What you need to be able to use DSL

To use DSL, you need the following:

• A DSL modem. See DSL modems that are compatible with the Coop's equipment.
• Inside wiring in your house from the network interface device to the place where your DSL modem is to be used. You can see a discussion of inside wiring.
• A port on the Coop's DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer) which is located in the stable. The money you pay to the Coop includes providing one of the twenty-four ports for your use.
• A dedicated telephone line from the DSLAM to your network interface device. This is separate from and in addition to any telephone line that you may presently be using for voice telephone service. This DSL line is provided by Qwest, and the Coop will be paying Qwest an installation fee and a monthly fee for this dedicated telephone line. The money you pay to the Coop includes reimbursing the Coop for these fees. One stumbling block that may arise is if the buried telephone cable between your home and the street lacks spare pairs. But most homes in the Ranch have at least one spare pair in that cable.
• A computer, or more than one, with an ethernet port and TCP/IP software. Any computer that you presently use for Internet access necessarily already has TCP/IP software installed. If you do not already have an ethernet port in your computer, then you will need to get one installed. You can do this yourself, or pay a computer consultant to install one. Because this installation process is sometimes very tedious and time-consuming, the Coop is not likely to be able to provide a volunteer to install an ethernet card for you (except perhaps in return for an entire case of very expensive wine).
• We also recommend you install a lightning protector.

What you get when you sign up for the Coop's DSL service. What you get from the Coop for your money is Internet connectivity at your Ruby Ranch home. That's all. Not email service, not a personal web page. It is not possible to dial into the Coop's service by means of a dialup modem. If you need Internet connectivity somewhere else (at another home or while traveling), the Coop cannot help you with that.

There are also some optional things which we strongly recommend you obtain, namely a DSL router, and virus protection software. Virus protection software is essential these days since so much junk email (spam) contains computer viruses which can damage your computer or delete files. A DSL router is also very important, for four different reasons:

• Protection against bad people. Any computer that is connected to the Internet for long periods of time is at risk of being attacked by some bad person on the Internet. People could try to get into your files, for example. A DSL router provides an extra layer of protection against some attacks of this kind.
• Remote troubleshooting. As you know, the Coop is staffed solely by volunteers. If you are having trouble with your computer or your DSL connection, it will save a lot of trouble for your fellow members if you have a DSL modem and if it is configured to permit (password-protected) remote access. (Such configuration is described in the Welcome Sheet.) Such remote access makes it easier for a Coop volunteer to troubleshoot your connection, for example to determine if the problem is a Coop problem or a problem with your own computer. It may well save the Coop volunteer from having to make a house call at an inconvenient time.
• Convenience when moving a portable computer between the Ranch and some other location. Each time you move your computer to a new location, it is necessary to get an IP address from your Internet Service Provider at that location. The easy way to do this is to configure your computer to "get an IP address automatically." But this only works if each of your locations assigns an IP address to your computer automatically. The Coop's equipment does not do that; it provides a fixed IP address which you would have to hand-type into your computer each time you arrive at the Ranch with your computer. But if you get a DSL router and install it at your Ruby Ranch home (connected to your DSL modem), it will be able to supply an IP address automatically to your computer when you bring it to the Ranch.
• Convenience if you want to connect more than one computer to the Internet. If you want to connect more than one computer to the Internet through your DSL service, each computer will need to have its own IP address. A DSL router allows you to create as many IP addresses as you wish, and makes it easy to provide such IP addresses automatically to each of your computers. It saves you from having to hand-type IP addresses into your various computers and protects against your accidentally assigning duplicate IP addresses to more than one computer.

We have had very good luck with the following DSL routers:

• the SMC 7004VBR router, available for $42 from PC Connection and
• the SMC 7004AWBR wireless router, available for $40 from PC Connection.

For further reading, see the Welcome sheet.