Just signed up for DSL service and I received the installation kit.

The problem is that I have more phones than filters. Do I absolutely need a filter for each phone?? Putting it another way, will an unfiltered phone that is not being used interfere with the DSL signal?

Hi,

You have it backwards. The filter blocks the DSL signal noise fron the analog (Voice) line.

The answer is no. If a phone is not in use, you do not have to have a filter on it. I would suggest that you make sure it is not in use by disconnecting it from the active lione.

donf:

He doesn't have it backwards and neither to you. Both of you are talking about apples and oranges.

The maximum allowable filters is 5. The modem doesn't get one, although it can use the modem port of the splitter or nothing at all. An answering machine/fax/computer modem/telephone can share a filter.

The best way is to use a splitter at the NID.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/landli...hlight=DSL+NID

You can make line #2 the DSL line or run a separate line altogether to the DSL modem. If there is a wireless router in the mix, then centrally locate that.

The thing that I didn't get and this was important. The high-pitched DSL squalk is heard only when the DSL modem is physically turned on.

Kiss,

You sure got more out of his description than I did, thanks

donf:

I guess technically even an on hook phone can degrade the DSL signal somewhat. Most NID's contain a 1/2 ringer network (Equlivelent to 0.5 REN). A REN is a Ringer Equilivelency Number. Supposedly this network isn't needed anymore for the phone company to test the line when all but the half ringer is present. Even a base station answering machine only has an REN of 0.1. Usually the line can handle 5 REN's.

Impulse noise can, in effect disrupt DSL especially if it's from a rotary phone or the act of picking and hanging up.

As with many things, the answer isn't simple.

The filter/splitter is noting more than a low pass filter to the voice circuits and direct to the DSL port.

The guidelines say no more than 5 filters, but any number of devices can be plugged into the voice side of the splitter.

There is lots of stuff that can degrade DSL. One is the use of Quad wire and a large number of phones. There is probably about 11 phones/aux bells at home as well as quad wire. That's a bit much for filters. Some phones don't ring (ringer disconnected) and a UPS backed base station handles 4 phones.

Just like an Ethernet network can be degraded with the use of "Silver Satin" cord anywhere on the network. The DSL circuit can be affected by many things as well. Even, seemingly "unimportant" things like maintaining the twists uniformly to the terminations. Also the length to the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) matters as well. Oh, and don't forget the wet spider nests.