UIUCnet Premier ISDN access

Please note that, at this time, CITES does not provide Help Desk support for users who choose this means of accessing the campus terminal servers.

The campus modem phone lines will respond to ISDN communication, but the challanges involved in supporting the wide range of ISDN modems out there prevent us from providing direct end-user support.

About ISDN access to campus modem phone lines

CITES’s dialup service will support dial-in ISDN modems. This lets you use a low cost ISDN adapter to dial in, using a single 64Kb/s B channel, and make a modem connection just like you would with a standard 56K modem. Only the Premier dialup pool supports ISDN modems.

The equipment we use for the campus dialup service supports single channel and dual channel ISDN. We will not be supporting dual channel ISDN because of the extra costs and complexity.

What does ISDN service provide?

ISDN provides a clear 64Kb/s communications path, anywhere your local telephone company provides ISDN service. Once you have dialed and are connected, PPP is used on the line, just like an analog modem. You are assigned a dynamic IP address.

What else does it cost?

You need to purchase an ISDN modem for your specific computer and operating system. Costs vary, but run approximately $150 to $250. Some examples of these modems include the 3Com Sportster ISDN modem, the Zoom/ISDN Terminal Adapter, and the Motorola Bitsurfer Pro.

Configuring your computer to use an ISDN modem as your dialup adapter is simple—use the installation software that came with your adapter to install the modem. Then, simply setup your dialup connection as shown in the documentation that is available from http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/dialup/index.html. The only difference is that you will select your ISDN modem.

You also must purchase your own ISDN service at home from your local telephone company. You will be responsible for any per call or per minute charges for the calls you make.

How do I order my line?

Call your local telephone company's installation number (usually found in the front of your telephone book) and give them the following information. (CITES believes this information is correct for Ameritech, but we do not warrant that it is correct for any other company.)

Single B channel ISDN

Ask for "1B + d", one 64Kb/s B channel + one D signaling channel.
The company will want to know what kind of modem you'll be using.
You probably do not want any restrictions on what numbers you can dial.

Dual B channel ISDN

Ask for "2B + d", two 64Kb/s B channels + one D signaling channel.
The company will want to know what kind of modem you'll be using.
You probably do not want any restrictions on what numbers you can dial.
If you think you will have people dialing in, you may wish to put both B channels into "hunt group", where dialing the first number will ring the second channel if the first is busy.

Return to the main Premier dialup page

Written by Debbie Fligor, maintained by CITES Documentation
Last update: August 18, 2004