TECHNOLOGY
| ORDERING | INSTALLATION
| HARDWARE & NETWORK | BILLING
| SERVICE TERMS
Technology
What
is DSL?
DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is a technology that uses
a standard copper two-wire pair (or line) to transmit high speed (high
frequency) Internet connectivity to areas that will support the service.
Click here to view our Flash Movie that explains how Broadband works!
How
fast is DSL?
DSL can obtain speeds as high as 1.5Mbps and above, but the speed your
location can receive depends on your address, line quality and the distance
to your local phone company's central office (CO). A Central Office is
the main switching station for the phone lines in your area. It is the
office where the ILEC (your local telephone company) connects the phone
circuits, and makes the routes between local and long distance.
Can
I get DSL in my area?
Click here to run a pre-qualification on your address. This will determine
if your address is in an area where DSL is available. DSL service can
only be delivered within a radius from your phone company's local central
office. Typically, our highest speed service is restricted to a distance
of 15,000 feet from the central office it is served from.
What
are the different DSL "flavors" available at NJdialup?
NJdialup offers several kinds of DSL service. The speeds and type of DSL
available to you depends on two factors primarily: 1) Your distance from
the phone company's Central Office (CO) and 2) the type of lines used
between you and the Central Office (fiber/copper). Each type of DSL has
a different price, and different important attributes.
ADSL
- Asymmetric DSL is available up to 15,000 feet from a CO. Typically the
download speed is faster than the upload speed. While ADSL can generally
be installed up to 15,000 feet, this general rule does not guarantee that
we will be able to install the circuit or that the circuit will perform
at a reasonable level. Our ADSL service is also referred to as RADSL (Rate-Adaptive
ADSL).
The term "rate-adaptive"
means the technology adapts to your individual line conditions, e.g.,
your specific distance from the CO and the quality of the copper line
that serves your DSL. Speeds expressed with ADSL packages are the maximum
speeds your line may achieve. Although we will do everything within our
power to provide you with the best possible service, due to the nature
of the technology, ADSL services do not come with a service level guarantee.
The actual speed is determined by both distance & copper quality,
and installations resulting in "best business effort" speed
(the maximum achievable speed based on technical conditions prior to install)
will be considered successful. As many businesses require a guaranteed
service, ADSL is not available for business locations. NJdialup recommends
SDSL service for all eligible businesses.
SDSL
- Symmetric DSL, able to be served up to 15,000 feet from a CO.
SDSL services deliver the same rate of download speed as upload speeds.
It is a more robust connection, which is guaranteed at a certain level
of connection speed.
IDSL
- IDSL is based on ISDN, an older technology that was designed to work
well with existing ISDN transmission methods. SDSL, and ADSL travel over
regular copper lines and cannot have any electronics on them (such as,
for example, amplifiers or repeaters - commonly used to "boost"
the voice signal on conventional telephone lines). Some ADSL, and SDSL
orders cannot be fulfilled because of electronics or distance issues that
are uncovered during the ordering process. In that case, IDSL may be the
best solution. IDSL has the ability to work over great distances, and
through certain types of electronics. If you are very far away from a
Central Office, or there are electronics on the copper line you are given
by your phone company, you may still be able to get broadband service
using IDSL.
How is DSL
delivered to my business? Our business customers are provided with a DSL
service that runs over a second, unused pair of copper wires running into
your location. Your phone services and DSL service are on completely different
wiring.
Ordering
If I am currently
a dialup or email customer, can I keep my existing NJdialup email address?
Yes! If you currently are a non-DSL customer, or a customer who wishes
to add another DSL service to your account, we would prefer you call our
sales department to add the DSL line as an addition to your current service(s).
Do I need
to have phone service through a specific phone company to order service?
Customers ordering DSL must have voice service on the service number provided
through one of the ILEC's in their area. ILEC stands for Incumbent Local
Exchange Carrier. The allowable ILEC's which NJdialup can provide service
through are:
- Qwest
- Pac Bell
- Verizon
(both East and West Coast branches)
- Southwestern
Bell
- Ameritech
- SNET
- Bell South
- Sprint
(Nevada customers only)
- What phone
number and address should I provide?
On the order
form, please provide the phone number for the location where you wish to
obtain service, as well as the name and address information from the phone
bill for said number. The address and name we receive must EXACTLY match
the phone bill (including punctuation and spelling) as the phone companies
require identical information on our orders as appear already in their systems.
If your address is significantly different in reality from the phone bill
information, you may provide that information independently from the order,
once the order is placed.
Can
I specify a preferred line vendor?
