T1: A Survival Guide

Chapter 7. Connecting the Umbilicus: GettingT1 Connectivity

Solitude is impractible, and society fatal.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude

With a good deal of theory behind you, some practical information is in order. This chapter describes the procedure for hooking up a T1 circuit to an ISP.

Ordering

If you want people to do things for you, money is usually an excellent way to make it happen. To get a T1 installed, you need to place an order and promise to pay a bundle of money. There are two main routes to go here. One way is to do it yourself. On the other hand, many ISPs will happily sell you a startup package that includes any necessary equipment (router, CSU/DSU, cabling, etc.) and will place the circuit order with the telco for you. I strongly recommend the latter approach. Circuit ordering and installation often take longer than scheduled, and ISPs that deal with telcos on a regular basis are familiar with the issues involved. Many larger ISPs even have “Telco Liaison” positions staffed by people whose jobs are working with phone companies on WAN link issues. Large ISPs bring buying power to the table as well. It may not help your pricing, but it will help smooth over the installation process.^[12]

^[12] Increasingly, large ISPs are subsidiaries of major telecommunications firms and help route circuit orders to the parent telco umbrella.