DSL or Cable high speed to MH

The Shadow · 01-05-2005, 03:34 AM

We have been having problems with the installation of DSL. The Tech from Verizon should be here today. Has anyone else experienced problems?

I've now realized that Winnie and other manufacturers have been slow in recognizing the needs of MH owners for high speed connections. There should be a separate cable line to the "desk or work area" form the connection to the coach. A split for the phone line at the same place or provision for a totally separate line would also be useful.

I'd be interested in learning how forum members with high speed via cable have handled the installation. As I see it, a separate line is needed and that means drilling one of more holes and I'm not fond of that idea.

Thanks

Don

The Shadow · 01-05-2005, 03:34 AM

We have been having problems with the installation of DSL. The Tech from Verizon should be here today. Has anyone else experienced problems?

I've now realized that Winnie and other manufacturers have been slow in recognizing the needs of MH owners for high speed connections. There should be a separate cable line to the "desk or work area" form the connection to the coach. A split for the phone line at the same place or provision for a totally separate line would also be useful.

I'd be interested in learning how forum members with high speed via cable have handled the installation. As I see it, a separate line is needed and that means drilling one of more holes and I'm not fond of that idea.

Thanks

Don

ichn2go · 01-05-2005, 05:11 AM

Dleslie, I may be wrong but, in my home with DSL I use a spliter at the jack where my computer/telephone hooks up. One line goes to the computer and the other with filter is for the phone. Every other jack for a telephone has a filter pluged into it and the phone plugs into the filter. You can be online and still use the phone. DSL from Verizon does not require two lines coming into the home. Good Miles and

Kiwi · 01-05-2005, 05:40 AM

DSL has a mileage limitation. If the user is too many feet from the demarkation point it will not work.
ATT tried to install at my home that was theoretically inside the circle, but was unable to get it to work after a week trying.
I did get a cable modem installed with no problem.
Unless a motorhome is permanently connected at a home base and almost never moves, I wonder how much value such a connection would be. I would investigate the use of one of the Verizon or Sprint (CDMA) wireless connections.
If you are semi-permanently tethered, you could also consider a WiFi setup that lives in a weathertight (plastic) box on the pole at the campground. Then when you pull in, you have a hot spot.
Be sure to secure your WiFi to prevent unauthorized use. This is done with passwords or MAC address on the WiFi router.

The Shadow · 01-05-2005, 10:08 AM

I understand the connection issues for both. Let me explain. At home up north my internet connection is via cable - and it is is fast - 5mb. My No. 1 son (who happens to be an ISP) also uses cable at home and is getting as high as 8 MB. At this time DSL can't come close to those speeds - especially at the prices charged by the cable companies. Our cable modem is connected to my G5 Mac and we use Airport to connect my G4 Laptop and my wife's Cube. For both the Airport card serial numbers are entered and the wireless will only recognize those numbers.

I wanted to switch to DSL at home since the phone company also supplies my cell phone, long distance plan AND satellite dish. This was my second time around with them (Bell Canada). Turns out they can only give us 256k - which I wouldn't even consider given what I'm getting on cable. The problem is that we are 7.2 KM from the telephone exchange. After 4 km the service drops right off. We are within 4 KM as the crow flies but the line goes around a river. Consolidating service provides some nice discounts - and getting only internet on cable comes with a higher price.

Here in Florida we are less than 1 KM to the exchange. So far (and they are working on it now and the phone connection has been cutting out off and on today) they have not been able to get the DSL running. My guess is that they are going to have to change or upgrade the quality of the wires to the box at our lot.

Frankly, I'd rather have internet on cable. That means splitting the cable line outside the MH, connecting one side of the split to the MH cable input (if we were to take cable TV) and then run a line from the other side of the splitter to the front of the coach, drill through the floor and feed it into the coach - but I'm not nuts about coming through the floor anywhere. Of course, the cable line in at the back of the MH goes into the distribution box next to the front TV where the signal is sent to the front TV, rear TV and O/S entertainment center. The cable company can also provide digital phone service.

It would be nice if Winnie would recognize this internet issue and include another separate cable (coax) line from the back to the desk that would be used for internet only.

For DSL in the coach I have the filter on (we only have one phone now) but I'm wondering just how much wire they have - one pair or two pair. I think DSL requires 2 pair. Another coach nearby has had no problem getting DSL up and has a wireless router (I'm about 20 feet too far from him to mooch off of his feed). As I noted above, my feeling is that they are going to find a wiring problem at our box. I sure wish they'd stop their tinkering at the exchange and check out the box.

I would have been nice if the other owners in this park had arranged for WiFi with either the phone or cable co - it would have been a lot cheaper and easier for everyone if negotiated properly. Given we will have our MH parked here for 6 months this has to be treated like a permanent installation.

The Shadow · 01-05-2005, 06:13 PM

Phone company called late today - definite problem at the telephone exchange we are connected to and they have asked for specialist help to solve the problem. Don't know what the outcome will be and don't really understand the problem as another MH owner six lots away has DSL and it working fine.

limandlin · 01-05-2005, 06:23 PM

We have dsl, but have found that if the overhead flourescent lights are turned on in the main cabin, the dsl connection will randomly disconnect. Also, the bedroom radio would magically turn on and off. With the flourescent lights off, all works well

JB Texas · 01-05-2005, 06:49 PM

Don
If I remember correctly, my cable connection used a filter at the input. I'm wondering if you could use the AUX output of your switchbox with the filter there and route that to a cable modem?

The Shadow · 01-06-2005, 03:45 AM

JB, if I decide to consider cable when we return in the all I'll have a look at that approach. Could be the way to go.

I'm hoping that in the near future two say satellite will come down in price and go up in speed. If that ever happens I think I'd take the plunge and use it at home and on the road.

CaptBill · 01-06-2005, 04:13 AM

Don, DSL only requires 1 pair of wires, (the same pair as the telephone tip and ring), and your motorhome is wired with 2 pair. But as Jim pointed out, the DSL filter can go right at the jack.

You don't have to drill any holes in your motorhome if you wanted to run another wire (cable or whatever). There is a grommet in the bottom of the relay/breaker box mounted in the front of the motorhome, inside your access door. It has some black or gray expandable foam around that gromet to weather seal it after the wires were run, but there is a lot of room to add a wire.

Take something non-metallic so as not to puncture any wiring; use an old toothbrush or pen, and push it up between the other wires from the underside the box. You will see it come up inside, and from there you can run a wire under the dash, and from there, you could put a jack under the dash console, or over by the passenger seat. You can also run it up thru the window pillar into the overhead compartment, all without drilling a hole.

BucknJeff · 01-06-2005, 05:30 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JBWLMS:
Don
If I remember correctly, my cable connection used a filter at the input. I'm wondering if you could use the AUX output of your switchbox with the filter there and route that to a cable modem? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

As JB says, this is easy.

On your cable/vcr selector switch, remove the cable that leads to the "input" of the vcr. Use this connection for the cable modem, leaving the aux setting to "cable". We have had Roadrunner high speed cable hooked up this way at Outdoor Resort Indio since October with no problems. We can still watch cable programming on all of the TV's with no interference.

Hope this helps.

The Shadow · 01-06-2005, 10:02 AM

Problem solved. The Verizon tech came out and found we had loaded coil. He was surprised I had a clue what that meant. He was able to change our line to a non-loaded one and bingo it worked immediately. Now, in April we move to the lot we bought about 800 yards from here - may have to do it all again. If that happens they will switch this line over.

Don