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What is ADSL?
ADSL (broadband) transforms a normal BT telephone line into a high speed broadband line. ADSL converts the line into a high speed connection up to 40x faster than a traditional 56K dial-up modem.
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What does ADSL stand for?
ADSL is an acronym for 'Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line'. It is asymmetric because it provides faster download speeds than upload speeds.
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Who can get ADSL?
BT say ADSL is available to over 90% of the UK.
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How much does ADSL cost?
ADSL prices vary from ISP to ISP. Some ISPs provide very cheap ADSL, but they may have limitations, meaning you can only download so much per month - and will get charged if you go over. If you want unlimited broadband, look for an ISP that has no bandwidth restrictions or 'caps'.
An average price for an unlimited 512 Kbps ADSL connection is £22.
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What are the benefits of ADSL?
ADSL provides:
- A faster connection to the Internet - Web pages will download instantly, and downloads will take minutes not hours.
- An always on connection - No need to waste time 'dialing up' every time you want to go online.
- Flat monthly fee - No call charges for the time spent online, so you have unlimited access.
- Simultaneous phone usage - You can use the Internet and your phone at the same time.
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What do I need to get ADSL?
You will need the following for ADSL:
- A BT telephone line
- A provider (ISP)
- An ADSL modem or router
- 1 or more microfilters
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How do I get ADSL?
You will need to choose an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
The easiest way to find an ISP to suit your needs, is by using our ISP Comparison pages. Alternatively, there is a full list of all the popular ISPs here.
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Do I have to have a BT line?
Yes, ADSL can only be provided over a BT line, as the ADSL equipment is based at your local BT Telephone exchange.
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Do I still have to pay line rental?
You will need an active BT line to use ADSL. Therefore, you will need to continue to pay the standard line rental to BT regardless of whether you intend to make any phone calls.
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How fast can you download on ADSL?
There are different speed levels you can get with ADSL. Most ISP's provide 4 tiers:
- 256 Kbps (download speed of 30KB/s)
- 512 Kbps (download speed of 60KB/s)
- 1 Mbps (download speed of 120KB/s)
- 2 Mbps (download speed of 240KB/s)
The standard ADSL speed is 512 Kbps. When you compare the above tiers with the standard 56K dialup...
- 56 Kbps (download speed of 4 KB/s)
... you can see why ADSL is so popular!
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How fast can you upload on ADSL?
All ADSL services have a maximum upload speed of 256 Kbps (30KB/S).
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How does ADSL work?
ADSL operates over your normal BT telephone line. The ADSL signal is carried by two modems - one in your premises, and one at your local BT telephone exchange. These modems use the existing copper telephone line to your premises, to achieve much higher speeds.
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What is a micro-filter (or splitter)?
A micro-filter is a little device that you plug into your BT phone socket(s) when you get ADSL. It is like a 2-way splitter, but it has one hole for your ADSL modem, and one hole for your phone(s). The micro-filter splits the ADSL signal from the voice signal, so you can use ADSL and your phone at the same time without interference!
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What are the ADSL loss limits?
As of 6th September 2004:
- The 256 Kbps and 512 Kbps service has no loss limit.
- The 1 Mbps service has a loss limit of 60dB.
- The 2 Mbps service has a loss limit of 43dB.
What does this mean? Put simply, the speed you can receive depends on the quality of your telephone line. If you are a long way from your local telephone exchange (usually located in town centres), you may not be able to receive the 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps services.
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What is IPStream and DataStream?
These are two types of ADSL provided by ISPs.
IPStream is where your Internet traffic is routed and controlled throughout the BTs system, whereas DataStream is where your traffic is routed via an ISPs 'virtual path'.
Research shows that you are more likely to obtain top speeds if you use an IPStream based product, but DataStream allows the ISP to offer different contention levels to suit the end-users requirements.
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What is ATM?
Short for Asynchronous Transfer Mode. This is the technology behind packet switching networks, and high speed packet switching with quality of service (QOS) abilities.
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What is DSLAM?
Short for Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer. It splits out data from subscribers (customers) and sends it out the ISP's circuit.
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What is DMT?
Short for Discrete Multi Tone. This is a type of DSL Technology where all available frequencies are scanned, and those with interference are then removed, thus helping in getting the highest available speed for your phone line.
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What is Rate Adaptive?
Rate adaptive DSL (RADSL) is a technology that extends the distance on which ADSL can be received on a line, by adjusting the upstream bandwidth based on your line quality and condition. A RADSL-enabled connection increases the maximum distance supported by ADSL services to over 3.5 kilometres
This basically means that in order to receive the full download speed, your upload speed will be sacrificed making it a little slower.
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What does Upstream/Upload mean?
Upstream means sending data from your PC to the Internet.
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What does Downstream/Download mean?
Downstream means receiving data from the Internet to your PC.
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What if my exchange does not have ADSL?
If your exchange is not already enabled, check to see if it is due to be on our Exchanges live soon list. Simply enter your exchange and it will do the rest for you.
If your exchange is currently "Unviable", do not worry - BT are constantly reviewing the possibility of bringing ADSL to your area. Also, be sure to check if you can get Cable Broadband instead.
If you would like more specific information about your exchange, you can contact our Broadband Campaign staff member, tom @ dslzoneuk.net
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I ordered ADSL before Sep 2004, but the line test failed...
