• What is DSL?
• How does DSL work?
• How do I know DSL will work for me? Are there limitations on DSL?
• Do I need a new phone line?
• Will my phone number change?
• Do I need a new modem?
• Do I need an Ethernet card?
• Are there any "hidden" costs?
• What speeds are available for Commercial/Business DSL Service?
• What is provided with your Commercial/Business DSL Internet Access Accounts?
• I already have a Dial-Up connection with Minnesota OnLine. What will change if I move to DSL?
• How is DSL connected at Minnesota OnLine?
• What do you recommend purchasing for DSL users?
• Can I use a fax machine or modem with my DSL line?
• Are there any compatibility issues with DSL and my current phone line?
• I currently have DSL service with another ISP. How do I switch my DSL connection over to Minnesota OnLine?
• I ordered my DSL line, but US West hasn't installed it yet. Can you give me an update on when it will be installed?
• Who can I contact at US West if I have questions?
• Who can I contact at Minnesota OnLine if I have questions?

What is DSL?

DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, is a new form of data connection, specifically designed to get around the limitations of standard telephone lines. The specific type of DSL used in Tucson by US West is RADSL, or Rate Adaptive DSL. The minimum speed of this connection is 256 kilobits per second, compared with a maximum of 53 kilobits per second from the fastest Analog modem, or 128 kilobits per second from an ISDN connection.

On a normal phone line, you are connected to the "Public Switched Telephone Network" or PSTN. Most telephone lines have a maximum bandwidth of 64 kilobits/second. This rate is determined by sampling speed of your telephone company. Most phone companies sample at 4 kilohertz (the primary range of the human voice) with an 8-bit word length, which is a fancy way of saying its maximum speed is 64 kilobits. 8 kilobits of bandwidth is used for controlling the phone line, which leaves a maximum of 56 kilobits for data. This is why the fastest analog modem you can buy is 56k. In reality, most people only get 38-48 kilobits because of robbed bits (when the telephone company compresses the signal) or line noise.

 On DSL, it is a digital connection to the telephone company’s private DATA-ONLY network. No voice traffic goes over these lines. This means you no longer have a limitation due to PSTN standards. This also means that based solely on the availability of DSL in your area and quality of your line, you will get more bandwidth, starting at 256 kilobits.

Since DSL no longer uses the phone system, there is no need to dial-up. It’s an “always-on” connection. As soon as your computer turns on, you will be connected to the Internet.

If all of this sounds confusing, don’t worry! This is just a fancy way of saying DSL is much, much faster and much, much better than a standard modem/analog/phone line Internet Connection. We included this information for people who absolutely have to know how this stuff works!

You won't know if DSL will work for you until you check if it’s available in your area. Once you've confirmed it’s available, US West can check to  make sure that your phone line will support it. There are limitations on DSL, such as:

• You are more than 15,000 feet from the Phone Company's CO (Central Office, the phone switch for your area)
• Having bridges taps, load coils, or wire gauge changes in your lines
• Having repeaters in your lines
• DSL does not work on Centrex lines (if you have a small office/home office with rollover phone lines)

A vast majority of US West customers should be able to get DSL. For more information on finding the availability, go to http://megawot.uswest.com

 No. DSL will run over your existing telephone line. US West has developed a method to split the DSL traffic off of the same line. You can use your phone line and your DSL simultaneously. If you have a second line for faxing or using a modem, you may continue to do so without affecting the DSL.

No. DSL does not affect your phone number in any way.

DSL does not actually use a modem. Many Internet Service Providers sites refer to the DSL terminal adapter as a modem, which it is not. You will need to purchase a DSL terminal adapter from US West. There are several forms of these, including an internal PCI version. We recommend the external Cisco 675 DSL terminal adapter/router. The Cisco 675 is currently $295 from US West. US West sometimes runs specials where the DSL adapter, Ethernet card and a $40 gift certificate or combinations of these are free. You will want to talk to your US West representative to check if any specials are available.  When USWest is not offering a special on the Cisco DSL products, Minnesota OnLine will provide the equipment at not additional charge when you agree to a 24 month contract.

If you purchase the Cisco 675, you will. We recommend this method, as it offers the most expandability. US West provides several variations, so check with them before purchasing anything. If you are unsure about opening your computer to add an Ethernet card, US West will come out and do it for you for an additional charge. Check with them about pricing.

No. There are no additional costs from Minnesota OnLine other than your signup fee and monthly bill. The only time you will be charged extra is for incidents violating our Acceptable Use Policy or if you run a Commercial server on a Commercial/Business account.

Commercial/Business DSL service is available in 256 kilobit, 512 kilobit, 768 kilobit and 1 megabit speeds. This is subject to availability from US West. If you are unable to go higher than 256 kilobit due to line quality or availability issues, obviously you wouldn't want 1 megabit service.

With Commercial/Business DSL Accounts, you will receive

• 1 Individual User Dial-up account (includes UNIX shell access).
• IP addresses assigned as needed for no extra charge.
• Secondary DNS at No Additional Expense
• 20 POP mailboxes are included if desired.

We will also provide you with software if needed.

Yes and No. You will no longer need to dial into Minnesota OnLine. However, your e-mail username and password will remain the same, as will your Commercial/Business web site if you have one. Also, your original sign-up fee will be credited towards the DSL signup fee.

Minnesota OnLine functions as a US West Megapop. This means we are directly connected to their ATM backbone network, where all the DSL lines exist. From that connection, it goes directly into our core Router, and out through our multiple Internet backbone connections. That means you are 1 hop away from the Internet (as opposed to 3+ with many other Internet providers)!

We recommend getting the Cisco 675 DSL Router and a 10/100 base T Ethernet card. US West can provide these for you when you sign up with them for DSL. The second item we recommend is a fast machine! If you have a 386 or 486, you probably won't benefit much from DSL since the limitation is most likely your machine. We recommend at least a Pentium 150 with 32 megabytes of RAM if you will be using DSL.

Yes. DSL works in a different frequency range than a standard phone call. Once your phone call goes out, the phone call is sent to US West’s  phone network, while your DSL connection is sent to US West’s DSL/Data network.

There may be. Most of the DSL incompatibilities have to do with business line functions such as centrex lines. You can get more information on this when you do the line check through US West.

You can switch your service one of two ways:

1. At the US West DSL web site (http://megawot.uswest.com) you can modify your current DSL account. Select “Change Existing Service” from this menu. You will then  be asked to enter your telephone number and the last four digits of your social security number or your 3-digit US West account code. Follow the on-screen instructions. When you get to the portion asking you which ISP you would like to use, select Minnesota OnLine on the pull-down menu. You must then contact your current Internet Service Provider to cancel service, as well as contact Minnesota OnLine to begin service.

 
2. Contact XXXXXX with US West at:

No. US West will be able to provide you information on your installation status. If you have questions, contact US West at 1-800-573-1311.

We recommend that you speak with XXXXXXX at: 1-800-872-4658 Ext. XXXXX

You can contact Minnesota OnLine's Technical Support Department at (651) 225-1110. Technical Support is available 7 days a week. If you have any more questions you can email us at support@state.net