Question about DSL service

[deepNdirt]

I'm not exactly new to IT world, But I have a question in regards to something I was told today, I cannot despute what was said although neither can I confirm it
the subject came up today in conversation about Internet service ( DSL ) and the different types of routers being used, I told them I was very proud of My DSL service ( WS ) though it wasn't until after I changed the modem from the one provide by the phone service to a Modem/wireless router type I had purchsed used, ( Netopia ) has been a very reliable router, this person advised me that when having a all in one router such as the netopia and I was not using the cheap provided one from my server, That I shouldn't need a provided DSL he said that I could cancel DSL and the modem/router should decode the DSL signal from the phone line and recieve DSL without need of subscribed to DSL service....................

anyone ever hear of such a thing? I haven't really a way to know this unless of course I cancel the DSL and try it, But I'm not a believer of everything I'm told, so I'm not going to cancel, Just curious about it

 

[chrisott]

I have DSL and have never heard of this, so I will be dropping back to this thread to see what unfolds. It just seems odd that one can just use the DSL service without paying for it - just because it's on the land line.

 

[Willl]

Don't sound right, that be like free internet. Everybody would be doing it.

Maybe he meant the rent you were paying on the 'supplied' modem ?

 

[Mighty Dodge]

AS far as I know you can't do that. The dsl signal is provided by the phone co. over your phone line. If you cancel, they'll stop providing the dsl signal over your phone line.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

Generally modems, whether they are DSL, cable, or whatever have a MAC (media access control) address that the provider should be aware of. Any MACs not registered with the provider should not be served up internet but I have seen where providers got sloppy and forgot to cancel modem MACs taken out of service. In no case should you be able to get internet service by slapping in any old modem (new or used) to get service but again it depends on how the provider handles it. Today I would guess this would be difficult to do.

 

[massey990]

Your provider is Windstream and you are able to use a 3rd party modem?

 

[deepNdirt]

The information he provided to me was from what he had found out about while servicing a cutomers computer at the customers business, he stated he wasn't aware of this ability until he was servicing the computer and this type hardware ( Modem/router ) connected and the computer owner had not subscribed to DSL but yet was receiving the service,
said he had called in to the phone service provider to ask what speed this person was supposed to be receiving and is when found out there was no subscription to DSL on that line, I don't know.... It could be a record error on the phone service provider but this IT person told his customer to keep using it as it is and I suppose this is how he got his Info or assume to have got it by no active DSL on the line, He wrote it off as it being these type of Modems,
I tried doing a search over the net on these particular name brand modems but nothing actually turned up in relation to the issue,
I know the brains of TBN would know better

 

[deepNdirt]

Your provider is Windstream and you are able to use a 3rd party modem?

this is the same reaction he had.... and is why he was telling me this, he said if I were able to use this modem and not the Winstream then I must have one of the Modems that could decode DSL, or something like that

actually back earlier this year I called into WS to ask for speed upgrade, they told me I needed another modem that they could see mine was outdated, I told them no I had my own modem now that was much better than what they were providing, she went on to tell me they must send me this new one anyway and that I should use it according to their service policy etc,etc, ..... so they sent it but I have never used it. its still brand new in the box, I'm happy with what I have until it dies..... but my point is perhaps there was something more to it is why she was suggesting that I use their modem?

 

[massey990]

this is the same reaction he had.... and is why he was telling me this, he said if I were able to use this modem and not the Winstream then I must have one of the Modems that could decode DSL, or something like that

actually back earlier this year I called into WS to ask for speed upgrade, they told me I needed another modem that they could see mine was outdated, I told them no I had my own modem now that was much better than what they were providing, she went on to tell me they must send me this new one anyway and that I should use it according to their service policy etc,etc, ..... so they sent it but I have never used it. its still brand new in the box, I'm happy with what I have until it dies..... but my point is perhaps there was something more to it is why she was suggesting that I use their modem?

Interesting, does the modem you are currently using have a login interface?

I could get a connection but I could not get any data or send any requests without using their modem (that I think uses ppoe). If the (WS) modem is reset the user ID and password has to be entered into the modem's interface or no go.

 

[jwstewar]

I think it was more of mistake on the part of the phone company to provide DSL service. I know when we added DSL service to our phone lines it had to be turned on at the home office and then there was a head-in that configuration changes also had to be made to support the DSL service. They had to do this both times we have had DSL service added - same phone line and everything. We just didn't have phone line/DSL while we built the new house after the fire.

 

[deepNdirt]

Here is the configuration I use, I have windstream service, I don't not use windstream programing or home page, I use AOL or Foxfire search engine, in the beginning WS sent me a self install package with instruction to install a filter at each house phone and to be sure to use the DSL line splitter to connect the modem to, Basically all I have done is remove the WS modem and installed the netopia wireless router/modem back in the same way and reconnect the computer to a Lan port, each of 3 laptops my wife has owned has always connect with no problem, and even friends come over who have laptops can connect right away, not that this has anything to do with the subject at hand, but just to mention how easy this type of Modem/router is to interface with everything that seeks a connection to it,
I don't know of a way that I can test this theory, and if no one else knows that this can work then I'm sure it will not, will just be one of them things I'll except as misinformed

 

[k0ua]

Trust me, if you dont have a connection back at the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) in the Central Office you will not have DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Service. Now someone could forget to take a DSLAM connection off at the frame on the cable pair that serves your house, I have seen that done, but you must have a port on the DSLAM assigned to you and cross connected on the frame for DSL to work. Their ain't no free lunch kids.. Windstream employee here.

