To Switch your DSL from MSN or Qwest to USFamily.Net

Just call Qwest Click here for the number. and tell them you want to switch to USFamily.Net as the Internet Provider.  They will give you a due date and you call us for your setup Info on that due date.  Your DSL modem will need to be reconfigured into bridge mode and the IP setup entered into your computer.

What is DSL?

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is the latest in high speed Internet access. Everyone who gets DSL is thrilled.
DSL is generally a dedicated Internet service rather than a shared service like dialup. That means your computer can be connected as much as you desire up to 24 hours a day.
Like cable Internet service, DSL is sometimes called broadband service.
DSL is up to 25 times faster than a typical dialup connection.  The speed of your DSL line will be between 256k and 640k depending on the distance of your home from your local phone office.  Qwest also offers a version throttled to 256k  for $15/mo.   This option is the best deal, as the performance is very similar to the higher priced options.
DSL has 2 components. The dedicated high speed DSL line from Qwest and the Internet service from USFamily.Net.  Each is billed separately.
The DSL line from Qwest is an additional service from Qwest added on to your existing Qwest telephone service.  It uses normally unused high frequency capabilities of your existing copper telephone line.
Not everyone can get DSL. To get DSL you must be within about 3 miles of your local telephone office. To check availability call us or go to http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html
DSL other pricing is also at http://www.usfamily.net/products.html#dslprice

What does it Cost?

The QWest DSL data line is generally $15/mo.
The USFamily.Net Internet service is generally $9.99/mo.
DSL pricing is at http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html and http://www.usfamily.net/products.html#dslprice

What to do to order DSL.

Just give us a call at 763-521-0401 or email us with your number at info@usfamily.net and we will call you back.

When your hardware arrives (about 2 weeks) contact us at info@usfamily.net and request your setup information.   We should have been notified by Qwest about the time your hardware arrives.   Please let us know if you desire any option other than the standard IP configuration.

You must register your new DSL account at https://secure.usfamily.net/newreg.html   and cancel any dialup accounts by calling us or emailing info@usfamily.net

DSL On Win XP
New drivers may be required for Windows XP for the Intel PRO/DSL 2100/2200, 3200 Modem
go to http://www.qwest.com/dsl/customerservice/intelxp.html

DSL IP Setup Info.

Once you register your  DSL account you can display your USFamily.Net IP setup information at https://secure.usfamily.net/usrdslinfo.html

NAT (network address translation)

• We run all dsl connections in bridge mode (for speed and simplicity) and with NAT (for security) unless specifically arranged otherwise. There are additional charges for special setups.
• NAT provides a firewall that prevents other internet users from entering and attacking your computer.  Without NAT your computer is more vulnerable to nefarious individuals anywhere in the world.  With NAT only a handful of other known usfamily.net users on the same bridge group have any possibility of accessing your computer.  Business clients are assigned to an individual bridge group for even greater security.  (A handful of other known USFamily.Net users may be visible on each  bridge group.  To prevent this look into additional firewall software for your computer.)
• NAT is the recommended setup for all DSL users but is a problem for some users, primarily  some "gamers".  Some internet games and some voice or video programs require other users to enter your computer from elsewhere on the internet.  This is specifically what NAT prevents.  Eventually all of these games and programs will or should be rewritten to operate properly for NAT users but until that time these users need a fixed "external IP".  An external IP makes your computer visible to the entire Internet and of course more vulnerable to attack. If you get a fixed external IP you should consider your own firewall or security procedures, such as installing firewall software and/or leaving your computer turned off when not in use.
• NAT IPs start with 192.168.xxx.xxx
• Fixed "external IPs" are 19.95/mo for home users and $30/mo for business purposes.
• To request a fixed external IP send your account name (dsl-x-xxx) and your request to info@usfamily.net.  We usually reply with your new setup information within one or two business days.
  
  
• Note: SMTP servers for DSL NAT users.  (This is only of interest to NAT users with unusual mail domain needs.)
  NAT users must simply always use our SMTP servers.
  Our routers are set to block outbound port 25 traffic for NAT DSL clients to prevent spamming issues..
  There are two options to work around this:
  1) Switch and start using our SMTP servers, configuring your mail client to
  use "mail.uscorp.net" as your SMTP server, leaving your POP3 settings alone.
  2) Switch to a public ip configuration.  There is no port 25 blocking as spammers can be tracked back to their IP.

