About Opus One DSL Services

Opus One also provides DSL services to our clients who want high speed access from home to complement their business connection.

Table of Contents

• What is DSL?
• What services are offered?
• Pricing
• Specifications and Requirements
• For Further Information
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is DSL?

Another difference with DSL is that it is based on newer technology.  Services such as T1 are also digital lines, but they are based on technology which has its roots over 30 years ago.  By leveraging the advances in transmission technology and the demand for high-speed Internet, DSL brings good performance at astoundingly low prices.  

A third important difference with DSL is that it is not provisioned and managed in the same way as the older technologies such as ISDN and T1 or Frame Relay.  One of the primary goals for the telephone companies in rolling out DSL was to keep the cost down.  For that reason, DSL services are not built to the same level of reliability or monitoring as T1 or ISDN services.  Because the telephone company wanted to aim DSL to home users, they felt that DSL would be better accepted at a lower price with lower reliability than at a higher price with higher reliability.  So far, this has proven to be true.   

All Opus One DSL services are carried on a access line provided by US West (now Qwest).  In Qwest/US West territory, DSL is always installed on the same two wires that are used for a normal voice telephone line.  This means that you must have a voice line installed with Qwest/US West to get DSL service with Opus One.  DSL does not interfere with this line at all.  We normally suggest you use your FAX line for DSL because it has the fewest devices (phones and computers) on it and is centrally located.

Opus One can order your DSL service from US West/Qwest for you or you can call US West/Qwest yourself.  We prefer to order it for you, but if you want the joyous experience for yourself, that's fine too.

What Services are Offered?

Our most basic DSL service, which is roughly comparable to basic DSL services offered by other Tucson ISPs, is called "Hobbyist DSL."  This service provides simple DSL connectivity for a home or small business using US West's 256K access line.  The maximum speed of this connection is 640K bits/second (about 20 to 30 times faster than a normal analog modem) in the download direction (towards your home LAN) and 256K bits/second towards the Internet.  This service does not include any bandwidth guarantee or any static IP or IP routing services. (Opus One does not offer a lower price for the 256K/256K service; we expect that most of our customers want at least 640K download speed.)

We call this service "Hobbyist" (although the same service is sold by other ISPs as "business") to remind you that you're getting high speed connectivity with no frills for a great price.  If, however, you need true business-quality services, then you will want to look at our "Business DSL" services.

"Business DSL" is designed for businesses who need high quality Internet services, but want to take advantage of the lower price for DSL access lines.  All Business DSL services include bandwidth guarantees, which assure you that if all other DSL users start downloading at the same time that your traffic gets first priority on our network.  Business DSL also includes proactive monitoring to help detect failure, and the option to use ISDN dial backup (or analog dial backup) if your DSL line fails.  Finally, Business DSL offers a higher level of support from Opus One's technical staff, including access to our emergency spares stock to replace your DSL access router in the case of a failure.  

Pricing:

Note 1: Low-end hobbyist services are only offered in conjunction with the Opus One Your Business service.  Opus One is not in the business of providing residential users with basic DSL connections.

Note 2: Business DSL services include (a) bandwidth guarantee to ensure smooth traffic, (b) proactive monitoring and dial backup service if desired, and  (c) priority technical support and loaner spares service.
 
 

Many DSL users want static IP addresses for small servers located on their home or business LAN.  Opus One is able to provide static IP addresses where needed.  
 
 

IP Address Space	Number Usable IP Addresses	Monthly Fee
/32	1	$10
/29	5	$20
/28	13	$30
/27	29	$60
/26	61	$120
/25	125	$240

 
 

Specifications and Requirements

Ordering from Qwest/US West: you should order one of their Megabit services to meet your bandwidth needs. Qwest has a bunch of services, none of which we claim to really understand the difference between because they keep changing their mind about what is what. Qwest offers "Deluxe" and "Professional 256K" services which offer download speeds of up to 640K. The difference between these two is that "Professional 256K" has a higher service level agreement associated with it. We recommend using "Deluxe" service at that bandwidth level. The matching Opus One service to "Deluxe" or "Professional 256K" is our "Hobbyist 256K DSL" or "Business 256K DSL" service. Despite the name, this service can offer download speeds up to 640K, depending on your distance from the telephone company central office. If you want to save a few dollars a month on your Qwest bill, you can also order "DSL 256" service, which is 256K upload and 256K download speeds. Please note that Opus One does not support (the now deprecated) "Select" service.

If you are out of range of standard Qwest DSL service (often called RADSL, CAP, or DMT DSL), you can order Qwest IDSL service which has a greater distance range from the central office. Opus One fully supports Qwest IDSL subscribers.

Qwest also offers several different DSL connection devices (sometimes called "DSL modems"). Opus One supports the Cisco 675 only for RADSL service and the Cisco 678 only for DMT service. We do not support the Cisco 605 or Intel 2100 DSL connection device. If and when Qwest starts shipping the Actiontec 1520, we will also support that.

For Further Information

We promise that we won't try and sell you a service that you don't need. In fact, about 30% of the queries that come to us we refer to other businesses. 

