Running DSL Lines

SLOBuds · Aug 21, 2005

With your T1 line, is that $1000 per month net after installation Eddie?

What 'department' did you talk to at the phone line regarding the T1 and Sub T1?

And yes, as I mentioned before, I don't want satellite. For the reasons you allude to above. My wife conducts meetings using Sametime (desktop sharing). None of the satellite lags/burps are allowed with that class of software.

I looked into wireless. It did not sound hopeful either.

Thanks,
Martin

SLOBuds · Aug 21, 2005

Who is providing your wireless service, Rat? And do you find it to be reliable under all weather conditions?

Thanks,
Martin

OkeeDon · Aug 21, 2005

Eddie, I assume you will be supplying wireless connection to your campers when you open, so I assume the suppliers you mentioned are the ones with wireless solutions for RV parks. When you start getting enough information about this to be useful, please start a new "Bringing in the Wireless" thread so we can follow it. I have a real interest in this, because I essentially want to have wireless connectivity anywhere on the family's combined 7-1//2 acres, 280' wide by 1190' long. We want to be able to connect from 2 houses, a garage/office and a barn/office, an RV parking spot for my visitors and 2 gates.

Right now, I'm looking at omnidirectional, multi-polar antennas that are good a receiving signals that have bounced around through trees and such and setting up multiple access points.

We got lucky -- we're too far out of town to normally have DSL (and the cable company hasn't even considered us), but Sprint is the local phone service provider, and Sprint also has an optic backbone going down the state highway that borders our property. So, they apparently set up a switch near our place and are providing DSL, all the way up to 5 mbits (I haven't verified the highest speed) in a layered pricing structure.

California · Aug 21, 2005

Don, I bought one of these house-brand repeaters at Fry's for $29:
http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4169793

and I have seen posts indicating Outpost.com has sold them for as little as $17.99. I'll buy some more if I see that price again!

Internet research indicates they are made by Dlink and can be flashed with Dlink's DWL-2100AP firmware. I didn't try that.

I had to read Dlink's docs to enable its repeater mode.

This repeater with a couple of 7db antennas was just what I needed to have DSL everywhere I might take a laptop. Seems to me that a couple of them might give the coverage you need.

texbaylea · Aug 21, 2005

RaT

I wish our service was going to be that cheap. This is just a small system unfortunately.

Vernon

ejb · Aug 21, 2005

I had a similar situation...about 12 miles from "the city" and no cable or DSL in sight...I puchased a full T-1, which cost about $5000 to install (including running a new line about 12 miles w/3 repeaters) and the cisco router and jack in my office basemant...then it costs about $1100/month with a 3 year contract...

At the time I could justify it just so I could service a particular client (it more than paid for itself). SInce then I had the service turned off.

So it IS available just about anywhere, if you are willing to PAY for it....but its not cheap.

My guess is prices have come down a little bit...but probably not that much.

Have you looked into commericial satellite options...direcway is not the only provider, others offer premium service for a premium price.

SLOBuds · Aug 21, 2005

ejb,

Isn't there a way to share that 'drop' with some of your neighbors?

A lot of this stuff I don't understand. For example, if it cost $5k to run a T1 line 12 miles, with repeaters, why wouldn't it cost a similar amount to run DSL equipment?

Another example, if they run 12 miles of T1 why don't they pick up more business along that run so that the expense can be spread?

If they are running 1 line to 1 person (as with you), did you have any performance issues? Does the 1 line contain some type of built in redundancy?

Last question: who did you talk to when you decided to go the T1 route? If I pick up the telephone and call my local phone company, who will I be asking for?

Thanks - great feedback everyone.

In my case, it will either be some type of fast internet connection or it will be that we have an office in town. If you add up all of the expenses associated with in-town office (which itself would need a fast connection), plus then the need to commute into town each day, you see that it might make sense to pay for a line drop. Especially if there was a way to share those expanses with other locals.

OkeeDon · Aug 21, 2005

Heck, if things keep going the way they're going, that 24 mile round trip commute each day could cost enough to pay for 3 or 4 T1 lines. (Maybe a slight exaggeration).

ejb · Aug 21, 2005

>>Last question: who did you talk to when you decided to go the T1 route? If I pick up the telephone and call my local phone company, who will I be asking for?

My local telco is verizon...they were on of the companies I got quotes from, but my T1 service was ultimately bought from Sprint. Lots of companies sell T1's and charge different rates, they usually still go over the local telco lines, and they get a cut, but you just pay for the T1 provider and they pay-off the telco for the install and use of the lines.

>>For example, if it cost $5k to run a T1 line 12 miles, with repeaters, why wouldn't it cost a similar amount to run DSL equipment?
My guess is the $5K didn't really cover the whole cost...the fact that I had to sign a 3 year contract makes me beleive they lost money on the install, but make it up over the contract period.

>>If they are running 1 line to 1 person (as with you), did you have any performance issues? Does the 1 line contain some type of built in redundancy?

No a T-1 is much better line than a typical DSL line(but overkill if you don't need it)...its a business class service, and had plenty of up-time guarantees...a few times, for just a few hours of outage, they ate the whole $1100 monthly charge just to keep me happy. Performance was guaranteed (the bandwidth).

>>Isn't there a way to share that 'drop' with some of your neighbors?
I had never thought of that...this was pre-wireless days...maybe now that could work.

>>In my case, it will either be some type of fast internet connection or it will be that we have an office in town. If you add up all of the expenses associated with in-town office (which itself would need a fast connection), plus then the need to commute into town each day, you see that it might make sense to pay for a line drop. Especially if there was a way to share those expanses with other locals.

Thats how I justified it...I gave up my office in town (25 miles round trip) which cost me over $1200/month and "splurged" on the T-1 instead. It was a great business decision for me...wish I still had it (I connect now over regular old dialup, usually at about 28K or less /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )