How to Use DSL - No Training RequiredSep 05 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Musical Instruments
The Bottom Line If you get DSL, go to dslreports.com (“tools” section) and test your connection. You might be surprised how much speed you can gain by some simple registry changes.
I have had my DSL line (608K/128K ADSL from Covad) for almost a year. Although you don't need to do anything special to make it work, there is a trick to make it work faster. The DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a very good alternative to your dial-up connection. Depending on your distance from the CO (phone company’s Central Office) and pricing, you can usually get speeds ranging from 144K to T1 speed (1.5M). The DSL technology unfortunately has its limitations. Not all locations qualify for it - the distance between the location and the central office (phone station) should be less than approx. 18,000 feet (and even this is not a guaranty). DSL providers have software that can be used to instantly see if your address qualify and the estimated speed. Generally, the further you are from the central office, the slower speed you will qualify for. Acronyms: DSL - digital subscriber line, ADSL - asynchronous DSL - upstream speed is different from downstream (i.e. 608/128, 1500/384). Usually used for residential service, since residential customers don't need to upload much. SDSL - synchronous DSL - upstream and downstream speeds are the same (i.e. 1.5M/1.5M). Usually used for business service. IDSL – same as 144K/144K SDSL Installation The company that you order your DSL from, installs the line and equipment (DSL modem, bridge or router). In the simplest case you have a DSL modem with an Ethernet jack. In order to use DSL, you need to have an Ethernet network card in your computer (10Mbps card will do), of course it should work properly and your operating system should have the drivers installed. A lot of computers have the card preinstalled, I had to install it in my 3-year old (severely upgraded) PC. To configure your PC to work with DSL select "Connect using LAN" in Internet Explorer. The connection is “always on” and you can go online any time you want without waiting for connection to get established. There are other services that are provided with DSL – you can get (for extra fee) a static IP for your computer or a set of static IPs for your office, etc. Generally, the installation and equipment can be free, at least it used to be this way, which saves you hundreds. Some companies offer DSL modems that use USB - in which case you don't need Ethernet card, but your PC must have USB connection and operating system that supports it (Win98 and higher). The only thing you have to do is connect the DSL modem to your PC with Ethernet cable and let your browser know that you wish to connect to the Web through a LAN. In IE you have to click on “I use LAN…” That’s it; you are all set. Increasing Speed For a while, my DSL wasn’t very fast. I mean it was fast but not as fast as I expected it to be. A friend recommended me to go to DSLReports.com and run some tests. The web site has web-based testing tools that not only measure your download/upload speeds, but also tell you what needs to be changed. They even have a program you can download that modifies your registry (MRU, packet size, etc.) for optimum connection. I tested my connection and it was quite slow – around 100K. After running the app and some manual registry tweaking, I got full 600K. Now I was happy. If you get DSL, go to dslreports.com ("Tools" section) and test your connection. You might be surprised how much speed you can gain by some simple registry changes. Note: Before changing anything in your Registry, make sure to perform a Registry backup. If you make a mistake, you may have to reinstall Windows otherwise (well, it never happened to me, but it is still possible).  |
| Read all comments (6)|Write your own comment |
in Electronics
- Top 10|
Ads by Google
|
