Best of the ISP-Lists

Roll Your Own DSL Connection?

The ISP-Tech list takes on the question of how to jury rig your own DSL line for less . . . and whether it's worth the aggravation.

[March 31, 2000]

On the ISP-Tech list in March 2000, KS asked:

"We are trying to set up a homebrew DSL. Can anyone point me in the right direction for the instructions and the modem requirements?"

TB provided a link to one successful solution in rural Washington state (with a friendly LEC that was willing to install the wires and answer all of his questions).

Others respondents reported having greater difficulty setting up homebrew DSL.

[BB complained] "Does anyone out there know the official designation for the type of circuit I need to order to do this in the Aurora, IL area? All my attempts to find out have been met with a run-around. If you ask them for an "alarm circuit" or "1 pair of dry, unloaded, unconditioned, copper wire with all of the bridge taps removed," they ask what the designation for that circuit type is. If you ask them what type it is, they point you to their tariff documentation—thousands of pages of designations. I'm fairly certain they are being so unhelpful because they know I'll be running DSL over it for $20 per month."

[PF suggested] "Find a provisioning service that will do it for you. Sure, you will pay them a small commission, but if there is an authorized agent who lives off these commissions, you will get better service."

[MB shared a provisioning horror story] "I gave up on the homebrew, and I'm happy I did. Even with a provisioning service, I ended up having over 100 (frustrating and contradictory) phone conversations with Ameritech. I decided to go wireless and that's working great. Also, I'm not paying per-minute charges for those dry pair lines."

If your telco is giving you grief, you'll need to be able to read the tariffs.

[DB explained] "I've done some reading of the Ameritech tariffs (in Michigan, not in Illinois). Here's what I think I've learned; hope it will help you: It looks to me (though I've not actually ordered anything yet) that the magic phrase is: "2-wire ADSL/HDSL Compatible Interface Loop." They're $10.75, $11.78, or $14.66 per month depending upon which of the three rate zones you're in (again, Michigan). It is true that for xDSL, you want unconditioned lines. After getting blurry-eyed reading the tariffs, I concluded that Ameritech (Michigan) would normally provide a conditioned loop, so they coined the notion that they would have to uncondition a conditioned loop. Here's a direct quote from their published .pdf:

"The xDSL Loop Conditioning applies to existing loops and provides for the removal of bridge tap(s), load coils, voice-grade repeaters, range extenders, and low-pass filters"

[DB continued] "This way, they can charge you through the nose for installation, all one-time fees:

• Bridge Tap Removal is $360.44 or $328.03 depending on distance from CO
• Load Coil Removal is $386.49 or $534.67 depending on distance from CO
• Removal of Voice Grade Repeater is $110.16 or $138.32 depending on distance from CO
• Removal of Range Extender is $3.05 (per occurrence)
• Removal of Low Pass Filter is $3.05 (per occurrence)

All taken from page 12 of the above-referenced .pdf."

[BB returned with some answers] "Thanks for your link. I was able to find the corresponding section in the Illinois tariffs. You know, there is no mention of xDSL conditioning in the IL tariffs. Just the monthly rates ($2.59, $7.07, and $11.40), a Service Ordering Charge of $13.17, and a Line Connection Charge of $25.08 for a "2-wire ADSL/HDSL Compatible Interface Loop." (If I'm reading this correctly.) I think this is what I'm looking for."

—End