Good news! As of 6th September 2004, BT have removed the limits for providing a 512 Kbps ADSL connection. This now means that you have a great chance of being able to receive ADSL. Simply place an order with the ISP of your choice.
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What is Contention Ratio?
Contention Ratio is how many users may be sharing the same circuit as you. If the contention ratio is 50:1, that would mean that if 50 people are all downloading at the same time, you may experience slower than expected speeds. 50:1 is the standard ratio, whereas 20:1 is aimed at businesses. In reality though, there is very little contention seen at all. Lower is better and 1:1 means that your connection is not shared with others - like a leased line.
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What is Self-Install?
Self install is where you install the ADSL equipment yourself. Your ISP will send you a connection pack, including modem and microfilters, etc etc. (Or you can order your own equipment). Included in the pack will be a step-by-step guide of how to install and setup ADSL in your home. We have also created a Setup guide, which you can refer to.
Anyone can setup ADSL, it usually takes less than 30 minutes and is a one-off procedure.
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Do the large companies always offer the best service and value for money?
It depends on what your needs are. For example, ISP's such as Wanadoo, Tiscali and AOL, who all advertise everywhere possible, will have thousands more customers than an ISP that doesn't advertise as much. This could mean that you are 1 of 500,000 customers, rather than 1 of 10,000. Common sense shows that ISP's with a smaller customer base should to be quicker in resolving any problems you encounter, as there will be less problems reported.
However, the end decision is up to you. From past experience, the team here at DSL ZoneUK can certainly say that Tiscali have quite a bad reputation, closely followed by AOL. Remember this is only an opinion, and they may have improved somewhat.
Also note that the larger ISP's tend to charge "more-for-less", whereas the smaller ISP's give you a lot of extra's for a cheaper price.
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Can you still have Calls Barred on an ADSL line?
Yes - No problem.
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Can I order ADSL and my BT phone line together?
If your ISP supports it. As of 29 August 2004, BT launched a pilot scheme to allow the BT phone line and ADSL to be installed together on the same day.
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What is line length?
Line length is referred to as the distance of your telephone line, from your premises to the telephone exchange. ADSL may not work if the line length from the exchange is too long, as the longer the length, the weaker the signal may be.
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Can I have other services with my ADSL (i.e. satellite tv, answer phones)?
Yes. It should be noted that you MUST 'filter' ALL equipment that is plugged into a telephone socket.
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What is meant by red, amber and green?
Red, amber and green are the terms used to define the result of the ADSL availability test.
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Can all PC's in the house share one ADSL connection?
Yes - but you will need what's known as a "Router".
An ADSL modem/router is an external device that allows you connect one or more computers together, so that they can all use the Internet. The router itself will have many ports on it. A 4 port router for example, will have five ports on it. 4 ports to connect up to 4 computers to, and 1 to connect to the ADSL telephone wire. You could also get a Wireless ADSL modem/router, which allows you to share the broadband without trailing wires around the house to each PC/laptop.
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Is there any problem installing ADSL on my alarm line?
Sometimes ADSL is not compatible with alarms that are connected via a telephone line. To check whether your alarm system is, please refer to your alarm system manual or provider. Note that as of 31 July 2003, selected RedCare services are now compatible with ADSL connections.
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What is the effect of installing ADSL on my fax line?
Most faxes will continue to work as normal. Make sure the fax machine is plugged into the "telephone" part of the filter.
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What is the difference between ADSL and SDSL?
SDSL provides the same bandwidth in both directions where as ADSL provides greater bandwidth for downloading than for uploading. Both technologies work over a normal telephone line. SDSL is more expensive and has limited availability up to yet.
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I can't get ADSL because my line is aluminium and not copper!
If you put a signal down a cable, the signal will get weaker as the cable gets longer. This is referred to as line loss. For ADSL services, there is a set limit for the amount of line loss that will work on a line. If there is more line loss than this, BT will reject the order - this is because the quality of the ADSL service deteriorates if the line loss is more than the limit that is set. Aluminium wiring unfortunately is worse quality that copper for ADSL, therefore the loss of quality on the line is too much.
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Can I convert ISDN/Home Highway to ADSL?
Yes, simply place an order with your ISP.
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Can I have broadband if I have DACS on my line?
No, but BT have a process whereby they will take the DACS off the line and will provide ADSL if possible.
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Can I keep my ISDN/Home Highway phone numbers?
If you have an ISDN or Home Highway service connected to this number and you wish to purchase ADSL, then this can be arranged through your ISP. You will only be able to keep one of your ISDN / Home Highway telephone numbers, generally you can choose any of your numbers but there are some rare exceptions.
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What are the VPI, VCI, etc settings?
For ADSL in the UK, the following settings are used:
VPI: 0
VCI: 38
Modulation: G.DMT or Auto
Encapsulation: PPPoATM (RFC2364) or VC-MUX
Authentication: CHAP
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Can I use ADSL on a Mac?
Of course! The ADSL modem or router simply connects to any ethernet or USB ready machine.
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Why does my 512k connection show as being connected at 576k?
Your ADSL modem or router is connected to the BT exchange at 576 Kbps, but 512 Kbps is the maximum speed you will receive as the additional 64 Kbps is used for the overheads.
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Do I need a micro-filter if I dont have a phone?
If all you have on your ADSL line is the ADSL itself (eg, no phones, sky boxes, alarms) then you will not need any micro-filters.
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