Welcome to London's Premier Internet Consultancy.
ADSL Frequently asked questions
What is ADSL?
In terms of accessing the Internet, ADSL is nothing new.
You will still be connecting up over your phone line to the
high quality Eclipse Networking backbone connections which
give you access to the rest of the Internet. What IS new is
the speed at which you can do this, thanks to an alternative
way of using your existing phone line.
Your copper phone line is transformed from an analogue to
a digital connection, making download and access speeds much,
much faster.
The solution to the acronym, for those who are interested,
is Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.
return to question list
How fast is ADSL?
Your download speeds are determined by what type of line
you buy, commencing at 512Kbps which is almost 10 times faster
than a good quality modem. Speeds can go up to 2Mbps which
is the fastest possible. The speed of access will depend on
how busy the local exchange is, the less people online, the
fast it will be. These are DOWNLOADING speeds only
– ADSL uploads are restricted to a maximum of 256Kbps.
return to question list
What are the benefits of ADSL?
SPEED: A good quality modem can download information at rates
of up to 56Kbps. ADSL provides speeds of between 512Kbps and
2Mbps when downloading information onto your computer and
256Kbps when you are sending information out.
FIXED COST: No more anxious days awaiting the next phone
bill to see how much you have spent accessing the Internet.
Using ADSL means you are connected to the Internet 24 hours
a day, seven days a week without incurring any call charges.
PERMANENT CONNECTION: No longer will you have to ‘dial
up’ to collect your emails or browse on the Web. Emails
are delivered to your desktop automatically over the ADSL
line because the connection is always open.
FLEXIBLE: Your existing BT phone line is converted to ADSL
but you can still use it for phoning and faxing. No more engaged
tones if people try to call or send faxes while you are using
your phone line to access the Internet.
return to question list
Can I use the service for my business?
Eclipse are offering different types of ADSL service according
to requirements. The Business Range can be used on networks
of computers and includes the high quality Eclipse email feed.
return to question list
Can I convert to ADSL from an existing Internetservice?
If you currently subscribe to a dial up service we can offer
you an upgrade to the ADSL service as part of your package.
return to question list
What is the difference between ADSL and a Leased Line?
Leased line services offered by Eclipse guarantee uncontended
bandwidth. If you subscribe to a Leased Line service you are
not sharing that line with any other customers, or the bandwidth
which goes over it. ADSL is a shared service and there are
therefore no guarantees of continuous speed levels, there
will be fluctuations of performance according to traffic on
the exchange.
The A in ADSL stands for Asymmetric which means that upload
speeds do not match those of downloads. This means that it
is unsuitable for businesses wishing to host web sites in-house
or those requiring to send out large amounts of email.
return to question list
Who can use ADSL?
Not all local exchanges have been provisioned for ADSL, in
the South West, we have confirmation regarding parts of Exeter,
Plymouth, Taunton and Bristol. Others will follow at a later
stage.
All installations are subject to BT survey.
return to question list
Will I still get a phone bill?
Yes, but it will only cover voice and fax calls – all
Internet connections are covered by the ADSL subscription.
return to question list
Can I use my existing ISDN line?
No. The ADSL service can only be installed on a BT standard
(PSTN) phone line.
return to question list
When will BT be rolling out the service to other areas?
The roll out plans on this site contain all of the information
that is currently available.
return to question list
What equipment will I need and what is installed?
For the single computer (USB) home service you will need:
1. BT standard phone line and account
2. A PC with the following is recommended:
Pentium 200Mhz
32 Mb RAM
16 bit sound card
4-speed CD ROM player
Video card/display capable of 800x600, 256 colours
SVGA monitor
150MB free on hard drive
Windows 98
An available USB socket
For the single computer (USB) business service you will need:
1. BT standard phone line and account
2. A PC with the following is recommended:
Pentium 200Mhz
32 Mb RAM
16 bit sound card
4-speed CD ROM player
Video card/display capable of 800x600, 256 colours
SVGA monitor
150MB free on hard drive
Windows 98
An available USB socket
For the multi computer (Ethernet) Home service you will need:
1. BT standard phone line and account
2. Two dedicated wall mains sockets for the BTopenworld Modem
and Router
3. A PC with the following is recommended:
Pentium 166Mhz, MMX or equivalent
32Mb RAM
16 bit sound card
4-speed CD ROM player
Video card/display capable of 800x600, 256 colours
SVGA monitor
150MB free on the hard drive
Windows 95B, 98 or NT4 SP3
An available10baseT compatible Ethernet interface with an
RJ45 connector.
