DSL VS SBBD, Cisco 804 or 806 router

[SF18C]

I love this site, you can ask about anything and someone always has the answer, don’t let me down know!.

Can anyone tell me the major differences between DSL and Broadband (specifically Sprint Broadband, SBBD, with the little satellite dish). I called up Sprint to ask about the techy aspect of my connection and the service desk had a hard time answering my questions. The main reason I ask is I was told it was “equivalent” to DSL. So I went out and purchased a Cisco IDSL (804) router and I beginning to thing it is incompatible with Sprints service. Of course their help desk will not provide any assistance (and may want to even charge me more for having more than one computer use the supplied IP address.)
Did I get the wrong router or am I not setting it up correctly? (I’m using the Cisco supplied setup disk, and it asks me for ISDN info and phone numbers, it wants to dial up the connection). SBBD comes with a “Hybrid” cable modem and my demark line is the rj-45 from the modem. I have seen that Cisco sells a 806 router for “broadband connections” I also have access to a 2501 and 1601 routers, can those be configured to use this SBBD service. I want to get away from the little Linksys router I’m using now. (No firewall or IP filtering).
Any assistance you can provide or assistance with configuring the router to use the connection I have would be helpful.

Thanks in advanced,
Steve

 

[wybnormal]

There are about a dozen forms of DSL and none are compatible with each other. ADSL, RDSL, IDSL etc..etc..

The IDSL is for *extended reach* DSL(digital subscriber line) and it's really an ISDN circuit with DSL signalling on it. The idea is that you can run DSL for about 8,000 feet before it dies. IDSL can be run out something around 20,000 feet at the cost of speed. IDSL uses ISDN so the max speed is 128Kbps vs the 800 or Kbps of a typical DSL line.

Broadband which is another word for access like Cable works differently. The data is inserted into the broadband spectrum and then filtered out at the *modem* and converted into a normal data signal that your network can use. It shares the bandwidth with the TV signals, telephone signals(COX cable) etc and this is where the term *broadband* comes from(techies.. this is geared for home users.. I know its different for real networks)

The DSS access is even more different. The Hughes system allows a 400Kbbps DOWNLOAD speed via the dish BUT requires a uplink via your telephone line. I have heard of a system that is upload/download via the dish but I know nothing about it other then it would be expensive since I dont see how they could build a transmitter to talk to the overhead sats without spending a ton of money.

I've used both DSL and cable. MY choice as much as it pains me is say I prefer cable. The DSL was a royal pain in the ass as I need IDSL and NOBODY at PAcBell knew what the hell they were doing. They quite happily sold it to me, billed me from PacBell and when NOrthpoint went under, I found out it was a Northpoint line that PacBell just resold. And when I asked PacBell to re-enable my line on their new plan, it was *you are too far away.. and no, it doesnt matter that you had DSL for two years, it wont work".. The cable has been pretty painless.. not perfect but it works 99% of the time.

MikeS
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