Stephen Tashiro
03-17-2013, 12:43 AM
I went to a friends home to get their (first ever) DSL connection to Century Link working. On day one, I couldn't get their new modem to connect. Got a blinking DSL LED light instead of a steady one. On day two, I took my DSL modem from home (which I used on Century Link). Using an extension cord for the modem's power, I connected it to the test jack on the phone junction box. Didn't get a steady DSL light there either.
However, after about 45 minutes on the phone with Century Link tech suppoert, we discovered that my friends house has "VDSL" instead of "ADSL". Their new modem (Netgear N600) won't do VDSL. I notice many modems on store shelves that say they're Century Link compatible don't say they can do VDSL. None of the modems sold at the local Staples would do VDSL. At Best Buy, I got a Century Link brand modem that says it does VDSL. That's to be tried on day three.
There are web pages that claim you don't need a username and password for Century Link DSL. That's probably true for ADSL service. I do have a username and password in my ADSL modem configuration in the PPPoA section since I use a local ISP for name service instead of Century Link. However, the tech support guy said that we will need a username and password to configure the VDSL modem and he gave me the ones assigned.
The directions on both the Netgear and the Century Link modem don't involve the time-honored approach of going to http://192.168.0.1 ( or similar) in a browser and loggin into the modem. They don't provide you with a numerical IP address. The Netgear modem says to go to something like http://modemlogin.net (which doesn't work if your DSL connection doesn't work). By experiment, I found that one of the usual numerical IP addresses works for it). The Century Link brand modem's directions have no information at all about logging into the modem. The directions say to connect all cables, plug in the power, and (supposedly) you are automatically taken to a web page for setting up your connection.
So various salespeople, product packages and web pages have obsolete information about Century Link DSL.
I wonder if my service might get switched to VDSL someday without me being notified. My friends live about 6 miles from me.
It seemed silly to test the DSL signal at the outside box by using a modem on an extension cord. I probably won't have to do it again, but Is there an elegant cordless way to do this - and a cheap way that doesn't involve those thousand dollar testers that the phone company service people use?
However, after about 45 minutes on the phone with Century Link tech suppoert, we discovered that my friends house has "VDSL" instead of "ADSL". Their new modem (Netgear N600) won't do VDSL. I notice many modems on store shelves that say they're Century Link compatible don't say they can do VDSL. None of the modems sold at the local Staples would do VDSL. At Best Buy, I got a Century Link brand modem that says it does VDSL. That's to be tried on day three.
There are web pages that claim you don't need a username and password for Century Link DSL. That's probably true for ADSL service. I do have a username and password in my ADSL modem configuration in the PPPoA section since I use a local ISP for name service instead of Century Link. However, the tech support guy said that we will need a username and password to configure the VDSL modem and he gave me the ones assigned.
The directions on both the Netgear and the Century Link modem don't involve the time-honored approach of going to http://192.168.0.1 ( or similar) in a browser and loggin into the modem. They don't provide you with a numerical IP address. The Netgear modem says to go to something like http://modemlogin.net (which doesn't work if your DSL connection doesn't work). By experiment, I found that one of the usual numerical IP addresses works for it). The Century Link brand modem's directions have no information at all about logging into the modem. The directions say to connect all cables, plug in the power, and (supposedly) you are automatically taken to a web page for setting up your connection.
So various salespeople, product packages and web pages have obsolete information about Century Link DSL.
I wonder if my service might get switched to VDSL someday without me being notified. My friends live about 6 miles from me.
It seemed silly to test the DSL signal at the outside box by using a modem on an extension cord. I probably won't have to do it again, but Is there an elegant cordless way to do this - and a cheap way that doesn't involve those thousand dollar testers that the phone company service people use?