Need help with ADSL filters...

[AxeMan]

I recently installed my parants new 256 kbps ADSL serivice at their home. Now i have to get another 2 filters for the 2 phones that they have in other rooms and was wondering if i should buy two ADSL 2 filters instead of the normal ADSL ones, so if and when they update their internet service from ADSL to ADSL 2/2+, they wont have to update and buy new filters aswell.
So my question is, do you guys think that this is a good idea ? and secondly are ADSL 2/2+ filters compatible with normal ADSL.
Thanks for your help.
Michael.

[Deer Slayer]

I "THINK" dsl filters are all pretty much the same. What I did was put the modem right where the phone line comes into the house. I put a jack right on the main line right where it splits off to the rest of the house. Then I plugged the DSL filter in that has a plug for the modem, and the phone. I plugged the house phones into the phone side, and the modem into... (DUH). That way I only need 1 filter, and there's not so much loss trying to send the DSL signal all over the house. See if you can do that, if not, I have a few extra filters.

[SRTDodge05]

All the dsl adapters work the same but there is a few different styles of them.

[AxeMan]

I just found that if i unplug the ADSL filter from the modem and plug the modem directly into the phone line that it still works just as well. So i attached it to the phone in the other room which does need a filter and it's all working fine.
Although it works, is it still recommended to place a filter between the modem and the phone line, even though there will not be a phone or fax plugged in with it?

[Acid8000]

Ideally the modem would be plugged directly into the phone line. Only use a filter for wherever phones are plugged into the line. If you have to share a plug with a phone use a combined splitter/filter, which will have a plug each for the phone and the modem.

[Deer Slayer]

You're fine, the filter just filters the DSL signal out from the phone line, so that the phones don't get the signal. You might not hear anything, but it can make a hiss noise in the background if you use a phone without a filter, and it will result in a loss of DSL signal strength. Your modem should be plugged right in to the wall if it's not sharing the jack with a phone. All the dual plug filters do is provide a direct outlet for the modem, and a filtered one for the phone. The idea with DSL is to have the least ammount of wire possible connected to the phone system. The more wire, the more signal will be lost, more loss=less speed, possibly more problems with your connection. You can check your signal strength by looking @ the line attenuation, and the signal to noise ratio. Look on the net for an explanation of those terms if you're curious, and want to learn. You just log into your modem to check that stuff, you can also find how to do that on the net. If you're not using phones, or jacks around your house, you should unhook them. Unhook the lines that go to unused jacks right @ the distribution block. With a 256k line, you should go for whatever performance you can get.

[XJ.]

Originally Posted by SRTDodge05

All the dsl adapters work the same but there is a few different styles of them.

Well, you do need an 'industrial quality' filter if you have an alarm system though. I think the alarm modem outputs too much power and bleeds interference into the DSL signal (the opposite of the problem with phones).

[XJ.]

Err, can't edit my post, WTH! Anyway, just add an 'IIRC' to the end of my last sentence.