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General Questions
Service Questions
IFITL
Professional Installation
Equipment Questions
Acronyms
General Questions
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Q: What does ADSL stand for?
A: ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, commonly referred to as just DSL.
Q: How fast is Speed Factory DSL?
A: Speed Factory DSL is best effort 3Mbps downstream and 384Kbps upstream maximum. This translates into a
maximum of roughly 300 kilobytes/sec download, and 38 kilobytes/sec upload. Final speeds are based on the
listed speeds for each individual DSL service. Individual performance depends greatly on line conditions,
including line noise, copper quality, and distance from a DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer - basically the
other end of your DSL device).
Q: Can I get faster upload/download speeds?
A: If you are interested in different ADSL speeds, please see our custom DSL circuits on the
Business DSL page.
Q: What is the difference between DSL, ADSL, and SDSL?
A: SDSL stands for Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It offers the same upload and download speeds. Common
speeds include 192kbps x 192kbps, 384kbps x 384kbps, and 768kbps x 768kbps. DSL is the generic term for the
technology and generally applies to ADSL.
Q: How long does it take to get service?
A: If you do not have existing DSL service with another provider, it generally takes 4 - 8 business days from
the time you place your order with us to the time the circuit is live at your location. If you have service
with another provider we recommend that you do not cancel service with your old provider until your Speed
Factory DSL connection is up. This results in downtime of less than a day, and can normally be completed
within 5 business days of submitting your order. If you cancel DSL with your former provider prematurely,
it may result in our inability to place an order on your line, and downtimes of a week or more can be
expected.
Q: Do I have to have BellSouth as my local phone provider?
A: No. While Speed Factory has partnered with BellSouth (they offer the largest network in the Southeast) to
offer you DSL, Speed Factory can deliver DSL on other telephone providers designated as authorize providers.
This does not affect long distance.
Q: Can I get Residential Service at my Business?
A: No. Please see our Business DSL page for information on our Business DSL offerings.
Q: How long is the commitment?
A: 12 months. There is a $250.00 early termination fee. Additionally, any free equipment obtained during a
special promotion must be returned, and you will be retroactively charged for any fees waived as part of a
promotion.
Service Questions
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Q: Can I run my own servers?
A: Yes. Servers are allowed on all business level plans.
Q: Can I connect multiple computers to my DSL connection?
A: Yes. There are two commonly used methods to connect multiple computers to our router. The more common
option is to use a NAT device (such as a Linksys, SMC, Netgear, et. al. ethernet router) behind the one we
send you. The alternative is to attach a hub or switch to our router. Please specify your intentions on your
order form.
Q: Do you block ports?
A: Common application ports like 21, 22, 23, 25, 80, 110, etc. etc. are not blocked,
however for security reasons, port 139 (NetBIOS) is blocked.
Q: Is my company's VPN compatible with Speed Factory DSL?
A: Yes. Depending on how it is set up, you may or may not need a static IP, IPSec pass-through, etc. etc. Please
check with your company’s IT department for specific setup instructions.
Q: Do you offer DNS hosting?
A: Yes, DNS hosting is available at $5/month per domain (i.e. mydomain.com). Appropriate records are added per
request.
Q: Can I get multiple static IP’s?
A: Yes. Either one or five useable static IP’s are available. Please contact customer support if you need more
then 5 Static IP's.
Q: With the static IP, do I get a globally-routable IP on the LAN port?
A: You have two options – you can get a globally routable IP on the WAN port (which means you will have private
IPs on the LAN port. This is useful if you want to enable NAT on the router or use a hub), or you may get a
/30 subnet on the LAN port, which will provide both the LAN port of the router and the device on the LAN port
a globally-routable IP (this is useful if you want to run another router behind our router or if you would
like to have a hardware firewall on your network).
IFITL
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Q: What is IFITL?
A: IFITL stands for Integrated Fiber In The Loop. It is commonly sold as DSL because the speeds are the same
(1.5 Mpbs x 256 Kbps), however the two technologies are very different. IFITL technology is being deployed in
new neighborhoods around Atlanta, and brings a 10mbps fiber-optic connection to the pedestal that is capable
of carrying voice, video and data. The data portion, also known as PC-Data, is limited by the FCC to the slower
1.5 Mbps.
Q: What do I need for IFITL?
