1.Keep an accurate log of all the calls you make to Tech Support. Times, dates, contacts, and titles.
2. In your dealings with Tech Support, remember that getting sync has NOTHING to do with your computer. Do not let them convince you otherwise. Your external modem will sync even if your PC is turned off and unplugged. No amount of software re-installation in the world will fix a loss of sync.
3. Be polite but firm to the Tech Support people. Have them escalate their tickets and check on them every couple of days.
4. Check some simple things in your house - Is the phone cord plugged in? To the correct outlet? Are the filters installed on all other devices? Are you sure there's no filter in line with the modem? Are there any devices on your line you might not know about? (Power Company taps for automated meter reading have bitten more than one person.) Some people can get away without filters, but why chance it? There's really nothing inside that can go bad -- they're simply low-pass filters built out of coils and capacitors. The "burnt" smell is likely the "dope" used to seal the coils after they're turned so they don't change tune.

-----------------------------------------------------------
(GTE)

Remember to take good notes, get the CSR's name, extension and/or e-mail address (extension preferable), be polite but firm that you want the matter resolved. In the ex-GTE area, if you are dealing with a Tier 2 VADI tech, they 'own' that problem until it is solved. I do not know if that is true on the ex-BA side.

VOL Technical Resolution Group- These people can interface with VADI, Qwest and Genuity. They are there to resolve technical matters that are outside of VADI's control (i.e. on VOL's side).

Presidential Appeals- This a higher level of Customer Service. You would call them if you have an issue with a speed upgrade/downgrade, billing problem that cannot be resolved at the billing department level, etc. In other words, use them for non-technical issues as they would only e-mail the other groups anyway for technical matters.

VADI Repair- This group is the wholesale provider of DSL services for Verizon. As such they sell not only to VOL but to other ISPs as well. Due to Federal law they must keep VOL at 'arm's length' which is why everything has to be communicated by way of trouble tickets. One good change that I hear is in the works is that VADI will be partially re-integrated and will have the ability to directly communicate with the CO. A VADI tech could comment on this.

Who to call:

If all of a sudden your speed goes straight down the tubes, call VADI, explain the problem and ask them to check your traffic.

If you notice a degradation over time in your service, first call VOL TECH SUPPORT and get an issue number. If you get no satisfaction from them after three days, escalate it to the Technical Resolution Group.

Important Phone Numbers:

VOL TECHNICAL RESOLUTION GROUP (800) 483-7988

PRESIDENTIAL APPEALS 1 888 216 1443

VADI GENERAL REPAIR NUMBER 1 888 391 1234

VOL TECHNICAL SUPPORT 1 877 222 2375

FOLLOW THE PROMPTS IF APPROPRIATE FOR EACH NUMBER

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(BA)

VOL BILLING [All billing related matters, hold times tend to be high, I waited >30 minutes] 1-800-567-6789 2,3

VOL TECH SUPPORT BA Region 1-888-676-4736 - This is technical support Tier 1 with the ability to escalate. You'll want to have Winpoet installed before calling, and they have to cover all the bases (as ridiculous as it seems), clear your cache, power down/disconnect the power cable from your modem and things of that sort. Just play along and it won't take long. You can tell most agents you've done the basic troubleshooting steps and mention most importantly that you've not only powered down but disconnected/reconnected your modem's power brick, cleared your cache, reinstalled Winpoet, which should get things moving quicker.

VOL Resolution Groups: 1877-814-2375 followed by a 5 digit extension. Some extensions are Tom @ *****, Maria @ *****, Rebecca @ ***** . These are Presidential Appeals agents. As agents change, and as long as you have an outstanding trouble ticket, you can be a bit creative (I'm not encouraging this) and mention that you spoke with so and so. It helps to grease the wheels a bit. The email for these people is also actively read by PEOPLE - resolution.groupl@verizon.net . Attach an ATT: 5 digit employee ID # in your subject if emailing a particular individual.

FAQ by kadar

Verizon's order system automatically sends out software when your Internet order is placed. The hardware is not sent out until the order is combined (ie the internet and network sides are combined on one order) and a due date is set. In other words there is probably no problem with your order it's just how the system works.
#1) By waiting until there is a date for DSLAM installation, this helps to assure the line actually qualifies for DSL service before sending out any expensive equipment.

#2) The software that is sent out in the GTE areas is actually not necessary. This particular piece of software only configures your TCP/IP settings and installs a browser if needed.

FAQ by kadar

If your PC is freezing regularly, and you are on PPPoE, your computer may be looking around for a DHCP server that does not exist. Check the following: (windows)

Open control panel
� Open Network neighborhood
� Look for the first entry in the scroll box marked TCP/IP -> , that is associated with the hardware Ethernet card (ignore dialup, and VPN type bindings).
� Select "TCP/IP-> Name of NIC
� Select it and press properties
� Select IP address from the tab
� Is Obtain IP address automatically checked? If so, change that to Specify an IP address and enter 192.168.1.10, and 255.255.255.0, into IP address and subnet mask fields respectively.
� Click OK and OK, and the computer will build a driver information database and will require a reboot for the changes to take effect.
This assignment of a harmless local IP address to the TCP/IP settings bound (connected) to your network adapter will stop the in-built DHCP services from waking up every 10 minutes to look for a DHCP server so that it can "fill in the blanks". This should solve the freezing problem.

