[RE-wrenches] DSL routers for off grid

[Kurt Albershardt]

On 4/13/09 10:41 AM, jeff Wongstrom wrote:
> We have had an ongoing problem with slow internet speed caused by 
> multiple issues, most of which seem to have been corrected over the 
> past three years with much troubleshooting and with several service 
> calls.
>
> However, one issue remains and seems to be the following:
>
> During the winter we power down the entire computer system at night 
> and the inverter goes to sleep.  DSL internet speed gradually 
> decreases over a few days to dial up speeds or worse.  We have found 
> that disconnecting the telephone line from the Comtrend ADSL2 router 
> for several minutes and then reconnecting it brings the internet speed 
> back up.

It's possible your line is noisy which could be causing causing the 
DSLAM to drop the rate over time.  I'm also suspicious of the inverter 
sleep mode doing something funny with the DSL modem.

I really prefer running a small 12V DC system for network hardware (DSL 
modem, router/wireless, and perhaps cordless phone base station) both on 
and off-grid.  With a simple ATC fuse block and a few pigtails, I can 
power the whole batch off a single charge controller or PSU and replace 
an armload of wallwarts.  For grid-connected customers, a single 12V SLA 
(30-100 AH range) can provide reliable connectivity for laptops and 
cordless telephones during outages.