Newby Questions On Stand Alone DSL

[Jack]

A company that is not a phone co. offered a contract for stand alone
DSL.

1) If DSL is always on, does that mean that you're connected to the
Internet everytime the machine is booted up? Isn't there a switch to
turn it off and on?

2) I want to keep a cheap dial-up ISP as a back-up. If all of the
hardware is installed outside on the NID phone box, isn't it true that
I can keep my current dial-up without making any changes to the PC and
phone jack? If so, when I dial up, does it override the DSL?

Thanks

 

[ian field]

A company that is not a phone co. offered a contract for stand alone
DSL.

1) If DSL is always on, does that mean that you're connected to the
Internet everytime the machine is booted up? Isn't there a switch to
turn it off and on?

Keep the modem within easy reach of your chair - then you can pull the power
jack when you're not working online.

 

[Jasen Betts]

A company that is not a phone co. offered a contract for stand alone
DSL.

1) If DSL is always on, does that mean that you're connected to the
Internet everytime the machine is booted up? Isn't there a switch to
turn it off and on?

my DSL modem has no switch, if I want to turn it off I unplug it,
if I only want it off temporarily I disconnect the cable that connects
it to the computer.

2) I want to keep a cheap dial-up ISP as a back-up. If all of the
hardware is installed outside on the NID phone box, isn't it true that
I can keep my current dial-up without making any changes to the PC and
phone jack? If so, when I dial up, does it override the DSL?

Yes you can keep dialup, some DSL provides may offer free dialup to
their DSL customers. I have that and an inexpensive pay-per-use only
dial-up account, so I'm covered unless the phone line gets damaged.

which has precidence when both are on depends on the setup, and the
software you use, but I expect that usually the one that was most
recently started will be the one that gets used for new connections.

Bye.
Jasen

 

[ian field]

my DSL modem has no switch, if I want to turn it off I unplug it,
if I only want it off temporarily I disconnect the cable that connects
it to the computer.


Yes you can keep dialup, some DSL provides may offer free dialup to
their DSL customers. I have that and an inexpensive pay-per-use only
dial-up account, so I'm covered unless the phone line gets damaged.

If you also have a dial up modem - always unplug it from the phone jack
whenever you're not using it, there are rogue dialler programs floating
about the net which if they get into your PC will dial a premium rate number
and clean your wallet out!

This has even been known to happen while the user is using the PC online,
the rogue dialler quietly drops the line and redials at premium rate - one
of the electronics magazines published a circuit to prevent this.

About 200 turns of magnet wire are wound round a reed relay, this is
connected in series with the reed relay and a pushbutton is wired in
parallel with the reed, this is put in series with one of the phone wires.
The button must be held in to complete the circuit until the modem has
established the off-hook line current thereafter the line current through
the coil keeps the reed latched, if a rogue dialler drops the line ready to
re-dial the relay drops out and the connection cannot be made.

 

[Eugene A. Pallat]

I made a switchbox from a Bud Radio minibox. 2 toggle switches and
indicator lights. One AC outlet for the modem and one for the router. Easy
to turn off the stuff.