NJdialup places your order with a line vendor of our choosing. The decision
of which vendor you are placed with typically is made based on availability
of that vendor's service at your location, price, and speed to installation
record. We cannot allow customers to select a specific vendor.
Installation
How
long will it take to get DSL installed?
Our residential ADSL installations average 7-12 days from order placement
to installation. Our residential SDSL and IDSL installations range from
15-25 business days from order placement to installation. Installation
timeframes are based on line quality, phone company workload, and installation
appointment availability.
Who
is involved with installing my DSL?
There are three companies you should be aware of in this process:
The
ILEC: (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier, also known as the phone
company) Every provider of phone-provided internet connectivity has to
interact on some level with the ILEC as they essentially "own"
the physical wiring infrastructure from the Central Office to your home.
This includes all the wiring, phone poles, and phone boxes. They are responsible
for installing any physical connections.
The CLEC: (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) We order
our loops (or lines) through what is known as a CLEC. The CLEC leases
the basic infrastructure from the ILEC to provide a separate, private,
ATM layer of the Internet connection. We use connections through a CLEC
because of the more robust and customer friendly data networks and speedy
delivery. Your vendor may be one of a few CLEC's NJdialup currently partners
with.
The ISP: That would be NJdialup! NJdialup provides the
third layer of this service. The third layer of the internet connection
is the service and IP layer. We connect you to the services that give
your DSL connection value, such as email, web-hosting, static IP addresses,
as well as provide complete customer support and billing functions.
Another computer analogy that might make this easier to understand is
to think about purchasing a computer. If you are looking for a value computer
service, you purchase from a name brand company who does the following:
Buys the parts
from another company to build the bare bones hardware of the computer.
Uses another company to purchase the OS and/or software (say Windows as
the OS and various virus protection software).
Finally, provides the support, delivery, billing, and added features (like
warranty) themselves.
NJdialup's relationship with the ILEC and CLEC is essentially the same.
What are the steps for installing DSL?
As we allow our customers to choose between Residential SDSL and IDSL
as well as standard ADSL, there are two processes for installation:
If
you are ordering (R)ADSL service:
Place an order
with a NJdialup Sales Representative and they will walk you through the
process of getting your phone number and address to check availability.
You can also order online at http://www.NJdialup.net/http://www.aossecureserver.com/njdialup/getconnected.htm
If you qualify, select your desired speed and answer a few questions so
the order can be placed. NJdialup will then supply you with an order number
and web address to track your order.
The order processes with the CLEC and ILEC. NJdialup receives a date called
the 'loop date', because your local telephone company connects the copper
line at the central office to the CLEC equipment. Occasionally this date
is not sent to us until after the work has been completed. Because the
work requires no customer interaction, you do not need to be present at
your home for this date.
Once the connection date has passed and the connection has been verified,
one of two things will occur. If you ordered the self install kit only
option, you will receive a kit 3-5 business days after the connection
date. If you ordered the Professional installation, you will also receive
a kit, as well as an email detailing the date and service window for your
technician visit. If you are receiving the Professional install, you or
someone you know over the age 18 will need to give them access to do the
work.
For those who have the self install kit only option, you should be ready
to surf! Simply install the kit using the instructions included, and we
will begin the billing process (unless contacted) in 7 days. If you are
receiving a Professional installation, you or someone over the age of
eighteen must be there to give the CLEC technician access to the location
of your computer. They install the DSL bridge or router to the phone line,
any special filters required, and verifies that the DSL signal is there
at the speed you ordered. Billing will begin immediately after the completion
of the successful service visit.
After that you are ready to browse the Internet. You can always call NJdialup
if you need any additional help configuring your computer.
If
you are ordering SDSL or IDSL service:
Place an order
with a NJdialup Sales Representative and they will walk you through the
process of getting your phone number and address to check availability.
You can also order online at http://www.NJdialup.com/http://www.aossecureserver.com/njdialup/getconnected.htm.
If you qualify, select your desired speed and answer a few questions so
the order can be placed. NJdialup will then supply you with an order number
and web address to track your order.
The order
processes with the CLEC and ILEC. NJdialup receives two dates at two different
times. The first date is called the 'loop date', because your local telephone
company visits and hooks up the cooper loop for your DSL circuit to the
central office. The second date is called the 'installation date', because
Covad visits your location and actually hooks up your line to the DSL
bridge or router.
The 'loop' date occurs. If your local telephone company has access to
your phone box, you don't even need to be there. If the phone box is inside
your residence, is otherwise inaccessible, or you are a Verizon customer
you or someone you know over the age 18 will need to give them access
to do the work. Once this is completed, you receive the second install
date.
