What is ADSL?

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It is a way of speeding up communications (such as internet access) across plain copper phone lines. It also allows you to use your phone while you are connected to the internet, without requiring a second phone line. Cincinnati Bell's ZoomTown is their ADSL service for the Cincinnati area, and is used by several internet providers, including EOS.

What is this ZoomTown?

Zoomtown is Cincinnati Bell's Online Interactive City. There is a lot of information and services that you can access from there, such as movie times, news, weather, community calendars, etc. You can also play multiplayer games across ZoomTown with other ZoomTown subscribers, at much higher speeds than normal internet access thru a modem connection. ZoomTown is an area on the internet that caters to ZoomTown subscribers. It is an extension of the Internet, not a replacement for it.

How much does it cost?

To use ADSL you pay an additional Cincinnati Bell fee (similar to Call Waiting or Caller ID) of $29.95/month if you sign up for a year. In addition, if you sign up for a year with ZoomTown before January 20th, 1999, you should qualify for their Charter Membership program, which includes free setup and equipment. If you signup after 1/20/99, you will pay a $150 installation fee, and up to $500 in equipment (ADSL modem, Ethernet Card, Line Filters for your phones).

EOS' rate for ADSL is $19.95 per month. The connection includes your ADSL access and an email account. Customers who prepay for 1 year will receive a special price of $14.95/month. If you have the need to access the internet through ADSL and through a dialup connection, you can upgrade to a 'Dual Access' account for an additional $9.95 per month. With the dual access account you will have the choice of connecting through either option.

* Please note that these prices do not include sales tax, for business clients.

Can anyone get ADSL?

Currently, Cincinnati Bell has limited availability in the Greater Cincinnati Area. They are working to increase availability to all of their Central Offices, and then expanding from there. There is a distance limitation for ADSL to work, which is 18,000 feet of wiring from your Central Office. To check availability for your phone number, go to:

http://www.fuse.net/products/dialup/fuse@zoom/areas_index.html, and enter your phone number (including area code) in the red boxes on the upper right side. Your computer also has to be able to have an ethernet connection, which means it must already have an ethernet card, or must have an open expansion slot to handle one.

PC/Windows Requirements:

486/66 MHz or better processor
Windows 95/98/NT
16MB RAM
25MB Hard Disk space available
An available PCI/ISA/EISA expansion slot, or Ethernet Card already installed.

 

Macintosh Requirements:

PowerPC processor
System 7.5.3 or greater
Open Transport 1.1.2 or better software
16MB RAM
25MB Hard Disk space available
Ethernet port (10 base-T or 100 base-T) or open slot for Ethernet Card\

How much faster is ADSL than my connection now?

In terms of modem speed, ADSL at EOS download speeds should be more than 10 times faster than a 33.6K modem. Granted, there are still speed bottlenecks on the internet, such as network congestion and server lag that will limit this at times. Upload speeds should be around 3 times that of a 33.6K modem.

Will I still use my modem?

No. ADSL requires a special modem, which Cincinnati Bell will provide upon installation. Currently they are using a Cisco 675 ADSL Modem, which connects to an Ethernet port on your computer. If you don't have an Ethernet port or card in your computer, Cincinnati Bell will provide a card (for desktop or laptop computers) for you.

How long does it take to setup?

Once you order ZoomTown with EOS, your installation should take place in around 10 business days.

Is this only limited to business or residential clients?

ADSL is for business and residential clients

Can I take my modem with me on vacation?

No. ADSL is limited to phone lines that are setup to handle it, and in this case, your equipment should only be used on lines that have been setup to access ZoomTown.

Can I get a dedicated ADSL connection to replace my Analog, ISDN or Leased Line connection?

Not at this time. ADSL is a new technology for Cincinnati Bell and for us, and the equipment is not in place to provide dedicated connections thru ZoomTown. Hopefully this will change in the near future.

How do I order ADSL?

You can order ADSL thru Cincinnati Bell's ZoomTown, at 565-2375 (specify EOS as your provider), and coming soon, you can call us at 522-0011 to order ADSL for you.