port cansupport. Umm yeah, right. And I should probably just buy the $200 ethernet modem from them. However they tell friend, "you can’t run that modem on that system. You can get any modem you want, we don’t support these: blah blah blah, but they work. So $10 later on e-bay we’re in business. Of course I was on my own for installation. That’s where the ppOe or static IPs come in. And here we are today. After much tweaking on DSLReports, life is good. DSL is good. Was it worth it? Ask me in a month. My bill is all screwed up now! ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/25 "2001-07-20T01:16:56Z")
What do you all mean by “log in”? Do DSL companies make you install some software or something? When I got roadrunner the tech didn’t even try to install anyting on my PC (I wouldn’t have let him if he had). The only difference between my roadrunner and a T1/lan setup is that my IP address changes once a month or so. That and the speed varies greatly. Sometimes downloads will hit 200k/sec in the middle of the night, and slow down to around 50k during the day. Lately its been maxing out around 170k/sec. My service only went down twice that I remember, and one time it was just mail and DNS so I could still surf using other DNS servers. [Irrelevant blabbering] I love the speed. Soon, the high school I graduated from is upgrading to a dual T1 system to the internet, with 3 more point-to-point T1s going to the elementary schools. And I think thy’re are opening up the ATM video conferencing T1 for IP traffic as well. The 3 point to point T1s replace the current Pinnacle wireless bridges. I cant wait to go try out that speed. I know the network administratior and can stop in any time I want. I also work for him from time to time. I tried to talk him into giving the wireless system to me and my bandwidth-impaired freinds, but he just laughed :). He’s are putting in a huge Cisco switch, too. They also baught a Netware 5.1 upgrade, I can’t wait to go play with that stuff, either. [/blabbering] ---
**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/26 "2001-07-20T02:24:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*I finally found a place which provides DSL to my area!!! > > Okay, calming down a sec…does anybody have any advice/stories about DSL? I’ve heard it can occasionally be problematic.\*\* **slortar** : Back in January of 2000, I [posted](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=26587) my DSL Saga. Here it the bare-bones version: > [@](#): > > OK - DSL Installation is complete - I am now doping on a big, fat, DSL pipe! > > **The Saga** : > > I searched online for information about DSL in my area and discovered that SWBell was the answer. I checked their website and discovered that I was not eligible for DSL. > > I proceeded to do that every week for 6 weeks until the day arrived that I was! > > Things went smoothly for a while - they took my information over the web, then called me to verify a few days later. Then I got both email and snail mail announcing that my install date was set as June 1st. > > 10 days before the day, a package arrived containing a DSL Modem and other stuff. I looked at it, played with it, dreamt of it. > > Then I got the email. Some uy (named Shayne) from SWBell’s office in Texas tells me that, no, sorry, we can’t really give you DSL. Have a nice day. > > I wrote back asking why and he never answered. > > The very next day was May 31st, the day before install. So, I called the 800 number (waited on hold, a recurring theme) and they sais everything was fine. Screw Shayne. The techs came out and hooked everything up. > > Great! Except that it didn’t work. > > So I called complained, bitched, called back, re-opened trouble tickets, listened to contradictions, yelled at people, sat on hold, waited some more… all told, in the last three days I clocked over 7 hours on hold. > > But today is the payoff. The goddam thing works! > > Look… it’s a hassle, but pages load bitchin fast… 'nuff said. > > This is how god intended the web to work. ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/27 "2001-07-20T12:52:02Z")
mblackwell I also have to log in with DSL [Earthlink]. Yes they installed software, the same as you do for a dial up connection. With DSL you are supposed to be able to leave the computer connected once you log in. But every few days, some times, every day, it drops the connection and I have to log in again. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231/28 "2001-07-20T14:00:38Z")
Yup, I’m definitely loving the static IP. I’m running a TinyWeb server right now. Nothing big, just a small root page to coordinate downloads for my friends so they can snag copies of whatever utilities/games I’m currently obsessed with, and the occasional update to the effect of “I’m not answering my e-mail or phone right now because I deliberately glued my nose to the underside of my kitchen table. I’ll be back in four weeks or until the solvent comes in the mail.” The service went down for a couple of hours yesterday morning, but that’s somewhat to be expected because I’m their 3rd customer in the Kalamazoo area. 🙂 I’m also liking the ping times. For once, it’s nice to be the LPB on the server instead of getting smashed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dsl/70231.md?page=1)