tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Re: DSLXtreme Experience So Far
Just for completeness sake - no Verizon technician showed up today. So that means the puzzle on whether it was the 8th or 9th has been solved!
It was neither! 
Not sure what the next step is. I don't want to open another trouble shooting ticket since it may just cause more problems for DSLXtreme/Verizon communication.
I guess I could phone DSLx tomorrow - but that may just be wasting their time since I'm pretty sure the information available to them is the same as the DSLx reps on this forum.
I think I'll just wait and see what happens... What is hard to accept is that even when the Verizon guy shows up and does his thing - it's not my activation date - which means I'll still have to wait for the modem (unless it works with the one that I plugged in from Best Buy "automagically") and get a connection date from DSLx... Knowing all this now - I was hoping I'd be on my second day of waiting for that to happen instead of just a dry loop install from the Verizon tech.
Oh well, I guess that's just the way things are sometimes... I keep telling myself that all this painful waiting just means my house has incredible copper wiring and that I'm going to be blessed with vDSL speeds, right?
- Marco |
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dslx_gm
Premium,VIP
join:2002-12-26
Winnetka, CA
| I have sent an email off to our orders team asking for an update. I should have more information for you in the morning and will follow up with you once I do.
I apologize for the inconvenience. We are doing everything possible to get you up and running as soon as possible.
Thanks
--
George
General Manager
DSL Extreme
Will work for reviews. |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA | reply to tt0ne
Thanks, George - I look forward to hearing some news!
- Marco |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA | Up nice and early (6:35 AM) - have to take kids to school. I'll be available all day for the Verizon guy - FYI.
- Marco |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Good news! I just got an email from DSLx that says my Activation Date is 6/11/2009. That's tomorrow!
I'm almost wondering if the reason why I never saw a Verizon guy come is because he didn't need to - they already knew the last person who lived here was on DSL - or - maybe he came and was wearing a ninja outfit? I don't know - but who cares - should be up and running tomorrow.
I also got another email right after that one:
"The order is scheduled to complete tomorrow and your modem will be ship out today, If you have any questions please call our office at 1-800-774-3379. Thank you!"
I wish they'd just flip the switch today since I have a Verizon DSL modem plugged into a phone jack right now - but no big deal - one more day isn't going to kill me especially when I was thinking "oh now - I'm gonna break the 4 week record"
So, thanks to George and Lily for getting this done! Really appreciate it!
Once I use the service for a week or so I'll do a review and hopefully I won't have any "speed issues/connectivity issues" - although - if I do - I'm sure with all the brain power in this forum there is no problem unsolvable - well - except for invisible Verizon technicians...
I'll make one more entry on this thread once I actually can access dslreports.com from my own link!
Woot!
- Marco |
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Zak_D_H
Premium,VIP
join:2007-01-04
Salt Lake City, UT
 ·Qwest.net
| Hi tt0ne,
Check the phone-box. If you dont see a Orange tag with the dry-loop phone number then it is VERY unlikely the DSL will be working tomorrow even though we have a due date. Then again they may be out tomorrow to connect that up.
Since this is a dry-loop order I would also like to point out that Verizon may not connect the dry-loop into the house. If you have no sync tomorrow but you have the orange tag then make sure that the wire from the orange tag is connected to where the wires go into you're home.
--
Zak
Tech Support
DSLExtreme
|
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Hi Zak,
Thanks for the information. I just went outside and opened up the phone box and there is no orange tag. As for the loop not being connected into the house and the jacks - no worries - I'm comfortable doing that.
BUT... I guess I got a little too excited a little too early
I hope hope hope HOPE HOPE REALLY HOPE times a billion - they come out before the end of the day or tomorrow.
Once again, thanks for the response and the info - most helpful!
- Marco |
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CCarson
join:2001-07-22
Redlands, CA
·DSL EXTREME
| When I was going through the process, Verizon made the following mistakes:
* Didn't tag anything in the MPOE box
* Didn't even leave me a note telling me they had visited
* Did connect the DSL wire to the customer side of the MPOE
However, my MPOE has two different connections to handle two phone lines into the house. Verizon connected DSL to the *second* household phone connection, not the first (even though it was dry-loop and even though I had never had a second phone line as long as I've lived here).
Fortunately, I just happened to try connecting line 2 to my household line 1 wiring and saw it magically start working.