The 'installation
date' occurs. You, or someone over the age of eighteen must be there to
give the CLEC technician access to the location of your computer. They
install the DSL bridge or router to the phone line and verify that the
DSL signal is there at the speed you ordered.
After that
you are ready to browse the Internet. You can always call NJdialup if
you need any additional help configuring your computer.
What
is a Self Installation?
Self-Installation
is the option that all residential ADSL customers are defaulted to selecting
when ordering, unless the only available vendor option is not offering
self-installation kits. Customers with a "self-install" order
will receive a self- installation kit 3-5 business days after the local
telephone company installs the line. The kit contains a modem, line filters,
network cables, and instructions for the self-installation of the DSL.
The kit is simple to use and much quicker than the standard 4 hour wait
for a technician. Customers who have more than 5 wall phone jacks, TDD
devices, or alarm systems which use the phone number submitted must use
our "Professional Installation" option. All SDSL and IDSL customers
receive a Professional Install.
What
is a Professional Installation?
For residential ADSL customers who either would prefer a technician to
perform the installation, or fall into the previously mentioned categories,
(see: What is a Self Installation?) we offer a Professional Installation.
Customers receive the self- installation kit as normal, but also are scheduled
for a technician visit. The technician performs the install, typically
installing special filters if the phone configuration is out of the ordinary.
There is an additional charge for this service, and does require an adult
over the age of 18 to be present for the entire scheduled installation
window.
What
is included in the professional installation?
Our vendor technician performs the following tasks during an onsite, Professional
installation:
- Installs
and configures the modem for the DSL service.
- Tones and
tests the line with their main office.
- Inspects/performs
required technology wiring at phone box.
- Installs
specialty splitters in the case of ADSL.
- Installs
specialty wall jacks in the case of SDSL or IDSL.
- Verifies
modem connection at the phone box.
- Performs
15 minutes of wiring or cabling
- Do I need
any additional Inside Wiring for DSL?
If you are ordering
our SDSL or IDSL service and know you need further internal wiring to carry
the connection to your desired location for the modem, you will need to
pre-approve inside wiring work/charges at order placement. We cannot allow
approval after order placement. If you select to have the technician perform
up to 2 hours of inside wiring and future wiring disputes arise, you will
be responsible for providing the signed copy of the inside wiring authorization
form which the tech has you sign at the completion of installation. Inside
wiring can be easily and cheaply accomplished by your local electrical wiring
professional, many of which are licensed and listed in the local yellow
pages. Our vendors are NOT certified to do the extensive inside wiring work
that sometimes is necessary. Approval at order placement is a protection
step to ensure you are aware of any fees associated with the installation.
Can
I cancel my phone line after DSL is installed?
If you are an ADSL customer you must not cancel or change your phone number
for any reason. Because your service is shared on this number, any changes
the phone company makes to that physical line will directly impact your
service. If your phone service effects your shared-line service for any
reason, regardless of personal fault, you will have to reorder service
and have to pay any and all installation fees associated with the reinstallation.
SDSL and IDSL
customers are not so strictly limited to their phone number, but are advised
to not cancel the service number provided as it may negatively effect
the DSL service.
What
if I want to change local phone service carriers?
For the duration of your NJdialup DSL service, you must maintain phone
service with the same ILEC that you had at order placement.
Hardware
and Network
What
is a router?
A router is a device that forwards packets between networks. The forwarding
decision is based on network layer information and routing tables, often
constructed by routing protocols. The router is connected to at least
two networks and decides which way to send each information packet based
on its current understanding of the state of the networks it is connected
to.
What
is a bridge?
A bridge is a piece of hardware that connects your local area network
(or LAN) to NJdialup's Network via the same protocol (in our case, Ethernet).
It essentially decides whether you are attempting to send packets within
the NJdialup network, or if you are sending packets off the NJdialup network
and into the Internet in general.
What
is a hub?
In general, a hub refers to a central gathering point for any traffic
or service, at which point these gathered entities forward out to various
connection points off of the main hub. For Internet connectivity's sake,
a hub is a small piece of equipment that connects directly to the bridge
or router to run the connection to several computers on your network.
What
is the difference between routed and bridged service?
Bridged networking means that all information passes right through the
DSL router and goes to your computer. The DSL bridge has no IP addresses
of its own. The gateway IP resides on our equipment.
With routed
networking, the DSL router has its own set of IP addresses. A WAN (Wide
Area Network the outside world) IP address, and a LAN (Local Area Network:
The machines the user has hooked up to the router) IP Address. The WAN
IP address talks to the Internet and LAN IP address talks to your machines.
The WAN and LAN pass off information to each other.
What
is NAT service?
NAT networking stands for Network Address Translation. NAT (Network Address
Translation) is the translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address)
used within one network to a different IP address known within another
network. One network is designated the inside network (LAN) and the other
is the outside.
