Problem with NEW DSL sevice!!

[Grant_H]

I have just signed up for DSL service with Visi.com, I would have gone with cable but I'm getting free cable from the guy upstairs, anyway this is my problem after "succesfully" seting up my modem, I am able to visit certain websites but others time out.
ones that work:
Yahoo
excite
Go.com
hotmail

ones that don't work:\
videohelp
cnet
visi.com

something I thought was even more puzzling is that Download.com works,
cnet.com does not, also even that download.com comes up I am unable to download anything from it.

Anyone have any ideas what might be causing something like this?

oh ya I tried connecting the modem via Ethernet and also tried the USB connection same result with both.

G.

[Dr. DOS]

Does the DSL service require to link to a proxy server? Try an alternate browser too (firefox) as a test)

[BJ_M]

set a longer timeout also

[Grant_H]

when I try to "ping" the sites that don't work thru the cmd window, the ping is also unsuccefull, so I don't think it is a browser issue.

[mattyboy]

How far away are you from the central server? After 3 miles the bandwith drops, ALOT. I had same issue and I made the stupid phone company give me a 50% discount.

[Grant_H]

I'm not really sure how far I am, but I live in the middle of the city so it shouldn't be too far. I think I might just try to get them to send me a new modem, cause I have no idea what else it might be. I can not even activate windows XP online cause it can't find any connection, windows update doesn't work either.

[mattyboy]

I live in the middle of toronto, a major city, and its still too far for them to give me the 5mb service that I was promised.
Give them a call You should do that first anyway so that they can test the line.

[BJ_M]

I live in the middle of Toronto, a major city, and its still too far for them to give me the 5mb service that I was promised.
Give them a call You should do that first anyway so that they can test the line.

Toronto has a LOT of very old phone lines downtown ..... some of the copper was installed in the 1920's and in one place it is still from about 1905 ...

those lines are bare copper sealed inside a wooden box underground throughout the tunnels under Toronto ... of which Toronto has many -- in fact whole rivers are runnign under the city and the tunnels are amaizing (the ones you dont see) ..... good friend of mine is w/ bell there ....

anyway, becuase of the old lines underground and the crap lines you see on the poles in many places -- its a problem ...

they have replaced a lot and run fiber to most all large buildings .... but some areas still have crap service for residential .. Toronto was ahead of the curve with bell phones (BELL was even FROM Canada) but is paying for it now... Canada overall is still rated the best phone exchanges (because of the technology from Northern Telicom (fat lot of good that did them) )

[disturbed1]

The test is called an MLT test.

They should perform 2 tests. The first one with your DSL modem connected in it's original location, the second one with the modem connected at the NID (grey box located outside). If the MLT distance tests vary greatly, you have bad in house wiring.

If the MLT test are the same or pretty close, they'll know exactly how far away you are. There is a limit to the distance in which DSL can provide a usable signal. If most cases it's ~16,000 ft for 1.5mbs, and ~8,000 ft for 6mbs. Of course depending on the condition of the lines in your city, the limits will vary. Even if you can hit your local ILEC with a stone, phone wires don't/never take the most direct path. They will and do snake around the city.

With DSL, you can be put in safe mode, this will drop your speed in half, but greatly enhance the stability of the line. In safe mode, they can supply a 256kbs connection just beyond 20,000 ft if the lines are good enough.

Level 1 tech support in most ISPs will gladly put you in safe mode. You can also ask to be taken back out of safe mode. The whole process takes about 3 minutes, which includes the time it takes your modem to re-sync.

[Grant_H]

I finally have it figured out. it wasw a DNS issue. My modem is suposed to automatically detect the proper DNS address, for some reason it was unable to. I manualy typed in the IP and all is well.

G.

[rallynavvie]

If you run into problems you should contact Visi. If I had to get an ISP for my broadband I'd most certainly choose them. All my friends in the Cities still using DSL are using them for an ISP. Customer service is tops. They even used to host the best local CS server back in the days before retail.

However if you get free cable is it not cheaper to get cable broadband? Or did you need the better upload speeds?

[Grant_H]

If you run into problems you should contact Visi. If I had to get an ISP for my broadband I'd most certainly choose them. All my friends in the Cities still using DSL are using them for an ISP. Customer service is tops. They even used to host the best local CS server back in the days before retail.

However if you get free cable is it not cheaper to get cable broadband? Or did you need the better upload speeds?

I'm renting the basment of a house so the cable connection I'm getting is not an illegal one, the owner of the house has no need for cable internet. so it's just a lot easier to use DSL. Now that I have it working right, it is only slightly slower DL speeds then when i had a cable connection.

G.