I think we lost a lot with the advent of DSL self-installation kits... |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Ok, here's the deal. My modem arrived from DSLx and I plugged it into the phone jack and it doesn't sync.
So, I started looking at the wiring the home - it's a nightmare...
So I could use some help...
At the MPOE I can see a black thick wire that has red/green/black/yellow pairs coming out of it. There is also a ground wire. The MPOE is only able to service one line (there is a ground screw and then the other two screws for the actual line). I can see that the red and green wires are screwed in tightly and the quality of the cable is good. The yellow and black aren't being used and are rolled up cleanly.
Now, the messy part. There is some cat-3 (I think it is) that is also coming off the two terminals that are connected to where the red/green pair from the black cable is. Off the cat-3 is a blue with white stripes and a white with blue stripes... I went to each of the phone jacks in the house and verified that they also match with that.
Here is where I'm confused... What exactly did Verizon even need to come out to my house for (if they did)? Would they be connecting anything at the MPOE that isn't already connected? Or did they connect the red and green wires from the black cable? I'd assume those are ALWAYS connected from the time the house was built. If there WAS a yellow tag - would it be on the black cable? Should I connect the yellow and black wire from the black cable - is that what Verizon would do? I thought that was just for another phone line...
Help me out here guys... I'm even willing to strip some cat-5 and plug the DSL modem outside by the MPOE just to make sure it's not an internal wiring problem - but I don't want to bother if Verizon hasn't done something they need to do at this end... I'd rather start diagnosing internal wiring problems AFTER I know Verizon did what they needed to do...
- Marco |
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Zak_D_H
Premium,VIP
join:2007-01-04
Salt Lake City, UT
·Qwest.net
1 edit | This should help. Everything should connect the way he describes but without the need of a splitter since you do not have to separate out the dial-tone. We will probably have to send up a ticket to have Verizon tag the MPOE. They would connect the DSL signal to a line at the NID and you would have to connect the DSL signal from the NID to you're inside wiring. I honestly don't understand the technical aspects of it all that well so maybe somebody else here can help.
»homephonewiring.com/dsl.html
Edit: »homephonewiring.com/clr-code.html
--
Zak
Tech Support
DSLExtreme
|
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Ok, you guys are GOING TO LOVE THIS!
On my way home from picking my kids up from their last day of school, I see a Verizon truck just outside the old folks home down the street. I pull up beside him and ask, "you aren't happening to stop by are you?"
He said, "Nope."
So, I then go on to explain everything that is outlined in this thread. The guy is a totally nice dude. I ask him, "can you come over quickly and take a look at my outside network interface box..."
I've heard lots of people complain about Verizon, but seriously - this guy has now been at my house for two hours and has identified the problem. He stuck a linesmen handset onto the MPOE and guess what? DSL is active. Phone service is active. Unfortunately, it's NOT OUR ADDRESS! It's a house two blocks down! This is why there has obviously been so many problems... First off, as you all know, you can't have two DSL modems on the same line which is why I'm not authenticating - but even worse - IT'S NOT OUR ADDRESS! Is that crazy or what?
So, Dan (that's the Verizon guy's name that I flagged on the side of the road) phoned the super secret Verizon line (haha - you know what I mean) and explained everything - opened up a ticket and said he'd stay until it's fixed and that I'll be up and running before he leaves.
IS THAT SWEET OR WHAT?!?!!?
So, I'll report back - the DirecTV guys also just showed up - so I've got my hands full at the moment.
I'm gonna run a "homerun" connection from the MPOE directly to the DSL modem that just arrived since we'll never have phone service and I only need Internet.
- Marco |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Oh ya, one more thing. He showed me fiber running directly by my house and said the only reason why I wouldn't be able to get it is because in condo complexes like where I live now - they have to have permission from the "board of directors" or whatever - and so I'm going to start that process as soon as possible.
In fact, maybe DSLXtreme wants to help me since they now resell FIOS. What information does Verizon need, what documents, etc. I live in a pretty big condo complex and I'm sure lots of people would like to sign up!
- Marco |
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Zak_D_H
Premium,VIP
join:2007-01-04
Salt Lake City, UT
·Qwest.net
| reply to tt0ne
Hi tt0ne,
So if I understand you correctly the Dry-loop number they assigned you wasnt a dry-loop phone-number but a real phone number that is in use by another person? I wish It was the first time I have heard of this happening.