Will
my wireless device work with DSL service?
There are several wireless routers and devices that are compatible with
DSL and the hardware we sell to serve DSL. A good starting point for investigating
this is the DSL Reports Networking Site. NJdialup does not, however, support
equipment not ordered directly in relation to our services.
Will
my handheld work with DSL service?
Handheld units with compatible wireless networking devices may be compatible
with DSL service through NJdialup. NJdialup does not, however, support
equipment not ordered directly in relation to our services.
Can I provide
Internet access for multiple computers with a single DSL connection?
Yes, depending on the speed you get, many users can simultaneously use
the same DSL connection. We will provide you with additional IP addresses
for a very slight additional cost. NJdialup will provide you with the
DSL hardware, but you will need to provide any hubs or cabling necessary
for your local network.
How
is my DSL line connected to the Internet?
Your DSL line is directly two hops from your location to a Redback SMS
1000, and then to a Cisco 7000 router. It is connected to 11 Internet
backbones, including MCI, Sprint, Alternet/UUNet, which are served by
T1/OC3 and DS3 connections.
What
additional computer equipment do I need to use DSL?
Each computer using the DSL for Internet access requires an Ethernet card.
Using more than one computer with DSL also requires an Ethernet hub. NJdialup
does not provide Ethernet cards or hubs. This is your responsibility.
Please contact a NJdialup Sales Representative for details. If you wish
to connect multiple computers to the DSL hardware, you will need to provide
the necessary Ethernet hub and cabling for those computers.
What
type of DSL modem will I receive?
Our Residential customers receive either Efficient modems of the 52xx
series, or a ZyXel modem of the 63x series. All residential services are
configured in bridging mode with static IP addresses. Some packages may
receive static IP addresses under the knowledge that we reserve the right
to change those static IP addresses to dynamic IP addresses at some point.
Can
I get routed service?
Routed service connections are primarily reserved for Business class services,
with the exception of a few currently offered Home Office Residential
packages. Most hardware provided for the remaining Residential packages
is not capable of performing static routing. Your DSL modem is pre-configured
for the service you ordered. Any additional modem configuration software
that is provided with the hardware itself is not needed and contains features
that will not work with your service level.
Can
I obtain more static IP addresses after installation?
Yes, however you cannot have both static and dynamic IPs. In addition,
there is a limit to 10 IPs per residential circuit. To have more than
10 static IPs, you'll need a Business level circuit. Any IP addresses
added to your account that exceed your package limit will be charged per
month, per IP.
Can
I use a modem I already have from another DSL service?
You may use a modem from a previous DSL service, providing it is on our
list of supported modem types. To find out if you can use your modem,
please contact our sales department at 1.800.556.5829, option 3.
Billing
How
will I be billed?
All Residential customers are invoiced via email. Invoiced are also available
via our online MyNJdialup page. NJdialup bills for the month in advance
and invoices one month prior to the start of the service window. These
net-30 payment terms require payment by the first day of that service
window to avoid any interruption in service. Customers are responsible
for all email invoices sent, regardless of email address specified for
billing being actively checked. We can provide mail forwarding and a change
of the billing email address if requested. Paper billing for residential
customers comes at an additional charge for processing costs.
Are
there any fees other than my monthly service charges?
NJdialup also bills you for one non-service fee: The Federal Universal
Service Fee (FUSF). The FUSF is charged on all interstate communications
services, including Internet connectivity. This is not a tax, and no customer
is exempt from payment. Originally, the FUSF was set up as part of the
Telecom Act of 1996 to help fund Internet connectivity for low-income
areas and rural hospitals. You can find information about this here: http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/usfincrease.html.
Can
I have my bills sent to another email address?
Yes! We allow the change of email address that the bill is sent to via
our online customer service tool, MyNJdialup.
Service
Terms
Do
I have to sign a contract to receive service?
Our contract with customers is called the NJdialup Terms of Service. There
are two ways this works. If you place your order online, you agree to
these terms and provide initials that we save on record. Initials on Internet
contracts have been recognized as legally binding digital signatures.
If you place your order with a representative, they approve and add the
initials for you, and provide you an email after order placement that
gives you access to the terms for review. You then have 72 hours from
order placement to cancel without penalty. Those customers keeping service
after 72 hours are bound by the terms and any future modifications.
Is
there a specific period of time I have to have service with NJdialup?
We require all broadband customers retain service for 12 months from the
date of order completion, as reported by the vendor. Those customers canceling
after 72 hours of order placement or outside of any completion grace period
are financially responsible for all associated fees as defined by our
Terms of Service.
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