Opus One
1404 East Lind Road
Tucson, Arizona 85719
Voice: 520-324-0494
FAX: 520-324-0495
Email: sales@Opus1.COM

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on what your needs are. The question you need to consider is what the costs and risks to your business are if your DSL connection is unavailable for some period of time. If the impact on you would be low, then a Hobbyist DSL connection is both speedy and remarkably cost-effective. If you have on-site servers, large numbers of customers connecting to your site, or if you would be adversely affected if your Internet service was down for a day or more, then you should focus on Business DSL services, which come with a higher level of Internet and support service.

If your business would be dramatically affected by a outage of even a few hours, then DSL is probably not the appropriate service for you. Despite its attractive pricing, DSL is managed by US West/Qwest as a "residential" class of service, which means that if your phone line is down, then it could be several days before you come around in the repair queue. Services such as ISDN and T1, which have very tight repair deadlines, are more appropriate in that case.

2. How long does it take to get set up?

Once your DSL is in, we can set up our end in a few minutes. We have had excellent success with Qwest/US West meeting their estimates for installation dates. Generally, if they say it will be in on a particular day, then it will be there on that day. Most of our customers have found install lead times of between 10 and 14 days are typical.

If you are changing from another ISP, things are a little stickier. US West/Qwest does not give the new ISP critical information on your DSL service until the moment that they unplug you from your old ISP. In that case, there can be a window when your service is unavailable. If this is important to you, then you should work with the Opus One support staff so that this window is minimized. Keep us informed, and we'll do the best job possible for you. US West/Qwest typically takes between 5 and 10 days to change DSL ISPs.

3. Why can't I use the cheaper Intel 2100 device? Why do you have to manage my device?

Those are both good questions. Opus One is a business-oriented ISP, which means that we are concerned with the big picture of providing quality Internet service, not saving a few dollars on equipment.

When you use the Intel 2100 device (or the older Cisco 605, which is not very common any more), you give up three things. First, your DSL connection is depending on the correct functioning of a Windows PC. This means that if something is "wrong," debugging and solving the problem becomes much, much more difficult. It's not just the DSL connection, but your entire Windows operating system which needs to be operating correctly. In short, lodging your DSL connection inside of a PC is asking for trouble and is contraindicated when you want reliable and inexpensive service.

If you insist that you want to use something other than the Cisco 675/678 device, then any technical or installation support you need will be charged at normal consulting rates. What this means, in effect, is that if you ever have to call us to ask any question, then you'll have completely wiped out any savings you might have made from using the Intel 2100.

A second thing you give up with the Intel 2100/Cisco 605 is the ability for us to test to some point inside your network. With the Cisco 675/678 and Actiontec 1520 (or Motorola Vanguard for IDSL customers), we can log onto the DSL device in your office or home and verify correct operation all the way through the Internet and US West/Qwest DSL network. If we can get to the Ethernet port of your DSL device, then this makes troubleshooting any problem which might occur much, much easier.

A third thing you give up with the Cisco 605/Intel 2100 is the easy ability to have multiple systems in your office or home connected to the Internet at the same time. When you connect using a router (which is what the Cisco 675/678, Actiontec 1520, and Motorola Vanguard are), you can have multiple systems running independently and talking to the Internet at the same time. If one system is down or being balky, this doesn't affect your connection to the outside world. This is the correct way to run an Internet connection, and so this is the way we encourage you to do things.

4. Why can't I use "Select" service, which is less expensive?

Well, for starters, they don't offer it anymore. But if they did, the problem was that the "Select" service is incompatible with the Cisco router. See above for why we require the Cisco router for RADSL customers.

5. I'm confused. Which Qwest service maps to which Opus One service?

Good question. We're often confused on this point ourselves. However, the table below might help you figure out which Qwest services are compatible with our offerings.

Opus One Service Name	Eligible Qwest Services	Notes
Hobbyist, Business DSL 256	DSL 256, DSL Deluxe, DSL Professional Deluxe	We recommend DSL Deluxe
Hobbyist, Business DSL 512	DSL Professional 640
Hobbyist DSL 1000	DSL Professional 1M

6. I want to switch to Opus One from another ISP. How does the CAP/RADSL and DMT technology affect me?

Any DSL subscriber installed before Spring, 2001, is a CAP/RADSL subscriber and probably has a Cisco 675 router. Anyone installed after Spring, 2001, is a DMT subscriber. A good sign of this are the words "Cisco 678" on your router. (Some lucky CAP/RADSL subscribers have Cisco 678 routers, which can do CAP/RADSL or DMT, but not many of those were sent out before they changed to DMT). If you simply change ISPs, you won't have to change your router.

If you want to change your speed (higher or lower), or if you want to disconnect and reconnect service, then you will have to convert to DMT. In that case, your CAP/RADSL gear is essentially slag and you should immediately get rid of it before its value drops to zero. They are going for about $25 on eBay right now. No one else in Tucson will ever be able to use it (unless they are a 675 subscriber who blows up their modem somehow).

If you already have a Cisco 678, even if you are CAP, then you can load a new version of the software which will convert it to a DMT version.