[X4U] ISPs, DSL, dhcp vs. PPPoE, and VOIP

[Michael Elliott]

Don't know about all the other issues, but you should be able to plug  
in an USB wireless unit that will allow your TiVO to access the  
programming information over the Internet instead of the phone. I have  
a TiVo-provided unit that works fine.

--------------------
If my email is short, it's because I'm emailing from my phone.

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www.apple.com/iPhone

On Dec 5, 2007, at 6:50 PM, Jim Robertson <jamesrob at sonic.net> wrote:

> Message title sounds like a 21st century equivalent of the "lions  
> and tigers
> and bears - oh MY" plaint in the Wizard of Oz!
>
> I'll be moving into a brand new home in two weeks. I'm trying to  
> consolidate
> the communications services that come into my home.
>
> Currently, I have 2 phone lines in my house. One carries the DSL  
> signal, and
> my dim recollection when I set things up was that I couldn't use  
> that line
> for DirecTV's middle of the night phone calls that update the  
> schedule on my
> TiVo. In my new house, I'm considering getting just one POTS line  
> that will
> bring in the DSL signal, and getting the second line via ATT's VOIP
> (CallVantage)service. I'm told there are converters that will allow  
> FAX
> signals to run over that service-which will have a second phone  
> number, but
> I'm not sure whether I'd be able to get my TV schedule updates if  
> one line
> is DSL, the other VOIP. Another concern here is that the max  
> download rate I
> can get at this address via DSL is 3 mbits/sec because of my linear  
> distance
> from the nearest fiber closet. Anyone able to hazard a guess whether  
> that's
> enough bandwidth for one line VOIP (it wouldn't be the primary voice  
> line)
> as well as general internet access for 2-5 Macs (typical residential  
> use,
> although my son does some bittorrent downloads - no hosting - when  
> he thinks
> I'm not looking).
>
> I'd save a bit of money if paid ATT for my DSL service instead of my  
> current
> ISP, but my recollection of PPPoE was that it was a nuisance. My  
> current ISP
> will sell me four email addresses for $4/month so even if the ISP was
> ATT.net, we'd still be able to keep our xxx at sonic.net addresses.
>
> The Mac-relevant part of all this pertains to whether Leopard's  
> "Back to My
> Mac feature will work more reliably with my home router having a  
> static IP -
> I know, I've asked the question before, but I forgot about ATT's use  
> of
> PPPoE and don't know if that would mess things up.
>
> Finally, does anyone have any opinions or knowledge about how happy  
> I'd be
> getting 2 voice lines by paying ATT for ONE line capable of carrying  
> DSL AND
> paying them for ATT's "CALLVANTAGE" VOIP? Would I be able to send and
> receive FAX transmissions on the VOIP "virtual" line? Would my DVRs  
> be able
> to update DirecTV's schedules?
>
> Sorry for all the questions. Thanks so much for any opinions,  
> suggestions,
> cautions, etc. I know some of this is off-topic, so the listmoms may  
> prefer
> off-list replies.
>
> Jim Robertson
> -- 
>
>
>
> Jim Robertson
> -- 
>
>
>
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