[Ham-Computers] RE: WooHoo, it's fast!

Tue Sep 20 14:25:44 EDT 2005

Congrats on the install, Phil!

Sounds like you might have a 3.0Mbps profile (or are *EXTREMEMLY* close to
the CO) as your timings indicate about 1.5Mbps downstream.  If you want to
"benchmark" your bandwidth, try one of these links...

http://www.dslreports.com/stest
http://www.2wire.com/?p=154
http://help.sbcglobal.net/dsl/speedtest/

You might get slightly different results from each site, depending on the
network latency from your home to the test server, but they should be close
(usually within 20%).  If everything is working "well", then your thruput
rates should be about 10% to 20% lower than the advertised rate you're
paying for (accounting for overhead).  So, for example, if you're profile is
1.5Mbps DS and 384Kbps US, then you should see a benchmark of about 1.3Mbps
DS and 300Kbps US.

Are you sure about the model of modem you received, a 4100?  Doesn't sound
right.  Either way, I would suggest that as soon as you receive the router
that you un-install the "base" software from SBC.  Unfortunately, the "base"
also installs a bunch of other *crap* that isn't un-installed if you just
select the SBC software from the Add/Remove control panel.  There are some
other seperate items added that have their own listing in Add/Remove -
you'll need to find those and un-install them too.

When you get a chance, send me a personal e-mail about your modem.  There's
a couple of things I'd like you to try (if you don't mind).

73,

  - Aaron, NN6O

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 7:05 PM
Subject: [Ham-Computers] WooHoo, it's fast!

Hi,

Following Aarons advice I decided to install my DSL modem and see if SBC 
had connected me early.  They did, by at least a day.  Perhaps it's been 
activated for several days, who knows.

Following the SBC instructions EXACTLY for a MANUAL installation without 
the CD ROM, I couldn't get the computer to talk to the modem (A special 
SBC version of the Speedstream 4100) at all  by typing the url of the 
modem into the browser address window.  I even turned off ZA to see if 
that was blocking it, rebooted and did various things.  They just 
wouldn't talk!  The LAN Network indicator in the task bar kept sweeping 
back and forth looking for the address. 

So finally I opted to load the system from the SBC provided CD, but (NOT 
load all their software, a BASIC install ONLY).  One of the first things 
the installer asked me was for the access code on the bottom of the 
modem (which I'd recorded prior to mounting it to the wall under the 
operating table). From then on everything went exactly as it should, it 
went out to SBC and let me register the connection, made my Internet and 
EMAIL connections (to the existing Mozilla FIREFOX and THUNDERBIRD 
programs that I use). 

One note:  Per SBC, I.E. MUST be loaded on your machine to do an 
install, confirmed by the fact that is the browser that the package 
opened during the install registration process.

I'm not sure WHY I couldn't do a manual install per the read.me file on 
the CD.  This is apparently a new Modem that they're using and I suspect 
that SBC may have had this modem configured to require the CD for 
initial set-up! Now I can access it through the modem URL to read the 
various setup specifications and stats.

How fast is it?  I haven't yet figured out how to determine my link 
operating speeds, but it downloaded a 13.7 MB file in 1Min 10- seconds 
flat! With the dial-up that would have taken anywhere from 30-60 minutes!

Am I a happy puppy?  You bet!  It all seems to happen instantly, and 
I've been told it may not even come up to full speed till the 10 day 
"break-in" period is over.

73 de Phil  KO6BB