4. Or a Apple Macintosh with the following is recommended:
PowerPC 601 or equivalent
32MB System Memory
2-speed CD ROM player
Video driver and display capable of 800 x 600, 256 colours
100MB free space on hard drive
OS8.1 or higher
Open Transport 1.3 Networking Software
10baseT Network Adapter with an RJ45 connector
For the Multi computer (Ethernet) Business service you will
need:
1. BT standard phone line and account
2. Two dedicated wall mains sockets for the BTopenworld Modem
and Router
3. A PC with the following is recommended:
Pentium 166Mhz, MMX or equivalent
32Mb RAM
16 bit sound card
4-speed CD ROM player
Video card/display capable of 800x600, 256 colours
SVGA monitor
150MB free on the hard drive
Windows 95B, 98 or NT4 SP3
An available10baseT compatible Ethernet interface with an
RJ45 connector.
4. Or a Apple Macintosh with the following is recommended:
PowerPC 601 or equivalent
32MB System Memory
2-speed CD ROM player
Video driver and display capable of 800 x 600, 256 colours
100MB free space on hard drive
OS8.1 or higher
Open Transport 1.3 Networking Software
10baseT Network Adapter with an RJ45 connector
return to question list
Will my telephone service still work?
Yes you will be able to use your phone while surfing the
Internet using your BTopenworld connection. You will however
have to pay the line rental and call charges in the usual
way.
return to question list
Will all BT Select services be supported?
Yes, all Select Services can be supported on your BT phone
line, including Call Waiting, Call Return and Caller Display.
return to question list
Can customers keep an existing telephone number?
Your existing BT phone numbers will be unaffected; most customers
will be able to keep their existing telephone number.
return to question list
What are the key benefits of BTopenworld?
Speed. It provides high-speed digital access (between up
to 500Kbps and 2Mbps downstream, and 256Kbps upstream). This
is 10 to 40 times faster than today's typical modems.
Always On. Customers no longer have to waste valuable time
obtaining a dial-up connection.
Flexible. It does not affect the normal telephone, so customers
can make and receive telephone calls or faxes whilst they
are on line.
Fixed Prices. Using BTopenworld does not incur call charges,
you simply pay fixed fee for as much access as you need.
return to question list
What are the main applications?
BTopenworld has the potential to enhance access to existing
services and applications and will stimulate the development
of new ones:
Internet access
The access speeds available with BTopenworld available make
it practical for web sites to carry more multi-media rich
information such as embedded video clips, animations and good
quality audio - significantly enhancing the online experience.
return to question list
What are the limitations of who can receive the service?
There are a number of factors that will determine whether
a particular individual will be able to take advantage of
BTopenworld. These factors include:
Whether the exchange the customer is served by has been upgraded
by BT to provide BTopenworld services.
Whether or not the individual is located the right distance
from the exchange. BTopenworld is distance dependent -customers
will typically need to be located less than about 3.5-4km
from the local exchange. We expect 90% of people in the exchanges
will be able to receive the service.
return to question list
Can you indicate how fast BTopenworld will be compared
to current Internet access?
There are two main options to compare to :
Dial-up connection
Current Internet access is typically achieved via dial-up
voice band modems on your BT phone line. The state of the
art is V.90 which can achieve up to 56kbit/s in the downstream
direction and 33kbit/s in the upstream direction. Actual speeds
achieved are affected by length of access cable, its gauge
and the noise environment within it. BTopenworld services
will be up to 40 times faster than the speeds achieved with
dial up modems.
ISDN / BT Highway
Connection with ISDN and BT Highway can achieve speeds of
up to 128kbps (if both channels are used at the same time).
BTopenworld will be up to 16 times faster than ISDN and BT
Highway.
return to question list
Why should business customers select BTopenworld over ATM
and leased lines?
ATM and Leased lines are used for all business data traffic,
this service carries only internet and e-mail traffic. Also
as the service is asymmetric the data does not flow the same
in both directions and therefore gives bursts of available
bandwidth, not neccessarily suitable to applications such
as videoconferencing.
return to question list
What will be installed to get the multi user(Ethernet) business
service?
A BTopenworld router and modem/splitter will need to be installed
in the customer's house/business so that they can use the
service. The PC will also need a network card. BT is working
with the leading industry consumer equipment suppliers to
provide equipment.
return to question list
What will be installed to get the single user(USB) home
or business service?
A BTopenworld USB Modem will be installed in the house.
return to question list
|
