U-verse setup questions

Posts: 4 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject: U-verse setup questions

Hi, I was wondering how Vonage would be setup with At &t's U-verse? Is it just like with any type of dsl or is there something different?

I forgot to ask the at & t rep and now they won't answer their phones, but is a land line needed for u-verse? I know that other types of dsl need one unless you get the dry-loop version, but I'm not sure with this. I guess what I'm getting at is, how can some other members disconnect their main phone line in their NUI (or NIU, can't remember) and still have U-verse connected if it's run through the phone line (I think I'm a little confused on how u-verse is setup)?

Thanks a ton

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

If I understand correctly what little I've read, ATT can bring U-verse to your house either with a dedicated fiber optic cable or by conventional landline. In the latter case, they get it "close" to your house using fiber and then to your house on existing copper lines. Unless you have fiber coming to the house, I would guess that it's going to be pretty much like conventional DSL.

By the way, even "dry loop" DSL requires a landline. The only difference is that you're not paying for (or getting) voice service on that same line.

Posts: 4 · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:14 pm Post subject:

That's what I've been able to find, but since our motivation to switch to Vonage is to get rid of our landline to save money (As I'm sure it is/was for quite of few people here), there must be something that I'm missing since I've seen a small number of users say that they have U-verse with Vonage.

Also, I think that I might be able to personally see a relative's house with U-verse which should help at least for the physical setup question.

Thanks Steve

Posts: 4 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

Okay, I think that I found one of the answers that I needed over at the Uverse Universe forums

Quote:

“Copper” is referring to your phone line, buried or aerial that runs to your house. Unless you have fiber to the side of your house (FTTN), the signal is fed to a local junction box somewhere near your home (usually within about .5 miles). The signal travels to that box (called a VRAD) via Fiber Optics. From there, it is sent over the exsiting copper telephone wire to your home.

You do not need to have existing phone service w/ AT&T, the service is still installed over your existing copper phone line, but it is installed over what is referred to as a “dry pair”, meaning there is no dial tone on the line.

Quote:

With U-verse unless your in a new neighborhood that had no pre-existing copper the wire to your house is copper. The wire to the Vrad (box on sidewalk in neighborhood) is fiber, which is standard. So from the VRAD to your home the push the service over a copper pair and then at the NID convert the cable to either existing coaxial or CAT-5.

Since this is a dry pair meaning it does not have dial tone you can have service with/out tradditional phone serivice. However, U-verse is launching U-verse voice which is their VOIP service much like Vonage. Or you can choice any VOIP provider you like and you don't have to have ATT voice.

But now I've got another question.

From what I understand, regular DSL requires an active phone line, so you have to put the one incoming line onto one of the sets of phone lines that runs throughout your house and the vonage adapter (as well as all the phones in your house) on a second line so that the voltage that the phone company sends over the lines to power corded phones/tests doesn't fry the vonage adapter. Any idea if there is a similar voltage level that they send for U-verse or is it powered solely by the gateway?

Thank you,
Brad

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

Whether the service comes over copper for some distance or comes on fiber right up to the house and then gets converted, once it gets into the house it will be on copper. That copper will carry the same voltages that normal phone lines carry. (So do the outputs from the Vonage adapter.)

So, to use this service with Vonage, you'll still have to dedicate one pair inside the house to getting the DSL to your DSL modem and a second pair to distribute the Vonage phone service around the house (assuming that you want to do that).

Posts: 4 · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject:

Thank you very much. I think that just about does it for all of my questions.

If I've got any more along the way, I know where to ask.

peace,
Brad

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

We'll be here.