DSL Newb Question

[gameniac85]

I have never had DSL before and have always either used Dial-Up or Cable internet, but my parents are moving into a rented house and they have decided to not get a phone service and that they will just use their cell phones as their main phones. They did talk about Vonage as an option as well. So, my question is do you have to have a phone service available to get DSL? Let's say they get Verizon DSL, would they have to have a phone service? Basically do they have to have a phone number like you do with a Dial-Up Connection?

I know Vonage allows you to use DSL so I assumed that if Vonage allows DSL then you would not need a phone service to get DSL because that would defeat the purpose of getting Vonage in the first place. I told them that they should go ahead and get Cable internet, but they are trying to cut back on costs. So, any help would be appreciated.

 

[fishmahn]

DSL uses the same wires as a phone line to get to your house.

Technically, it does not have to be connected to the phone system (i.e., you don't need a phone #) to work. However, most DSL providers I know of piggyback the DSL onto your phone line, and won't provide the service without it.

If you do have a DSL provider that doesn't require an existing phone line (Speakeasy and CAIS are 2 I have had experience with), you may have to pay extra (or its built into their fees to you) for service. I've used both piggyback and separate line DSL, and separate line service was more expensive - though after adding the cost of a phone # and line, it was about the cost of piggyback - maybe even a tad cheaper, I don't recall.

Mike.

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue>

 

[gameniac85]

Cool, I look into those options. Thanks for the advice.

 

[RichPLS]

In your area, is DSL cheaper than a budget cable ISP service?

Where I am, cable internet is cheaper than DSL and offers faster speed for the same cash.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>

 

[fishmahn]

In mine, the opposite is true. Comcast doesn't like to sell Cable internet without cable TV, so they charge more if you don't have cable TV too (I have satellite).

Plus SBC is almost always running 19.99 or 29.99/mo specials... half the price of the 49.99 (with cable TV) to 59.99 (without) that cable is.

Mike.

<font color=blue>Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside the dog its too dark to read.
-- Groucho Marx</font color=blue>

 

[gameniac85]

Cable internet is through Brighthouse(IE RR) at $44.95 as most DSLs are $19.99 - $29.99. I checked out Speakeasy and they charge $55.95 for their no phone line service plan, making it cheaper just to go with the cable internet. I also looked up SBC and they only have Dial-Up in the area. So, it looks like cable might be the only plausible option for them. Thanks for the help.

 

[folken]

In my area 1.5mb dsl is $14.95, 3mb dsl is $24.95, 3mb cable is $44.99, and 56k is still $21-30

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>