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Naked DSL

Thu, 28/05/2009 - 11:28am — Anonymous

So what is this Naked DSL thing anyway?

Naked DSL refers to having an ADSL broadband connection, without a standard PSTN telephone service.

PSTN stands for "public switched telephone network", which the POTS (plain old telephone service) runs on. In basic terms, the POTS provides your dialtone and telephone line power from the exchange to your house, and the PSTN routes your call to the destination based on the phone number you dial.

With Naked DSL, you are disconnected from the PSTN and receive no dialtone. You are left with an ADSL service only. Contrary to some somewhat misleading newspaper and TV advertisements, you do need a "land line". The land line is simply the telephone cable that runs from your house to the exchange; ADSL and thus Naked DSL still uses this cable.

Naked DSL is not a new technology. It is simply a term for what you get when you disconnect from the standard telephone network.

As you no longer have a dialtone, in order to make calls you must have a VoIP compatible phone, router or software capable of making internet telephone calls. Software such as Skype is able to make telephone calls from the internet over the PSTN.

There are many providers of a type of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) called SIP. SIP is a protocol built into all VoIP routers, and these routers or modems allow you to connect your already existing telephone into it. The dialtone is provided by the router, and any calls you make go over the internet via the VSP (VoIP Service Provider) of your choice.

Most Naked DSL providers have a SIP service. Some examples being Adam Internet, iiNet & Internode. Most VoIP providers that are also Internet Service Providers, will let you make a VoIP call without your download/upload quota being affected.

There are many benefits, and some cons to Naked DSL.

Some of the benefits are as follows:

  • Cheaper monthly line rental, as low as $0.
  • Free or cheaper phone calls, including STD & International.
  • Free Caller ID service.
  • Usually a free Voicemail service.
    Some providers allow voicemails to be automatically emailed to you.
  • Calls to Australian numbers for the price of a local call while overseas.*
    Friends and family can call you on a local number while you are overseas.*
  • Modern mobile phones can be attached to a VoIP landline number.*
  • Free calls to other numbers on the same VoIP provider.
  • No default listing in the whitepages.
  • Hardware & software solutions to automatically divert or block incoming calls from specific telephone numbers.
  • Higher download quota.

    • * May violate the terms of service for your provider.


    Some cons are as follows:

  • Some Naked DSL plans may include upload data towards your monthly quota.
  • Without a UPS, your telephone service will not function in a power outage.
  • If your internet connection is unstable, your VoIP will be unstable also.
  • Line problems such as a bad join in the cable, water leakage in the pit and/or static noise can take longer for someone to come out and fix.
  • Signing up to Naked DSL requires paying the price of a new line connection.
  • Switching to Naked DSL if you already have an ADSL service, can take a couple of weeks of downtime, some of which you may be left without any phone or internet service at all.

    • If you have a VoIP capable router, making a phone call is as simple as picking up the phone and dialing any number as you normally would. Unless there is a major issue with your internet connection, the quality of the call is indistinguishable from a normal telephone call.

    More information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_dsl