James's Unofficial TDS/ADSL FAQs

Hopefully I can get this better organized soon, but I wanted to get this information out to the public at large as soon as possible.

Starting in January of 2001 (that's NOW), TDS Telecom is offering ADSL connections to the Internet. TDS is our local telephone service provider and one of several locally available Internet Service Providers. While other ISPs may contract with TDS to provide their own ADSL service over the TDS circuits, none have done so at this time (it's still early in the game though).

There have been a lot of questions flying around about just what this is and what it means. This page is an attempt to give some factual answers to the questions being asked. The information listed below comes from a few sources:

• TDS - I know several local TDS employees, and have spoken at length with the DSL technical services team. There is also some information on the TDS web site (http://www.tds.net).
• Efficient Networks - This is the company that manufactures the ADSL modems recommended by TDS. They also publish the software package used to implement the connection. Their web site is at http://www.efficient.com
• DSL Reports - The DSL Reports web site (http://www.dslreports.com) has a great deal of general information regarding DSL and related hardware and software.

And now, on to the questions...

What is ADSL?

ADSL stands for Asymetrical Digital Subscriber Line. It is a method of offering high-speed network access across standard copper telephone lines such as those which come to residential homes. ADSL does not usually require the installation of new lines, as most homes already have an extra pair of unused copper wires to the phone company. However, if you already have a second phone line for Internet access, you will either have to give it up or have new wiring run to the home.

How fast is it?

The answer (unsatisfactory as it may seem) is "It depends." First, the phone company sets an upper limit on the speed. Second, the speed is also dependent upon the distance from your home to the closest telephone company switching equipment. Beyond a certain distance (about 3 miles) the phone company will not even attempt to sell you the service.

Okay - okay! But how fast is it?

TDS sells two packages for residential customers. The "cheap" package gives you 256k download (that's a small k, meaning kiloBITs, not kiloBYTEs) and 128k upload. The "expensive" package gives you triple that speed, or 768k download and 384k upload. Your mileage may vary...

All the big K and little k stuff...what does it mean to me?

First, the basics. The smallest piece of information we can store is a "bit." 8 of those together are called a "byte." In computer terms, a "kilo" of anything is 1024 of whatever it is we are talking about. So...a 57,600 bit per second modem could be called a 7200 byte modem if we divide that first number by 8. It's more common to divide it by 1024 though, making it a 56.25 kilobit per second modem. NOW we can divide by 8 and see how many kiloBYTEs it can transfer...a theoretical maximum of 7K per second. Of course as we all know, we NEVER get a full 57,600 connection with a regular modem - it is usually more like 46,000 - 50,000. And don't forget that your UPLOAD speed is half that. Yep, v.90 modems only DOWNLOAD that fast - you send at 28,800 bits per second, or a max of about 3.5K per second. By contrast, with a "perfect" TDS ADSL connection, you could download 96K per second, and upload at 48K per second. To put it all in more meaningful terms, in theory the fastest you can download a 1 megabyte file with a v.90 modem is about 2.5 minutes. With the TDS "expensive" package, you could download that same file in only 10.5 SECONDS.

Can TDS guarantee the speed?

Nope - not a chance. I have heard some folks locally making bold statements about how they wouldn't give TDS a nickel unless they could guarantee the speed - sorry fellas, you and your nickels are going to be surfing on the slow beach for a long time. The problem is two-fold. First, ADSL isn't a "leased line" like a T1 where there are guaranteed data rates between two specific points. The technology is such that on old copper wires, with inexpensive equipment, the distance from your local switch is of major importance. TDS tries to give the customer a "heads-up" on what to expect, and in some cases may even refuse to sell the service if they think the customer won't benefit from it. Second, when we are talking Internet there are NO guarantees of ANY kind about ANY data transfer at ANY speed. There are simply too many variables - too many other devices and too many miles (sometimes thousands of miles) between you and whatever you are trying to reach. Not only would TDS not be stupid enough to guarantee anything, but they might even laugh at you, especially if you came off trying to look knowledgeable and then asked something so dumb.

What are the packages?

The "cheap" package runs $40 per month. As listed above, it includes 256k down and 128k up. The "expensive" package is $50 per month for 768k down and 384k up. Both packages offer 4 E-mail addresses, 5 megabytes of web space for a personal page, and access to the TDS Usenet news server. Both packages require that the user pay some up-front fees to get started...

Up front fees?

Both packages require the user to pay a setup fee of $150. This is currently not being waived. The customer is also required to purchase the ADSL modem. TDS sells the modem in a "kit" that includes some line filters and such for $279. The user is also responsible for obtaining and installing an Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC). I have heard it rumored that they also require a 1 year commitment to stay with the service or the user is charged an early termination fee, although I have not had this confirmed by TDS.

$430 to get started? OUCH!

Yep. But it may not be as bad as it seems. First, TDS does not require that you buy the modem from them (although they state they will not "support" modems bought elsewhere). The modem is the Efficient Networks Speedstream 5260. A quick search on E-Bay will show a couple dozen for sale at prices ranging from $99 - $125. Many of these include the filters. Most are new, not used. Some even throw in an Ethernet network card, which is required for use with the modem. So you can shave $150 or more off the up front costs by shopping around a little. As for the "setup" fee portion, what did you expect? TDS just invested a ton of money putting in new switching equipment, and there's no competition. It's a business decision to try to recoup some of their investment. And yes, I have heard the arguments that they should give it all away to get more customers, but that kind of thing puts people out of business (he says as he steps down from the soapbox).

