What type of phone line will I require?

To use ADSL, you must have a working BT PSTN (analogue) phone line and a valid BT contract. If you are currently contracted to another telecommunications company, you will need to transfer to BT or have an additional BT line installed.

Can I keep my existing phone number?

If you have an existing BT analogue line, you will keep your existing number. Home Highway users will retain the number of your first (PSTN 1) line. If you do not currently use BT for your telecommunications provision, you should consult your current provider.

Can I get ADSL in my area?

The latest information available to Powernet indicates that 80% of the UK already have ADSL available. ADSL customers need to be located no more than 3.5 kilometres from their local telephone exchange. The further away from your local exchange you are, the lower the connection speed you are likely to experience. To check whether the line to your house is capable of supporting ADSL technology click here.

How fast is it?

Powernet offers bandwidth of up to 2048K download speed for home users, with a standard upload speed of up to 256K.

How busy your local exchange is and the degree of contention that you might encounter determine the actual download speed that you will enjoy. Nevertheless, these speeds far exceed previous maximum rates that could be achieved using a modem connection.

Will I need to upgrade my computer?

PCs will require an available USB port: if you do not have one, an upgrade card can be purchased for around £15-20. Currently, Apple Mac users are supported only by the Ethernet version. A USB single user connectivity option is planned for the future.

PC Specification

Note: BT does not support Windows 95's implementation of USB.

Apple Mac Specification

Are there any compatibility problems?

ADSL may pose compatibility problems with: subscriber private meeting; 30k loop; private circuits; ISDN; Home and Business Highway; Red ABC; Redcare; FeatureNet 5000; Meterpulse, and PBX lines.

Fax users should note that fax devices for use with ADSL must be rated as Group4: while lower groups may function, BT will not install ADSL at premises where they are intended for use as frequency crossover may cause problems.

What about security?

ADSL connections are no less secure than any other form of connection: the key difference is that ADSL is online 24hrs a day and networks connected to the Internet in this way can therefore be probed and attacked at any time. This does not, however, make ADSL inherently insecure: indeed, your network computer is at significantly less risk with NAT ADSL than with a standard dial-up account from an ISP.

Powernet strongly recommend that security is reviewed as a "whole" rather than focusing purely on ADSL. While most organisations understand the importance of security, many remain inadequately protected. The level of security you require obviously varies depending on your circumstances and Internet use, and you should refer to our security product details for further information regarding our security services.

Users who wish to take sensible precautions to protect information on their PC(s) should consider choosing one of the growing lines of home-user security applications designed to protect and monitor individual workstations. Sites such as http://www.mcafee.com/ or http://www.reallygood-software.com/ have well-designed and cost-effective solutions that are appropriate for the home user.

Home DSL FAQ (last edited 2006-03-08 14:51:16 by DaveEvans)