Charles N Wyble <char...@knownelement.com> wrote: > Yeah. I know that. I wasn't trying to convince you. I was simply > highlighting other options for folks in this thread, who might be > interested in symmetric options.
Seriously though, with my flame-bait hat off for just a moment, I really don't understand just how in the world does MegaPath stay in business. (Why am I picking on MP specifically? Only because they are the last remaining CLEC; everyone else is gone. NorthPoint bit the dust back in 2001. Rhythms got bought out by WorldCom/MCI; when it became Verizon Business, they killed it. Then only Covad remained, and now they are MegaPath.) In this discussion I am ignoring the 100 Mbps and higher "Metro-E" or whatever they are called connections, because I haven't seen anyone suggest them yet - instead everyone focuses on FiOS, U-Verse and the cable company, while I am the ONLY crazy guy advocating SDSL/T1. So let's examine the ADSL/cable/FiOS/U-Verse vs. SDSL/T1 dilemma from the perspective of a CLEC operator like Covad-MegaPath: Option 1: MP would be happy to sell you ATT/Verizon ADSL or cable. But they don't own any of that infrastructure, so they can only resell it. At a markup, of course. So most people would be better off buying the exact same thing directly from ATT/Verizon or your cable company, for less. As for FiOS or U-Verse, I don't think any 3rd parties like MP can resell that at all. Option 2: MP can sell you SDSL, 2x bonded SDSL (they call it 3 Mbps Ethernet, damn marketing), T1 or up to 4x bonded T1. This stuff they can actually deliver themselves using the facilities they own, now that they and Covad are the same company. And if someone other than MP wants to offer SDSL (like VZB did when I got mine), *they* have to go through Covad which is now MP. Everyone on this list (well, everyone except me, but I don't count because I'm a nut) has been saying in one voice that FiOS/U-Verse/cable (or even first-generation ADSL) is a far more sensible option than SDSL/T1. Furthermore, one is the better off buying that stuff directly from ATT/Verizon or the cable company, rather than going through a cost-added reseller like MP. So here is the giant question: how in the world does MP/Covad stay in business then? I honestly have no idea. > Yeah I know that you aren't the only SDSL user. It would appear to even > be offered by ATT. See > http://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Service/access-enterprise/internet-access-enterprise/dsl-service-enterprise/ > > It used to be an option during provisioning on the web interface. I > don't see it now. However numerous references to SDSL exist. Yes, I would be very curious to know if it's still orderable or not. It's a really weird arrangement: ATT Internet services orders transport from the CLEC (Covad-now-MP), then the CLEC turns around and orders the dry copper pair from the ATT ILEC! And it does end up going through the Covad-operated DSLAM in the CLEC cage, *not* ATT's own. > Sure. I've considered getting an SDSL line as a backup. I wonder how > much diversity in terms of cable path/dslam/atm etc SDSL has vs ADSL > into the same CO. Things to research. As Jeff has already said, the separate copper pair runs down the same bundle. However, once it hits the CO, it's a different world. ADSL is handled by ATT/VZ equipment; SDSL goes into the CLEC cage leased by Covad-MP. In that cage it connects to a Nokia D50 DSLAM just like the one in my lab, the one that Topher has pushed the new firmware version to a few weeks ago. From that DSLAM onward the ATM cells travel on DS3 pipes leased to Covad/MP, different from those used by ATT/VZ's own DSLAMs. I've learned quite a bit about these DSLAMs - if you ever need to hack one to sniff someone else's SDSL line or anything along these lines, you know whom to talk to... j/k. In another message: > Right. I would expect it to ride the same cable path into the MDF. > However I wasn't sure if it would necessarily be a different DSLAM. > Couldn't they just mix ADSL/SDSL cards in the same chassis? Layer 8 & up issues. ATT/VZ have chosen to deploy DSLAMs that aren't SDSL-capable, or even if a DSLAM happens to support SDSL line cards, ATT/VZ would never stick one it, they would rather outsource SDSL to what used to be Covad. OTOH, the Nokia D50 DSLAMs that serve SDSL do support ADSL line cards, and Covad also has newer Samsung DSLAMs which are ADSL only. However, I don't think too many people get ADSL from Covad, most probably get theirs from ATT/VZ. MS _______________________________________________ LinuxUsers mailing list LinuxUsers@socallinux.org http://socallinux.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/linuxusers