I'll grit my teeth and pay - how do I get it?

You order it from TDS. They will likely put a note in your telephone bill when it becomes available in your neighborhood. I am told most of the well-populated areas in the county can order it right now. I'd expect a wait, especially if this thing takes off and a lot of people want it. You can also order it from the TDS web site (see link above) and they'll contact you when it is available.

Explain how this works...

Okay - you put a real live Ethernet NIC in your computer instead of a modem. That network card connects to the ADSL "modem" (which is actually a network bridge) using a standard category 5 network cable (included with the modem). The "modem" connects to the wall telephone jack with a regular RJ-11 telephone cord (also included with the modem). That takes care of the physical connections. As for software, you will be loading something called "Enternet 300" which is provided by TDS, but published by Efficient Networks. It allows you to make a PPPoE connection through the ADSL device. This process assigns a dynamic IP address to your network card. At that point, you're on the Internet - up to 15 times the speed of your old modem.

What is PPPoE?

PPP stands for Point-to-Point Protocol. It is a way of making dynamic TCP/IP network connections. It has traditionally been used to do modem connections to the Internet. PPPoE is PPP Over Ethernet, and basically allows the use of the PPP standard way of doing things with a network card instead of a modem.

I heard PPPoE sucks rocks.

I guess it depends upon who you talk to. Early implementations of ADSL did not require the use of PPPoE. The ISP would assign you an IP address, you would manually configure the network card, and that was it. One problem is that there is no security on that kind of connection (no login required of the user to connect to the network). Another problem is that most ISPs already have an investment in time and money in putting together systems for managing user access. Using PPPoE allows the ISP to make use of all that stuff that already works for them. Most user complaints about PPPoE center around getting certain applications to work through the connection, but the reality is that most things work fine. And the Enternet 300 software we are getting is one of the most widely used and supported packages of its kind.

What if I want a static IP address?

You can't have it with a residential account. I'm not sure if TDS gives static IP addresses with the business accounts or not. But more to the point, why do you want one? So that you can run a web or FTP server at home? You can still do that. Places like dhs.org do something called dynamic DNS where they will let you publish a "name" for your server, and give you software to automatically update their DNS servers every time your IP address changes. There are ways around everything, if you're willing to do your homework...

What if I want more than one IP address?

That you can do. For an extra $5 per month, TDS will give you an extra IP address. I think the limit per household is 5 addresses (which would cost $20 over the normal package price since you get one IP address included with the service). This means you can hook up 5 computers on the ADSL connection. Instead of connecting the ADSL modem directly to one PC, you'll plug it into a hub or switch and plug all the PCs into the same device. Of course, you won't get more bandwidth - you're still paying for a maxumum 768k download and 384k upload. But if you're considering this, read the next item.

How about multiple computers with only one IP address?

Now you're thinking smart! Why pay TDS an extra $5 per month for something you can do on your own? There are a number of software and hardware solutions that allow an Internet connection to be shared. These include Microsoft's Internet Connection Sharing (free with Windows 98 and above) and the popular LinkSys hardware cable/DSL routers. I plan to add a separate FAQ on connection sharing soon, but you can read all about it at DSL Reports (see link above). I can tell you that the TDS tech guy said they don't directly support connection sharing (duh). To be fair, hardware solutions like the LinkSys can take a while to pay for themselves, especially if you just want to network one extra PC. On the other hand, they offer a lot more functions than just allowing you to share the connection - for example, personal firewalling to protect you from hackers, etc.

Is there a different modem I can use?

TDS says no. The reality is, probably, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. For example, Efficient makes internal PCI ADSL modems, but they don't work the same as the external devices and they effectively kill your ability to do things like use the LinkSys routers. It is true that TDS sells a slightly different device for businesses, the Speedstream 5660. This is a combination bridge and router, that has a lot of the same functionality as the LinkSys router and the 5260 modem all in one unit. There is probably no reason why this device wouldn't work at home. But it's a good bit more expensive than the 5260. Chances are you could buy a 5260 and a LinkSys router cheaper than paying for a new 5660.

I read on the Internet that you can trick a 5260 into acting like a 5660.

I probably shouldn't get into this, but in the interest of honesty, here goes. MANY of the 5260 modems being sold have a curious model number on the bottom that indicates the unit is actually a 5660. Efficient apparently had some trouble meeting the demand for the modems, and started using some of the 5660 router's internal hardware in 5260 modems. I won't tell you how to do it, but a quick search on the Internet will produce a number of sites that will describe how to "flash" these units with microcode that will restore the original 5660 functions. So why don't I recommend it? Three reasons: One, these units don't have as much memory as a real 5660. The newer microcode for the 5660 won't fit on these, so you can never upgrade it to keep up with the latest changes. Two, these units lack a serial port which is included on a real 5660. Under certain circumstances, a 5660 can be configured in such a way that it can't be accessed through the network port anymore. The serial interface is your back-door to recover it. If you did that to one of these "flashed/hybrid" units you would be screwed. Third, as implied in point number two, it is possible to ruin the unit. If the flash doesn't take, anything goes wrong, you are out to lunch. You'll get no support from TDS or Efficient Networks if you try this and fail. And you can never go back to the 5260 microcode if it gets screwed up.