Adding a hardline phone and Dsl

sjftrver

Member
Hello everyone, I am a new user and we just bought a 2013 Big Country 3596RE. We are in a park that we can get AT&T's DSL internet. Has anyone tried this and where did you bring it in. I can't find wiring for phone and internet on this unit. Any help would be welcomed. Thanks
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi sjftrver,

Congratulations on your new Big Country and welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. You'll find there's lots of useful information here along with a bunch of friendly people who are quick to offer help.

I've had AT&T DSL at home in the past, and based on that experience, I would guess that the park may have an AT&T DSL connection to the office, which they then distribute to the RVs either through a conventional ethernet splitter or through WiFi. Most parks provide internet service through WiFi. The reason I'm pretty sure they're not just running a phone connection to your RV site that also carries DSL, is that for a DSL signal to do anything in your rig, you would still need to sign up with AT&T to get the correct modem, and to have the service "provisioned", turning it on for you. Even if you had the equipment and a home account, it would still need to be provisioned at the park location. Unless it were a semi-permanent location, this wouldn't make sense for either you or for AT&T.

I'd suggest starting by asking the office for more specific information on how to connect to their internet. If it's via WiFi, they'll give you instructions on how to sign on. If it's via an ethernet wire connection at the pedestal, you'll probably have to get an ethernet cable long enough to get to your computer or router and probably run it through a window. I don't think any of our coaches are pre-wired with ethernet connections.

If you're looking for the telephone connection, it would be in the Universal Docking Center (UDC), if you have one. I think they may have been discontinued due to lack of interest in landline connections. Most people just use their cell phones or a variant like Verizon's Home Phone Connect device, which is what we use at home and take with us in the RV.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
If as part of the DSL service, you do in fact have a physical wire run to the RV and you receive a DSL modem, my guess is that the modem may also be a WAP (wireless access point) and be able to route Internet to you wirelessly (WiFi) from that point. Or you can connect your own Wireless Router to it.

As Dan stated, pretty sure there is no hard-line coming into the coach. I have 2 suggestions for you that are pretty easy to do for temporary use:

1. Bring the wire through the slide seal by running the slide room in a foot, push the wire past the outer slide seal, then fish it inside the inner seal and into the room and run it wherever needed. Slide the room back out. Not the prettiest, but the easiest. Should be little cause for concern due to the size of the wire.

2. Run the wire into the dock (UDC) and plug the DSL modem in there, right in the dock. Maybe tie it up hight so it's not on the floor of the dock. There's AC power in there for the power transformer for the modem. As a variant to this, drill a half inch hold through the left side of the dock, into the storage bay and run the wire up into the dock, out the small hole into the storage bay and over to the door side where there's AC power. Keep the modem (and WAP/Router there in the bay).

Jim
 

RoadJunkie

Well-known member
Hey! Maybe we can get Heartland to include an integrated DSL modem into their 2014 lineup? The deleted hard-line phone installation could be replaced with up-to-date technology? Said in jest, but just think of the possibilities! Integration with the new Heartland--standard feature--smart TV, wireless (app-driven) thermostat control, security cameras accessible via web, and lighting control,..the list is endless! Com'on Heartland, be the first on your block to offer the new "Smart" rig.
 
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