A: For IFITL, you must have a cat5 cable run from the NID to a port inside of your house. If you use a router,
it must support PPPoE. Because of insurance requirements, we can not run cable for you.
Q: I have DSL. Can I get IFITL? (or I have IFITL, can I get DSL?)
A: In very rare instances, there will be a DSLAM in a location also serviced by IFITL, however that is very
rare. So 99% of the time, no.
Q: Does IFITL cost more?
A: No, IFITL is the same price as our standard DSL packages.
Professional Installation
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Q: What do I get with the Professional Installation?
A: With DSL service, we will come out to your location and install a filter at the NID. This makes for a
much cleaner installation inside – you don’t have to have filters all over your house. For IFITL, we will
wire the cat5 cable in the NID. For both services, we also install any equipment you receive from us and
will make sure your connection is up and running. If you have an alarm system installed in your house, we
highly recommend that you choose professional installation, as that line may cause interference with the
DSL signals if not properly isolated.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Professional installation is a one time $99.00 fee. There are no hidden trip fees involved.
Q: If I opt for professional installation, does that mean I have to take a whole day off of work?
A: No, all we ask for is a 30 minute window. Installation generally takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.
Q: Can I get professional installation on the weekends?
A: Professional installation is only available on weekdays.
Q: Do I have to get professional installation?
A: Professional installation is not required. If you are not able to get your service running on your own,
you may always choose this option at a later date.
Equipment Questions
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Q: What is the difference between the PCI Modem, Bridge and Router?
A: Both the PCI modem and DSL bridge are designed for single-user connections. The PCI modem is an internal
device that requires that you have a free PCI slot and a PC running Windows 95 or higher. Linux drivers are
available, however they are not supported. The DSL bridge is an ethernet device and is compatible with any
machine with an ethernet card. The DSL router includes routing capabilities and is used with the static IP
accounts.
Q: What is the free equipment offer?
A: The free equipment offer is for the Ethernet modem for DSL. If you have IFITL, it’s a PCI ethernet card.
Q: I already have a router. Why do I need to purchase another one?
A: These routers are commonly mislabeled as DSL routers when in fact they are ethernet routers. They do not
contain an RJ-11 port or the necessary electronics to decode DSL signals. There is no problem using these
routers behind our router if you would like to run your own NAT. (Note – this only applies to DSL. IFITL
customers can use an Ethernet router without any additional equipment).
Q: Can I bring my own equipment?
A: Yes. While we only guarantee compatibility with our equipment, if you have your own DSL Customer Provided
Equipment (CPE), you are free to use it so long as it supports the following:
RFC1483B or PPPoE (routed)
g.DMT (DSL Mode)
LLC/SNAP (Encapsulation)
User VPI/VCI of 8/35, respectively
Please note that due to the multitude of different types of equipment, available, we can not support every
individual model, however we will make our best effort to get you running with our service.
Alcatel’s USB Speed Touch modem (used with Bellsouth) does not work. Neither does DirecTV’s DSL Gateway.
Q: When I purchase the bridge or router, is it mine to keep?
A: Yes. Our equipment is also non-proprietary, so it will work with nearly every DSL provider in the country.
Q: How to I get to the administration interface of the router?
A: You can reach the admin interface if you put the gateway IP into a web browser. The bridge does not have
an administration interface. Please call us for the password.
Q: I accidentally erased the firmware on the router. How do I repair it?
A: Please call our support department to make arrangements on getting your router reprogrammed.
Acronyms
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This section contains acronyms that are often used when talking about DSL. Most of them have
already been defined in the sections above.
ATM - Asynchronous Transfer Mode
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
CO - Central Office
DSLAM - Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer
IFITL - Integrated Fiber in the Loop
ILEC - Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier
NAT – Network Address Translation
NIC - Network Interface Card
NID – Network Interface Device
ONU - Optical Network Unit
PPPoA - Point to Point Protocol over ATM
PPPoE - Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet
VCI - Virtual Circuit Interface
VPI - Virtual Path Interface
VPN - Virtual Private Network
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