• Can I configure a VPN link to my companies office from behind your NAT firewall?
  NO!! - we are aware of no VPN software that works behind a NAT firewall.  For security reasons all the popular VPNs try to connect back to the originating IP.   Since your originating IP is not visible, and there is no 1 to 1 mapping of the external IP presented back to your local NAT IP, that reverse connection is never possible and the packets are discarded.  It might be possible to invent a VPN that does not try to do a reverse connection, but we are aware of no such packages that presently exist.
  With a NAT firewall no packet types are blocked (i.e. UDP, GRE etc. are all fine).   There is just no route from the outside world to your computer unless a session is 1st opened from your computer.  This IP session is assigned to the same external IP as hundreds of other NAT users but translated to a different transient port number.   Remote connection requests to the external NAT IP are not delivered to any of the hundreds of NAT users behind the "firewall". (there is no way to know which user they would be intended for anyway)

DSL Metering

Most DSL accounts are metered to assure that adequate bandwidth is always available for all users. DSL lines are capable of streaming up to $1000/mo of bandwidth per month each.  Metering starts the 1st day of each calendar month.   A warning is issued at mid-month if usage is over 50% of the free allocation and email notices are issued daily once usage exceeds the free allocation on any account.   Any overage is billed to the account on the last day of the month.  Users can view their usage for the month at https://secure.usfamily.net/view.html by clicking the "show month" button.  Unmetered accounts frequently exceeding 2 Gig per month are required to upgrade to a metered account or may be terminated as customers per the excessive use clause in the contract.

DSL IP Setup Choices

Home users please send an email to info@usfamily.net to request any of the following 3 setup options.  The 1st option is initially setup by default.
#1 - Personal DSL
This is the standard setup and the lowest price. You receive a single IP that is protected from Internet attack by a NAT firewall.  NAT IP addresses fall into the 192.168.x.x network, which is an IP range reserved for "private" outbound only usage, which prevents access from foreign networks.  Some game players, VPN users, and servers may not operate with the firewall features and need the higher priced external IP with less built in security.  This is an unmetered connection.

#2 - Personal DSL - External IP or Personal DSL LAN - External IP
This is a single external IP unprotected and visible to the entire Internet.  This allows for connection to your computer from the Internet which is useful for some games, running servers, and VPNs.  If you wish to run more than one workstation just connect a "DSL Router". These are about $80 at Compusa etc. and there are many models.   The router will do local NAT and allow 1 workstation to be designated as the server workstation.  Because we run in bridge mode a Cisco 67x does not provide these features internally.

# 3 - Personal DSL LAN - Nat protected
We provide 5 NAT firewall protected IPs.  These are recognizable as being on the 192.168.x.x network.

2 Subnets
There is an $80 setup fee if you would like both a NAT subnet and and an External IP.  This is not available on all circuits.  You have more flexibility with #2 above and the purchase of your own DSL router but if you are not technically inclined we will do the setup with 2 subnets here where possible.

Current IP Setup
You can view your IP setup at any time at https://secure.usfamily.net/usrdslinfo.html

Debugging your DSL connection

DOS commands below require you to press enter at the end of the command line.

1. Verify your Router is training:  (Training is the connection between your router and your local phone office.)

1. External router - Both the WAN and LAN lights should be on solid green.  Failure of the LAN light means a cable problem to your computer.   Blinking WAN light is a failure to train.
2. Internal router - diagnostics should say the router is trained.
3. Failure to train is a hardware/line issue, call us west tier 1 support at 1-800-247-7285

2. Verify your computer accepted your IP Info on 95/98/ME:

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Enter "winipcfg"
4. Click OK
5. Click More Info
6. Select the right adapter with the down arrow (Ethernet adapter for external router, or the Internal DSL adapter)
7. Check the DNS Servers are 207.225.145.55   (and 207.225.145.251)
8. Check the IP address is the one we provided (check each digit carefully)
9. Check the Default Gateway is the one we provided (check each digit carefully)
10. If any number is incorrect redo or fix your TCP/IP setup or Delete all networking and reinstall.