FAQ by kadar

The three green lights only mean that you have a connection to the DSLAM; your bindings, routings, user account info and PPPoE server connections have not been established yet.

FAQ by kadar

629 The port was disconnected by the remote machine.
718 Timed out waiting for a valid response from the remote PPP peer.
720 no protocol installed or username and password is invalid
691 cannot log into the network under this domain. Please check your password
650 The remote access server is not responding.
720 No PPP control protocols Configured.
645 Internal Authentication error.

FAQ by kadar

Are you getting error 629? If yes this means either the PPPoE server you connect to is down or your profile is screwed up, they only way to tell is call tech support.

FAQ by kadar

What happens is, the TCP/IP stack gets corrupted. The easiest way to resolve this is to remove the TCP/IP entry from your networking control panel, and then reboot, and reinstall it, and reboot again. Note that sometimes on Windows 98 this does not work, but 97% of the time it does.
For 95 and 98, you can do it from the Add-Remove dialog (accessed from the Control Panel) ...
•YOU'RE ABOUT TO REMOVE ALL YOUR PROTOCOLS!!!! IF YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS, PLEASE USE CAUTION!!!!
First uninstall Winpoet entirely. (Nukepoet)
1. Uninstall the stack:
Add-Remove -> [Windows Setup] tab -> Highlight "Communications", click [Details] -> Clear the checkmarks from Dial Up Networking, and Virtual Private Networking... We're not changing ATM support or ICS but you can do that also if you like. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is under the "Internet Tools" entry.
Click OK..
You'll be prompted for a Windows CD. Specify c:\windows\options\cabs\ .. If the system still can't locate the files, you don't have a local copy and stick a CD in, then enter the letter of your CD-Rom capable drive. The system will then reboot.
2. Now re-install the stack:
Delete any old dial up networking shortcuts, the idea is to refresh everything.
Then...
Add-Remove -> [Windows Setup] -> Highlight Communications then click Details or Alt-D -> checkmark 2 entries "Dial-Up Networking" and "Virtual Private Networking" Again you can go ahead and add back ATM if you removed it, and ICS. Click OK and go through the same routine. If you don't have a cabs directory, use your original CD.
Re-install Winpoet.

Also check how the NICs NETWORK MEDIA CONNECTION is set.
In the properties for the NIC, go to ADVANCED then NETWORK MEDIA CONNECTION. Set it to 10 MB, HALF DUPLEX.

What happens is the network card (when auto or 100) tries to re-negotiate a higher speed and the DSL connection (on average) is 640/90, even if you have 7.1/640, it's still slower than 10MB.

FAQ by kadar

The service is provisioned at the contracted rate but line noise; etc may cause the equipment to fall back to lower rates to maintain the connection. Resetting the modem may improve your transfer rates.

FAQ by kadar

First thing to do when having this problem is to unplug everything except the DSL modem. Everything meaning all phones, answering machines, fax machines, satellite dish or digital cable systems, alarm systems..... Anything plugged into a phone jack.
Start with a standard plug in phone, not a cordless, with a filter attached, plug it in, and hit any one number to get rid of the dial tone. Listen. If it's clean go to the next jack. This will check all jacks.
If it's found to be in one jack, have that serviced or replaced.
If all jacks are clean then leave that one plugged in where it belongs. Now start with each additional phone and plug them in, one at a time each with a filter and check for the noise. If you still can't figure it out let the Tech check it out. If you do not have wire maintenance on your service you will be charged if the problem is found to be on the inside wiring. That could get expensive. Do you have an alarm system? DirecTV? Cable? Cordless phones? Computer modem? Fax machine? Water/Gas meter on a telco line? All need a filter on them. Could also be a defective jack?

With an alarm system you do need to have a separate line run for DSL. Alarms and DSL do not play nicely at all. Even if the alarm is not functional it still wreaks havoc on DSL. They use a special type of jack for the Alarm and I have never seen a filter for it. I think it is call a RJ38, but don't hold me to that.

FAQ by kadar

Overheating modem or bad modem
Incorrectly installed microfilters
Bad house wiring
At limit of distance
Interference from 900mhz phones
Interference from florescent, halogen or street lights
Copper pairs that degrade after a few weeks of DSL signal strength
Verizon CO people working on connections
Messy building telco board in basement full of garbage and water.

FAQ by kadar

900MHz phones, in particular Panasonic phones have been reported to cause problems. The base of the phone will broadcast a signal to the handset to initiate the ring, even before you pick it up. It's possible that this is an issue. Completely unplug the cordless base from the jack and have someone call to see if that helps.
It could also be a voltage drop across the phone wires when a ring signal is sent or a phone extension is picked up.

