In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> you wrote: > > I've been using Debian with dial-up for about 8 years and it's getting > > pretty slow, so I thought I would try DSL. The problem is I have > > absolutely no understanding of how DSL works. If I could get a > > connection I don't even understand how the browsers, etc. know how to > > use it. And this is after reading the docs, searching Google and the > > Debian list, etc. Is there a good step by step guide somewhere? > > there are several "versions of DSL". The most common uses what is known as > "discrete multitone modulation". The spectrum of the "cable" is divided > into frequency bins. The bottom-most bin is used for POTS (Plain old > telephone service). The upper bins are divided into several hundred > channels, some of which are used for transmitting-"Upstream" and the rest > are used for receiving-"Downstream". Regularly the downstream channels > exceed the upstream channels giving rise to the term Asymmetric in ADSL. > In each bin the spectrum is used much like that of a conventional modem. > However prior to the transmission of actual data the DSL modem at the > customer's premesis and that at the ISP (usually called a DSLAM) exchange > signals in an attempt to maximize the bit rate in each bin (independently). > Once the bit rate is established control is passed to a higher level > protocol, usually the Point-to Point protocol (PPP) which provides the > connectivity and in some cases authentication (logon) and info exchange > (e.g. DNS, default router). Hope this helps.
This is interesting. I just wish I was a little closer to getting everything configured correctly. Thank you and thanks to everyone else that has tried to help. Larry -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]