Network: ADSL Network Services

Skyway West is committed to serving businesses from British Columbia to Quebec with superior ADSL services.

Skyway ADSL services combine our own static IP addresses, redundant equipment, management systems, support and upstream networking with ADSL ports purchased wholesale. The result is a faster, more reliable and better supported ADSL service that businesses can rely on. Compare us to Shaw and Telus.

Skyway's ADSL service can be added to phone lines supplied by Telus or its competitors such as Bell, Allstream, Group Telecoms, Sprint and others. ADSL is added to the copper phone line running from the customer premise to the Central Office serving the local telephone area. A Skyway managed ADSL router or modem located in the customer premise converts the ADSL signal to an ethernet signal. An ADSL port located in the Central Office converts the ADSL signal to an ATM signal carried over fibre to Skyway West's redundant distribution routers.

Each ADSL service is configured as a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) between the Central Office and Skyway's network. The PVC is a secure communication path, separating one ADSL customer from another and ensuring one customer's usage doesn't affect anothers. Each PVC runs through the ATM fiber network and terminates on Skyway West's redundant distribution routers. The distribution routers are part of Skyway West's backbone network.

Reliable Network

Once on Skyway West's network the signal is routed through one of our four upstream providers, ensuring redundancy and speed by sending data packets along the shortest route to their destination. The result is FAST and RELIABLE access.

Upstream access to:

positions us to connect quickly to Bell Nexxia, AT&T Canada, Sprint and Shaw. This is an important feature when employing a VPN or VoIP. Connect multiple offices throughout B.C and Alberta and stay within our network without touching the Internet and avoiding network congestion.

Visit Network Design and Redundancy for more information.

Static IP Addresses

Static IP addresses are included with all our Business Class Internet services. Some of our competitors use Dynamic IP addresses. Dynamic IP addresses result in unreliable and interrupted service, therefore, we do not use them with our business class services.

Static IP addresses are essential if you host your own mail or web server and also necessary to make an application like a corporate database or accounting program accessible over the Internet.

Static IP addresses make it possible to connect branch offices, home users and remote employees to your LAN. Network administrators using PC Anywhere or a similar application can connect to the office servers and maintain them from home. Remote users can authenticate their access to the office network.

We can help you set up a VPN. This is an inexpensive way to securely connect outside users to your company's internal network. Learn more about setting up your VPN.

Using a Router

An ADSL router is your best option when connecting a LAN to the Internet. We do not recommend ADSL modems/bridges.

Routers have more features than modems including the ability to act as a firewall preventing "hackers" from accessing your LAN. When connected to your own firewall, they provide a DMZ for connecting devices outside your firewall.

Routers make it easier to distinguish between ADSL equipment problems and LAN problems. Routers remain online when a LAN is down and can be used to confirm a LAN problem. ADSL service problems are easier to diagnose with a router.

Routers are designed to route more than 1 IP address. They are necessary when connecting additional devices (mail or web server) and applications requiring multiple IP addresses.

Internet routable addresses are hard coded into routers so no other device can use your IP address. With a modem, you hard code the IP address into your own workstation, server or firewall. Inadvertently assiging the wrong address will interrupt your service and others.

A router is normally located in your server room and a cable connects it to an ADSL splitter installed at the telephone company's demarcation point (where the phone lines enter your building). Splitters provide a fast, clean connection to the Internet and should be used instead of line filters. Line filters do not eliminate "noise" on the phone line and can noticeably slow down your ADSL connection making them unsuitable for connecting a LAN to the Internet.