James K0UA

 

[dmccarty]

Trust me, if you dont have a connection back at the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) in the Central Office you will not have DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Service. Now someone could forget to take a DSLAM connection off at the frame on the cable pair that serves your house, I have seen that done, but you must have a port on the DSLAM assigned to you and cross connected on the frame for DSL to work. Their ain't no free lunch kids.. Windstream employee here.

James K0UA

What James said. Sounds to me that the business got lucky in that the previous service was canceled but not disconnected.

Many years ago my parents and I moved to a new house. Our old city did not have cable but the new city did. The house we moved into had had cable service but we did not have service for years. After we had been in the house for a year or so I noticed that some of the upper channels had programming. I guess I was bored to just look through empty channels. We only got a few channels and only for a short period of time before the service was disabled to the house. I suppose their filtering was not quite right.

Sad thing was that even the channels we were getting for "free" were not worth watching. Just like the channels we pay money for today.

At our house we can put in a new DSL modem or switch without telling the service provider.

Later,
Dan

 

[deepNdirt]

Over the many past years we all hear of ways people have said they got some service for free, I've heard the story of putting magnets on the power meter to slow it down,:laughing: some have even said they have turn the meter over and run it backward, :confused2: I'm sure y'all have heard similar stories But I can testify that I know someone who power bills were only 30 & 40 cents per month, he did nothing to the meter and used 2 window A/C all summer months, and 3 electric Heaters throughout the winter,
this is my wife father, we have seen the Bills, he lived in this location for 1 1/2 year paying less than 10.00 the entire time, The house was a Large house been remodel and split into 2 -1 bedroom apartment units, the adjacent apartment resident had normal conservative 75-80.00 monthly bill,
Father in-law no longer lives at that place, and now he gripes about having 40-50.00 month bill
so yes! there can be a oversighting of the utilities, I guess we all can thank modern technology for this, No one actually physically takes a reading of things these days, its all done from a Satellite 100's of mile in the sky

 

[Bird]

I've had DSL service with CenturyLink (formerly Centurytel) for several years, and use the modem they provide, which was a Netopia (don't remember the model number). But when they offered to upgrade my speed to 10 Mbps (download), about .76 Mbps (upload), the sent a service technician out and he changed the line pair in their box on the side of the house and replaced the Netopia modem with a Westell Model 6100 because he could not get the Netopia to come up with that speed.

 

[deepNdirt]

Bird, That would be some more fast Internet My upgrade was from a meir 1 mbp to 3 mbp, and i think I'm flying now I suppose I'll be fine with my Netopia as It will never see 10 mbp's through it

I guess being I have my answer as to if DSL can be obtain with having a special modem, I'll sway this topic to more examples of utilities company oversight and how they try to get one over on the consumers,

I have had Direct TV for close to 12 years, In the beginning of the initital install of their service, the installer told me he would need to run a wire to the telephone line, I of course asked why is this? his reply was had to be in order to have a satellite connection, so I pointed out the closest phone jack on the side wall, He made his call in to activate the service and I was convinced what he told me was correct, all is well for the next couple years, then we had a thunderstorm come through and lightning hit a tree close by our house and run in on the phone lines, took-out everything connected, phones, computers, Tv's , and Satellite boxes, Insurance took care of much of the cost, DirectTV replaced their receiver, .... all is well... about 2 years later had the same event thunderstorm and Lightning struck, and for you folks that has believe lighting never strikes twice in the same place... You were misinformed as it hit the same tree again, doing the same damage again, only this time it took out out refrigerator as well,......
seems as though I had built our house in a lightning zone and was advised to install a whole house protector device to against lighting strikes,
Never did though but what i do now is hit the switch on all the serge protectors that I now have everything plugged into,.....

I guess I should go ahead to the point I do not have a telephone line plugged into my satellite receiver and never had another issue with lighting running in on it, as i stated ,They had me believing from the beginning that I must have at all times a connection to a telephone line in order to have their service,.... not for the past 8 years i haven't it's not that I want to do anything outside their policy, I just dont want anymore damages to my electronics, .....even though I just rent them from DirectTV,

 

[chrisott]

DND,

Direct TV told me the same thing six years ago. I unplugged the phone line before the truck was off my property. The direct connect of the phone line allows for easy ordering of movies, etc. Like I was going to allow the kids that kind of access!

 

[Bird]

I do have the phone line hooked to my DirecTV receiver, but as you said, I think the only purpose is if you want to order Pay per View movies, which I've never done. I suppose I should unplug it, but so far it hasn't caused any problem that I know of.

 

[edlegault]

If you have a phone line only to get dsl service and do not use the phone line to make/receive phone calls (like we use our cell phones for everything) then you might be able to cancel the "phone" service and just get what is called a "naked" line for the dsl service only. Saves $5-10 a month maybe.

We were going to do this, but we use the phone service for our dishnetwork system. Saves $5 a month on dishnetwork, about what the naked line would save.

 

[deepNdirt]

If you have a phone line only to get dsl service and do not use the phone line to make/receive phone calls (like we use our cell phones for everything) then you might be able to cancel the "phone" service and just get what is called a "naked" line for the dsl service only. Saves $5-10 a month maybe.

We were going to do this, but we use the phone service for our dishnetwork system. Saves $5 a month on dishnetwork, about what the naked line would save.

I didn't know this was an option,.... yes of course my wife and I each have a cellphone and rarely use the land-line, I used to have a dedicated fax line but I have since cancel that and now recieve faxes through house phone number, But really dont use the fax much these days as business is way way down, I could do what little I need over the net,
Naked line huh!:ashamed: I'll have to check into this... Thanks:thumbsup: