Broadband Frequently Asked Questions 1) What is Broadband technology? Broadband brings high bandwidth to homes and businesses over a single pair of copper telephone lines.  Broadband technology allows data transmission at speeds much faster than most analog and digital modems.   2) What are some types of the different Broadband technologies? Copper cabling is used to move data to the end user and host location while supporting various types of DSL.  Voice and Data traffic are separated at the serving Central Office and then connected a high-speed data network and delivered to the host destination.  Some forms of Broadband technologies include HDSL (High Bit Rate DSL), SDSL (Single Line DSL), RADSL (Rate Adaptive DSL), ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), and VDSL (Very High Bit Rate DSL).   3) Which Broadband technology will Ben Lomand be using? ADSL technology utilizes varying frequency spectrums 0-4 kHz for POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) and 100 kHz – 2.2 MHz for data transmission. This allows simultaneous analog voice or fax and DSL transmission over the same telephone line. The downstream traffic travels faster than the upstream traffic. For example, the user’s upstream connection may be at 128 KBPS while the downstream connection would be at 1.5 MBPS. In certain applications, such as surfing the Internet, the user needs more bandwidth while downloading information from the Internet and therefore the ADSL technology works well. You still use your phone as you do now.   4) What’s it good for? Web pages in a snap!  Amazing download speeds!  (Big downloads will no longer evoke fear in the hearts of users!), Network games! (For small kids and Big Kids)   5) Why would customers be willing to pay more for Firewire Broadband when they can use regular modems? Speed, period. As the size of files transmitted via the Internet grow larger and larger, downloading or uploading files via a traditional modem becomes increasingly time-consuming. Using a traditional modem, it can take hours to transmit a file vs. only a few seconds with our Firewire Broadband. Using Firewire Broadband translates into having more time to enjoy the other pleasures in life.   6) Does Firewire Broadband require another phone line? You do not need to have another telephone line installed. Firewire Broadband uses an existing telephone line to transmit data signals as well as analog voice signals. The customer must continue to pay the current charges for residential or business phone service. Phone service is not included in the price of Firewire Broadband; however, a competitively priced bundled package is available.   7) Can Firewire Broadband users still use their telephone while surfing the Internet? Yes. Firewire Broadband users can still use their existing telephone line for voice while playing their favorite network games. Traditional analog modems use the same frequency band as telephone service thereby preventing the simultaneous use of data and voice. New DSL modems operate at frequencies above the voice channel so voice and DSL can occur in unison.   8) Will analog modems or fax machines utilize the same telephone line as Firewire Broadband? Yes, fax machines and analog modems operate on the same frequency as POTS (plain old telephone service), therefore you should encounter no problems using the devices with Firewire Broadband.   9) What will happen to the voice features on an existing telephone line? All custom and CLASS features currently offered on the line will remain available to the subscriber.   10) What about cable modems? No discussion of DSL service would be complete without discussing its main competitor, cable modem service. Cable modems use the Cable TV companies’ coaxial networks as the transport medium. DSL technologies use the telephone companies’ existing twisted wire pair network. While most businesses are not cable ready, most all have an existing telephone line. This eliminates the need for additional wiring installation and expense. One major issue with cable modems is that all subscribers on a distribution network share the bandwidth, which can reduce an individual’s throughput to slower analog modem dial-up speeds. Another issue is that un-terminated cable TV jacks (no TV connected and no terminating resistor cap screwed on) act as antennas on the distribution node. Any equipment, which produces RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) near an un-terminated jack, injects noise into the entire network. This includes such things as AC motors (vacuum cleaners for example), fluorescent lights, computer monitors and a host of other items. The basic structure of cable networks is different from that of a DSL network. Unlike cable networks that are set up like a Local Area Network (LAN), Firewire Broadband runs on a dedicated connection. A LAN makes it possible for many users to share the same bandwidth; however, the downside of shared access is security. This is similar to the “Network Neighborhood” on a LAN. This could enable experienced hackers in the same cable network in the neighborhood to break into other computers on the same cable network in the neighborhood.   11) Is Firewire Broadband available to everyone? Ideally, customers must be less than 12,000 feet or approximately three miles from their central office or remote serving terminal to qualify for Firewire Broadband service.   12)What benefits of Firewire Broadband are there for business customers? The most common use of Firewire Broadband is for high-speed access to the Internet from the home or from the office. Multiple users may take advantage of the same high-speed connection in either case.   13)How many users are recommended in a small business environment? Up to 10 users, although additional users may cause decreases in download speeds.   14)What equipment will I have to purchase to use Firewire Broadband? Firewire Broadband requires an Alcatel chipset compatible internal or external DSL modem or an Alcatel compatible DSL router. Some equipment on this list will be available from Ben Lomand. *See recommended equipment list. Technical support is not available from Ben Lomand on equipment not on this list. Back to Firewire Broadband