We can provide DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service only in Saratoga Springs, and even in Saratoga we can't compete for low-end accounts. This is partly because as a small business we are charged retail prices for circuits.
This page is about what we can provide, not what we can't. For those interested, information about what keeps us from offering DSL elsewhere us is part of our general DSL Info page.
Our DSL accounts provide permanent Internet service that is
We offer two levels of DSL service. Prices include the Verizon circuit charges, DSL modem, and all our normal account features:
A normal duty line is one used by a typical small business, one that has a few people who browse the net, runs its own mail server, and may also run a web server advertising its own business. It may use its server for e-commerce, but either its server is not the focus of its business or it is a very small business.
Most commonly a heavy-duty line is used for an Internet-based business, one where the business and perhaps even the company would not exist without the Internet. A typical example would be a company hosting client websites on its web server, so the use of its DSL line is use by multiple businesses, not just one.
How heavily the line is used, not the nature of the use, is the important difference. Most businesses, even most Internet-based businesses, are normal-duty users. Heavy users are usually hosting businesses or other businesses running busy web servers.
Most DSL providers charge more for faster lines than for slower lines, but faster lines don't cost the provider more unless they're heavily used. We don't think they should cost the user more either, so we don't charge for speed.
Our monthly charge includes the Verizon circuit, our Internet service, and rental of a modem we provide. Our installation charge offsets part of what Verizon charges us to have the circuit installed. There are no other charges.
Your interface to our network and the Internet is an Ethernet port on a DSL modem we provide. You can cable your hub directly to this port, or you can isolate your network with a simple router designed for this purpose. Such routers are available from online stores for less than $100.
Our DSL service is unusual in a number of ways:
Most other DSL is ADSL (Asymmetric DSL). Like cable-modem service, ADSL has an upload speed less than the download speed. Our DSL is SDSL (Summetric DSL), with equal upload and download speeds.
The cost to us depends on how much you transfer, not on how fast you transfer it. Most DSL providers charge more for speed because users with fast lines may transfer more.
How fast a line will run depends onDSL works best on lines not more than a mile in length and will not work at all on lines longer than about 3 miles. The length of a line depends both on where the destination is and how Verizon routes the circuit to get there.
- Line length - distance from the center of town
- Line quality
Line quality depends on luck of the draw when Verizon picks the wire pairs for the circuit. Old pairs used many times before can have dangling side branches that trouble DSL.
We have had lines in service in Saratoga at speeds ranging from 0.4 to 2.3 Mbps, with most lines being in the 1.0 to 1.5 Mbps range. Our oldest DSL line, in service since July of 1999, runs at 1.5 Mbps.
DSL is great for access when you're where the DSL line is, but a DSL line at the office doesn't help you get on the net from home or while traveling. Our DSL accounts also include both regular dialup access and enough toll-free dialup access to keep up with email while traveling.
With a DSL line you can run your own web server and/or domain server, but you don't have to. Hosting on our servers is included for those who prefer to use it.
Our DSL accounts include the same features included in all other NetHeaven accounts. These are described in detail on our account features page. Some of them will be of little interest to many DSL users, but they are all available.