I have sent you a PM with the dry-loop number Verizon told us they would be using. Confirm with the Verizon tech since that should be the number used to connect the dry-loop at the MPOE
--
Zak
Tech Support
DSLExtreme
|
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Zak,
Dan Littlefield was the technician that I flagged right off the street (this is the kind of employee that really did make you feel like you were in a Verizon commercial!) and he verified the "fake number" ID and it matched what you sent me.
He also said the DSL wasn't active and phoned down to the central office and had the girl he talked to promise to activate it before she left... HOW SWEET IS THAT?
He also ran a homerun cable drop for me directly from the MPOE terminal to the DSL modem - woot! He says based on how close I am to the Central Office and how clean the cabling is now - he said it's too bad you guys don't offer a 5000/768 package
- Marco |
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jadinolf
I love you Fred
Premium
join:2005-07-09
Ojai, CA
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to tt0ne
He says based on how close I am to the Central Office and how clean the cabling is now - he said it's too bad you guys don't offer a 5000/768 package
Green with envy.
--
This post printed on 100% recycled bytes |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Ok, another report from "DSL Hell"
I woke up this morning - still no DSL sync. So, as suggested by Dan (the Verizon dude who came out yesterday) I gave him a call (yes, he gave me his cell phone # - totally cool!) and he phoned down to the central office. He then phoned me back and told me they said it was live. I told him that there is no DSL on my line according to the DSL modem. So, he said he'd phone me back again. 10 minutes later he said he phoned "his buddy who he works with" (as you can imagine, if I was going through the standard troubleshooting ticket system I'd never get this kind of speedy service) that is a DSL specialist and that he'd be coming over to my house today. No joke, 1/2 hour later - the dude is at my place. He sticks his super elite DSL thingy into my line and says, "nope - no DSL, man. I think they wired to the wrong place again - but don't worry - I'll get you up today and I'm gonna go call the CO right now and if they don't give me the answers I'm looking for I'll drive down there myself."
And so, that's where I'm at today 
Hopefully my NEXT post will be from my own DSL link.
- Marco |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
Well, the quest for DSL has ended!
It took me from May 19th to June 12th - with the help of a lot of people - big thanks to GM_George and Zak from DSLextreme, Dan and George from Verizon and those of you on this thread!
Now - the big question? After tweaking out the linux firewall, configuring the Dlink DSL modem and setting up good cabling, etc. - was it worth this painful experience?
Well, I'll let the modem speak for itself:
ADSL Statistics
Mode: G.DMT
Type: Interleave
Line Coding: Trellis On
Status: No Defect
Link Power State: L0
Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin (dB): 15.8 10.0
Attenuation (dB): 52.0 31.5
Output Power (dBm): 16.8 11.9
Attainable Rate (Kbps): 6848 788
Rate (Kbps): 3360 672
Notice the "attainable rate" So, when can I sign up for the 6000/768 package, Zak/George?
Latency is GREAT, but I'm REALLY hoping that I can get DSLextreme to switch me over from interleave to FastPath? Is that an option for us DSLextreme customers or do you have to be on a Verizon billing cycle?
Anyways, a happy ending to a DSL horror story - because quite honestly - everything that could possibly be wrong WAS wrong. When you clip onto our terminal and hear a dialtone from four blocks down - something is most definitely screwed up.
In summary - it's VERY obvious that this was never DSLExtreme's problem and if you've read this whole thread I wanted my final comments to be reflective of the truth. No one can anticipate the mess in my neighborhood - and it was Verizon's fault - BUT - it was some of the nicest and hard working Verizon employees that also solved the problem that was obviously the mess left over from some less than reputable co-workers.
So, I'll make one more post on this thread in a few weeks after I've had some time with my new connection and give a report
Thanks everyone!
- Marco |
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sashwa
Pixie Cat Crunchin' n Foldin'
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-29
Alcatraz
clubs:  | Yayyyy, Marco! |
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tt0ne
join:2008-07-13
Redlands, CA
| reply to tt0ne
The only thing I'm concerned about is the noise margins and attenuation... It should be way better then that considering considering my in house wiring is now fantastic. This suggests some problems outside of my control...
What do you guys think?
- Marco |
|
sashwa
Pixie Cat Crunchin' n Foldin'
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-29
Alcatraz
clubs: | Too my untrained eye, they look good to me. I know if I'm wrong someone will correct me.  |
|
