Highspeed DSL
At present, we support Qwest DSL and Oregon Telecomm DSL in the 14 Western States. To obtain DSL, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your phone line must be a Qwest or Oregon Telecomm phone line
- Your phone line must qualify for Qwest or Oregon Telecomm DSL, as determined by the Qwest qualification tool
EarthClick.net's parent company, OIP/Dataworks Computing, is Qwest's ISP partner, so this document refers to OIP/DATAWORKS rather than EarthClick.net.
You mention Oregon Telecomm?
Oregon Telecomm is the only 3rd party provider that resells Qwest DSL. That is, you can free yourself from Qwest's stranglehold by switching your phone service to Oregon Telecomm. You can still get (Qwest) DSL, but all phone and data services will be from authorized third party providers. Yeh! Contact us for more details or to schedule an appointment.
What is DSL?
DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line". DSL service shares your existing phone line so you can use your computer and your phone at the same time and without interruption.
DSL provides a full-bandwidth pipe from your home or office to Qwest's central office. From there, your Internet Service Provider (e.g. OIP/Dataworks) completes your circuit to the Internet.
How is DSL billed?
Qwest or Oregon Telecomm bills the DSL component on your phone bill. OIP/Dataworks bills the Internet component independently.
Is DSL as fast as Cable? Satellite?
Yes ... and no. These solutions use differing technologies and serve different needs, each with its own set of pros and cons.
DSL is considered the best "business solution" because it offers generally consistent speeds and reliable, hard-wired Internet connectivity.
Cable broadband is not a reliable nor as consistent as DSL. However, in some cases, it can be much faster. It is frequently available in locations where DSL is not available.
Satellite is less reliable and is considerably more susceptible to weather conditions than either DSL or Cable broadband. Satellite is available almost anywhere, whereas Cable and DSL are hard-wired.
DSL and Cable are usually cost about the same for startup and monthly costs. Satellite usually has much higher startup and monthly costs than either DSL or Cable.
What speeds does DSL run at?
DSL is measured in terms of its upload and download speeds.
Qwest least expensive "Qwest Choice DSL", running at approximately 256K upload and download. This is at least FIVE TIMES faster than Dialup, and does not rely on compression technology to accelerate the connection. Cost: $25 from OIP/Dataworks and $15 from Qwest.
The next available product is "Qwest Choice DSL Deluxe", with speeds up to 1.5mbps download and about 800kbps upload. This service is recommended for residential "power users" and all business users. Cost: $25 from OIP/Dataworks and $28 from Qwest.
Oregon Telecomm DSL is $28 per month and is essentially "Qwest's Choice DSL Deluxe" package.
DSL is connected to your home or business phone line with a "Gateway/Router". We support Actiontec's DSL Gateway/Routers, which can be rented for $5.00 per month or purchased for $70.00 to $85.00. Qwest will drop-ship the router to us for (free) programming, or we can sell a router from our stock if you are an Oregon Telecomm subscriber.
NOTE: We stock routers as replacements for defective (out of warranty) routers and to supply needs from our Oregon Telecomm customers. We do not troubleshoot, sell, program or loan routers to non-OIP/Earthclick customers.
OIP/Dataworks does not charge a setup fee, but Qwest and Oregon Telecomm usually do. Please contact us for current installation promotions.
OIP/Dataworks recommends that you buy the modem rather than rent. New Actiontec router/gateways have a 1 year warranty, and the payback period for rental about 17 months. We also have loaners available if you need to borrow one while Qwest ships you a replacement (limited to local customers only).
How do I get DSL?
Contact support@earthclick.net or call toll free (800) 489-0354 and request that we qualify your phone# for DSL. Please provide your phone#, your current telco vendor, and your email address.
Do you have Backup Dialup?
Yes. Each DSL account gets a free backup dialup service. This account is limited to 5 hours per month unless there is a verifiable service outage longer than 1 hour (rare). If you need an alternative dialup service (e.g. you have a laptop), you can subscribe to our 150 hour or unlimited account at a $3 monthly discount.
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