Or on 2000, NT, XP:

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Enter "command"
4. click ok
5. A black DOS window will appear
6. Type IPCONFIG /all
7. Check the DNS Servers are 207.225.145.55   (and 207.225.145.251)
8. Check the IP address is the one we provided (check each digit carefully)
9. Check the Default Gateway is the one we provided (check each digit carefully)
10. If any number is incorrect redo or fix your TCP/IP setup or Delete all networking and reinstall.

3. If all IP numbers are correct we will test IP

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Enter "command"
4. click ok
5. A black DOS window will appear
6. Enter "ping localhost"
7. your should see 4 "reply" messages - no timeouts or errors
8. (an error here means IP is not properly setup or operating. redo your TCP/IP setup or Delete all networking and reinstall.)
9.  
10. Enter "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"  where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is your IP address
11. press enter
12. your should see 4 "reply" messages - no timeouts or errors.
13. (an error here means IP or your IP address is not properly setup or operating. redo your TCP/IP setup or Delete all networking and reinstall.)

4. If IP seems to be working so far we will see if the WAN will respond.

1. Enter "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"  where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is your Gateway address
2. press enter
3. your should see 4 "reply" messages - no timeouts or errors.
4. (an error here means your computer is not talking to the WAN)
   1. Type the ping command over and over.
   2. If you see the LAN ACT light blink 4 times the LAN connection is probably working and your IP is probably working
   3. If you see the LAN and WAN lights blink 4 times the LAN connection is probably working and your WAN problem may be downstream. Wrong IP, Gateway, or CRC errors on the line.
   4. If you see the LAN  lights blink 4 times but the WAN lights don't, the problem may be in the router.  Verify the router is in bridge mode.
5. If you can ping your gateway the WAN connection is working. Try to ping the DNS.
6. Enter "ping 207.225.145.55"
7. press enter
8. your should see 4 "reply" messages - no timeouts or errors.
9. If you can ping the gateway you can usually ping the DNS. 
10.  
11. Next test DNS
12. Try to "ping usfamily.net"
13. your should see 4 "reply" messages - no timeouts or errors.
14. If you can not ping a name , like usfamily.net, there is a DNS name resolution problem.

5. If the WAN responds we will check if the Winsock gives errors to bigger packets.

1. At this point your WAN connection would appear to be working.   But you could still have a protocol issue.
2. the ftp command will usually reveal a protocol issue.
3. Try to "ftp usfamily.net"
4. enter username "anonymous"
5. enter password "test"
6. If you get a "socket" error message your winsock is corrupt, must be deleted from the registry, and reloaded.
7. if ftp worked fine everything is diagnosing ok and perhaps your browser software is the issue, check you do not have a proxy in your browser settings and or reload your browser.
8. type "dir" and see if a list of files is displayed.
9. enter "quit" to exit ftp

Call and arrange to drop off your computer overnight and we will test the connection on one of our DSL circuits.

6. If everything is working but seems slow.

    A. Run the speed tests at http://www.usfamily.net/cgi-bin/viewfaq.cgi?speed at various times so you can determine if there is a major performance issue.

Updating your IP settings

• Click My computer
• Click Control Panel
• Click Network
• Highlight TCP/IP for your ethernet card or Internal Router
• Click Properties
• Fix the IP, Gateway, and DNS under each tab, referr to your setup instruction with the router from Qwest.
• check your settings after rebooting

Reinstalling Networking

• Click My Computer
• Click Control Panel
• Click Networking
• Remove everything 1 line at a time (Note This will also remove dialup stuff also and require that to be reloaded)
• After removing everything click OK (Note "It will say updating
  and then it will ask to restart")
• Click "OK" to restart
• Start install all over again.

External Router help

• External routers may be checked for errors using the "management port cable" connected to com1 on your computer using the hyperterm program in windows.
• Click start, programs, accessories, communications, hyperterm (if not present you may add it in "control panel, add remove programs, communications")
• create a connection for com1 at  38400 baud, 8 bits, even parity
• repower the router, you should see the initialization and cbos#

Commands To reconfigure the router to bridge mode

• You must connect to the external router with the management cable and hyperterm or zterm (see your manuals)
  for an internal router reinstall the card into bridge mode (see your manual)
• enable
• set nvram erase
• set bridging rfc1483 enable
• write
• reboot

Commands To check for errors

• show int wan0-0
• stat wan0-0

Other useful Commands

• help
• ping 207.225.145.1
• set errors clear
• show errors
• reboot