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What is a D-Slam and why can't AT&T install it????

Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
edited July 2011 in General Discussion
I swear.... My internet has been down for three days. I have had very little connection, nothing I could work with and it has been VERY frustrating!

They came out to check a "buzz" on my line last week and the guy said he didn't understand why I couldn't get DSL. Seeing how I am scheduled to install a T1 line very soon it was very frustrating to hear that....because I have been trying to get it for over 3 years now.

After calling and calling and calling every day.....I finally just found a truck in my area and asked what the deal was? He looked up my address and said....your junction is missing a "D-Slam" If they would just install that it would service nearly 100 houses in that area.

I called again....just to see why they aren't putting this in. The people you get on the phone are about as helpful as the rocks at the end of my driveway!!! I hate AT&T right now!
LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com

Comments

  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer - Wikipedia

    Wiki can give a pretty good generic description. [:)]
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Knowing me and my luck....this is a $50 part and takes less than 20 minutes to install, but AT&T just doesn't have plans to do it here.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • hotshoothotshoot Member Posts: 4,227
    edited November -1
    more bills in more places, what more can they say
  • boogerbooger Member Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am in the same boat as you Locust. Calling is a waste of time, finding a technician in a truck was a good idea.

    Our Fed/State has spent millions on the "rural internet initiative". Which is not actually doing anything useful, such as installing equipment or running fiber optic cables. It's a big waste of money on "studies", "surveys" etc.

    Nothing tangible has ever been done, but every few years they announce more money spent on "research".

    Not enough houses to make a buck & right now AT&T is completely obsessed and distracted with U-verse.
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would take ANYTHING....DSL or Uverse....anything! They actually came around and put the Uverse equipment on the poles over a year ago. Why they did this I will NEVER know??? Because you can call all you want and ask when they will activate it.....they have no plans at any time in the future to actually use the equipment they put in.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • peabopeabo Member Posts: 3,098
    edited November -1
    Contact the Alabama Public Service Commission and explain your problems to them. If anyone can get anything done, they will.


    Thanks---Peabo
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I definitely will!!! I need some kind of but-kicking powerful entity to jump in here.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • CaptFunCaptFun Member Posts: 16,678 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When we had att&t (and we did for 15 yrs or so) we had IFITL which is fibre to the curb and cat5 into the house. Service was OK, but EVERYTIME we had a big storm it would go out. I got so tired of dealing with the push starts on their help line that I went down to talk with the tech fixing it one day. Turns out the DLSAM just needed resetting. I got the ID on that box and had him tell me EXACTLY what to say to the phone monkeys and that really helped. No, just reset DSLAM #555645... Finally they gave in and just did it and it worked!

    DSLAM Digital Subscriber Access Multiplexer.

    However, last year they refused to up my speed faster than 1.5 Mbps even though I know damn well the technology can handle it. So I switched to comcast and got 6 Mbps for the same price.

    I'm doing better than 1.5 at a campsite making smores!!!!
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If they would just tell me a date that they "think" they planned on updating us here it would make me feel better.....even if it were the year 2025.

    Knowing the name of the very thing that is preventing me from having service here at the house has actually made it MORE stressful. I can't help but think about it....wondering WHY they haven't just put it in.

    It will be the end of July before they come out and install whatever device it is that I need for my T1 line. Then I will be paying over $300 more per month.....but I will have dependable service. My problem is mainly with the random weather outages more than speed. I'm not fast at all....I'm probably the slowest connection of all the forum members, but its all I have available here.

    I WISH comcast would come out and install lines!!! They would have a lot of business here on our street.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • RocklobsterRocklobster Member Posts: 7,060
    edited November -1
    DSL speeds are affected by the length of wire that the signal must travel on - the more length, the more signal attenuation. Since most homes receive their phone service via twisted-pair copper wire, a DSLAM is required as near as possible to reduce signal loss and achieve high speeds.

    Unfortunately, a DSLAM is quite expensive ($100k-$250k for a typical install) and AT&T will not install one unless there is a substantial number of customers who want to subscribe to the DSL service to offset the cost. Evil capitalism.

    I happen to know this from personal experience. We live quite a ways out of town. If the DSLAM is much over approximately 1.25 miles from the subscriber, bandwidth is drastically reduced and speeds are much lower. The best AT&T can do for us is 3mbps - OK for most applications but still much slower than we'd like!
  • boogerbooger Member Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The day this September when I sign the two year agreement with HughesNet is the day AT&T will tell me it's available.

    Oh yeah, I called it the "rural internet initiative" it's actually called the "Rural Broadband Initiative". Bunch of hooey.
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,617 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They came out this morning and put the equipment in....up to the pole outside my house...for the T1 line. It was supposed to be the end of July, but they may actually get it in sooner??

    I'm in no hurry to pay this extra bill, but it will be VERY nice to have decent internet!
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886
    edited November -1
    What does a D-SLAM look like? Is it up on a pole somewhere?

    Thanks, Joe
  • boogerbooger Member Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In my AT&T (Bellsouth) region they are a small chest freezer size & shape, mounted on a concrete pad, painted khaki tan with darker tan edges, with what appear to be cooling fins on the side.

    I'm no tech guru, but that's what I was told that those units are.[?]
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