FAQ by kadar

This kind of block is becoming more and more common as a response to SPAM. ISPs are realizing that a tremendous amount of unsolicited mail was being relayed through their servers. This is why they are putting up the blocks. It is definitely annoying to those of us who have multiple accounts, but if it keeps any extra SPAM out of my mailbox.

FAQ by kadar

That means some part is not loaded correctly.
If, during the account setup, you don't have two iVasion Poet adapters listed in the drop down box, check your device manager. I would almost bet that the NIC is showing as Disabled (Red X), even though it looks fine in Network Properties. Otherwise, something's messed up with your Dial-up Networking installation.

For Windows 98/ME (Windows 95 users follow almost the same procedure except Dial-Up Networking 1.3 update will be installed during the Winpoet setup if not already present and Virtual Private Network won't be listed in Communications)
Do the following to make sure everything is installed clean:

1) Uninstall WinPoet from add/remove programs (it may or may not want to reboot...if it does, let it).

2) Go back to add/remove programs --> Windows Setup --> Double-click on Communications (NOT the check box next to it!) and uncheck VPN support and Dial-up Networking. If it asks you to reboot, go ahead (or not, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference here). (Win95 users will have to uninstall the Dial-up Networking 1.3 update first, then go to Communications).

3) Go to Network Properties (in Control Panel) and remove your NIC - There should now no longer be any entries in Network Properties. If there are, remove them. Click OK...
it will ask you to reboot.

4) During reboot, if you have a Plug-n-Pray NIC, it should be detected. If not, reseat it in a different slot or try a different NIC. Load the NIC drivers. Reboot.

5) Go into Add/Remove Programs --> Windows Setup --> Communications and recheck Dial-Up Networking and Virtual Private Networking. Reboot

6) Put in the Winpoet CD and reinstall WinPoet.

FAQ by kadar

You will need:
an extension cord (to power the modem)
and a screwdriver (to open the NID)

(Instructions for a similar phone test are located in the front section of the phone book. Take a peek to familiarize yourself with the procedure.)
Use a screwdriver to open the side that says Customer access. You will see a test module with a phone line in it. If there is more than one module, use the one with that is identified by the DSL phone number. Unplug that and plug the modem in it. Plug the modem into a power source and see if the modem syncs. If it does sync, you might have an inside wire problem. If no sync, call tech support and let them no that there is no sync at the NID.
Warning... Unplugging test jack disconnects all phones inside premises, make sure no one is using the phone when doing this.

FAQ by kadar

Welcome to the world of asymmetric communications! Yep, your download speed WILL tank when you upload (someone downloads from you). Basically, when you download from a server, your computer has to send information back to that server to let it know that you're receiving the data o.k. (these are called ACKs). When other people are downloading from you or you're uploading to another server, the ACKs can't get out to the server you're downloading from as quickly, so the data transfer rate is slowed down, as the download server won't send you more data until the ACK is received.
Google search for tcp+performance+network+asymmetry

FAQ by kadar

Most modems and routers have the ability to monitor line statistics. Some modems like the SpeedTouch Home, 2Wire, and Cayman have very detailed monitoring while others may only show basic information.

Although what is monitored and the exact name may be different depending on manufacturer, the overall information is the same. Below are some of the common terms and measurements used to judge line quality. Remember these are not hard numbers but simply a generalization of line statistics:

Attainable Line Rate (AKA Synch Rate)
This is the maximum rate at which your modem can connect to the DSLAM if there was no service provisioning limiting the bandwidth. Anything over 2,000Kbps is considered good. The higher the number the better.

Used Line Rate
Your Used ATM Rate (actual service rate) plus bandwidth to cover the overhead and provisioning of the service.

Fast Used ATM Rate
Actual bandwidth at which your service has been provisioned. The actual number can vary a little depending how you are physically serviced. If there is a number here that also means your connection is "fastpathed".

Interleaved Used ATM Rate
Actual bandwidth at which your service has been provisioned. The actual number can vary a little depending how you are physically serviced. If there is a number here that also means your connection is "interleaved".

Relative Capacity (AKA Line Capacity)
Percentage of your overall available bandwidth used to obtain your service ATM rate. For example; if your max line synch rate was 5888Kbps and you were provisioned on a 1472Kbps service you would be using 25% capacity. 1472/5888=25% capacity. The lower the relative capacity the better, but you can still get maximum speeds (although a less stable connection) even with a very high relative capacity. In other words you could be synching at 1472Kbps with 98% relative capacity and achieve maximum speeds, but you may experience more disconnects.

Noise Margin (AKA Signal to Noise Margin or Signal to Noise Ratio)
Relative strength of the DSL signal to Noise ratio. 6dB is the lowest dB manufactures specify for modem to be able to synch. In some instances interleaving can help raise the noise margin to an acceptable level. The higher the number the better for this measurement.

Line Attenuation
Measure of how much the signal has degraded between the DSLAM and the modem. Maximum signal loss recommendation is usually about 60dB. The lower the dB the better for this measurement.

Output Power
How much power modem (upstream) or DSLAM (downstream) is using. Maximum recommended is about 15dB. The lower the power the better for this measurement.