Is my non-technical manager right?

[jcasetnl]

My manager is not network smart at all, I've learned.

Without consulting us he ordered a 6mbit DSL line to replace our existing 768k line. The only problem is that the 768k is a business line and the 6mbit is a residential line. Maybe this means nothing and maybe not, but someone around here needs to do some due diligence and at least find out.

If someone could please point out the differences in a 'business' line vs a 'res' line, I would appreciate it.
In particular, I am concered about reliability and whether this bandwith is shared with everyone on the block.

I realize the ultimate difference comes down to how the provider has the lines set up, but I am curious to know about it in a general sense.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jimbopalmer]

My guess is (it has to be a guess, you did not mention the ISP) is that business use of a residential line is going to violate your contract with the ISP. As is so often in life, the ISP will bring this up just when you REALLY need technical support, and instead of helping you, they will terminate your contract and your connection.

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[bcastner]

What is the upload speed?
Usually the business class lines are symmetrical, or nearly so.

What is the Terms of Service for both plans?
Go to the ISP Web site and download if you can the Terms of Service contract for both plans. You should find clearly stated what service level you can expect, including any promises of uninterrupted service and reliability.

Can you Host a Web Server?
Many residential plans prohibit this activity and/or block needed ports.

Are there enough email accounts for your users on both plans?
Residential email accounts are usually limited in number without extra fees.

Do you need static IPs?
This can be an impossible or expensive feature in a residential plan.

 

[jcasetnl]

Thanks for the info. I contacted the ISP and got a few pieces of info. First, of course, is that it's shared bandwith and asymetric. They offer absolutely no gaurantees on service reliability.

I actually set up the router and it appears to be a dynamic address. That could be the slam dunk I need to make him reconsider. We do email off an exchange server so that's not an issue, but web hosting is a big one, because this manager has some pretty elaborate plans about hosting training videos and whatnot.

We hosted a video on the biz dsl 768k line and it brought our connection to its knees. He didn't think it would be a problem because "that's only outgoing traffic, it shouldn't effect us because we're only incoming traffic."

I guess tommorow I need to explain a little thing called the three-way handshake.

 

[bcastner]

Remember it does not have to be an either/or proposition. You could add a second DSL connection for the web hosting. There are even routers that can accomodate both lines and offer fail-over, bonding and other features.