A Few Simple Q's About DSL

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raZer

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Ok, so Telkom called 2day to let me know that they're coming on Thursday. This is really lekker but I now need to know the following things
I'm going to send in my order form to Axxess tomorrow (btw)

1. Is there any hardware I need aside from an ethernet modem? (I only want to use DSL on one computer)
2. Will I be able to plugin my computer & modem into any phone-line point in my house?
3. erm, has the telkom forum disappeared?? :eek: (I cant find it, if its here, plz give me a link)

Thanx a lot,
 
Um - don't activate the Axxess yet. You can do that once the teklom dude has shown you the ADSL line is working (on his laptop using his ADSL router/modem). Besides - isnt Axxess month to month, this month is almost over, you're paying a month price for 3 days of access.

You need an ADSL modem/router plenty to choose from.

You need an ADSL splitter + surge protection to protect your ADSL modem from lightning on the teklom poles.

The ADSL router is on the one out on the splitter, all normal telephone stuff (Fax + Phone + Modem) goes on the other out on the splitter.

There is a teklom forum ?
 
tnx 4 the reply.
There was a telkom forum like there is an iBurst forum.
What does a splitter do & where can I get a good one (can you recommend one plz?)
Thanx 4 the heads-up on axxes, I'll wait til the end of the month.
 
A splitter you can buy anywhere - your local P+P will also sell them. What you do need, and as far as I know these are only available at around R40 each from the Telkom shops, is a filter for each telephone / fax which you connect to your line.
 
stoke said:
The ADSL router is on the one out on the splitter, all normal telephone stuff (Fax + Phone + Modem) goes on the other out on the splitter.
Click to expand...

It is not a line splitter but a microfilter that you need and no you can't buy it from P&P :).

It retails for R35 from your local friendly Telkom customer client care centre ;).
 
OK, I am getting a 4 port ethernet modem (from telkom), is the only other thing I need being filters? What do these filters do?
tnx,
 
raZer said:
OK, I am getting a 4 port ethernet modem (from telkom), is the only other thing I need being filters? What do these filters do?
tnx,
Click to expand...

The voice signal carried on your Telkom copper cable uses only a small fraction of the bandwidth of the entire cable ... that is how DSL works as it uses the full unused capacity of the copper cable.

Most telephones/faxes are designed for voice only and don't know how to handle these DSL signals on a line ... a microfilter simply shuts out the DSL part of the cable and present a 'voice' line to them.
 
OK thanx 4 clarifying tibby.dude.
Just 1 more Q:
What does a router do?
tnx
 
raZer said:
OK thanx 4 clarifying tibby.dude.
Just 1 more Q:
What does a router do?
tnx
Click to expand...

Well a router routes :D.

Very simplified a router is simply a device or can be a PC (Linux/Windows) that runs programs that can send TCP/IP packets from one point to another using the most optimum route using very specialized algorithms.

Routers can talk to each other to know exactly what goes to where.

In the home setup for ADSL the main function of the router is to do NAT (Network Address Translation) ... a means for a group of computers to share one external IP address and some form of firewall to keep the nasties out.

You don't need to use a router for ADSL and just use a modem but I would recommend it as it takes a load of your PC and you can always expand your home network later on.
 
what do you mean 'takes a load off ur pc'??
Thank you 4 ur help,
 
raZer said:
what do you mean 'takes a load off ur pc'??
Thank you 4 ur help,
Click to expand...

Well instead of running those programs on your desktop PC and making it slower ... I would rather run it on a dedicated piece of hardware for that purpose.

In fact most consumer DSL routers are just small low power dedicated computers that runs Linux.
 
oh ok, well I'm going 2 be getting a P4 3.6, do you think it'll slow it down considerably?
tnx,
 
raZer - I use one entire computer to run my FireWall, NAT, Email, Web, FTP and Proxy services.
That computer is my Server.
I therefore own an ADSL modem that cannot do anything other than run in Bridge mode (Which means it's a dumb ADSL modem and does not do anything other than forward my data to teklom's DSLAM at the exchange).

If you're not going to run a FireWall or Proxy or Email or Web or FTP or Proxy Services, then you should get a router that will at least run the FireWall and NAT services for you. Irrespective of the computer you have, nobody wants to waste processing power, and you really should be running a FireWall, once your PC is exposed to the internet, you will get about 2000 hacking/scan attempts per day, and that's a real waste of processing power if your PC must fight these all the time.

P.S. There are about 25 different ADSL Routers + Modems on the market - do some research before buying teklom's one.

P.P.S. Have you read the ADSL Q&A ? http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=24418 - it's got tons of info in it.
 
OK thanx everyone, unfortunately I've already bought telkoms modem (I know, I just kicked myself for that)
I understand that it would be good to have a router but will I manage with just a ethernet modem with only a firewall on my pc?
 
raZer said:
OK thanx everyone, unfortunately I've already bought telkoms modem (I know, I just kicked myself for that)
I understand that it would be good to have a router but will I manage with just a ethernet modem with only a firewall on my pc?
Click to expand...
From the sound of it you are getting a router
raZer said:
OK, I am getting a 4 port ethernet modem
Click to expand...
This in itself should act as a hardware firewall (if you let it) but also having a software firewall has its advantages especially wrt outgoing traffic.
 
Thanx bwana v.4, looks like it is a router (well thatz wat it says on it).
Right now it isnt working (Telkom guy said something abt them not yet switching it to dsl) but apparently it will be working tomorrow.
Thanx 2 everyone who gave advice,
 
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