John: I hope I didn't come across as anti-DSL. I love my DSL. There are certainly good providers out there--folks who provide quality and service. And, maybe the telco's are even right for some people. I suppose my point is to consider what one is buying. All providers are not equal. On Fri, 7 Sep 2001, John J. Boyer wrote: > Hello, > We have had DSL from TDS Metrocom for about three months and have never had > down time. I think they us HPCH or some other bit of alphabet soup, but it's > not PPOE. It supports our entire office with five computers. We only had > tweak Windows' network settings to make it work. > Just a positive note amid all the negative ones. > John > > Computers to Help People, Inc. > http://www.chpi.org > 825 East Johnson; Madison, WI 53703 > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina@afb.net> > To: <blinux-list@redhat.com> > Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 09:29 > Subject: Re: Ameritech.net > > > > I was a Verizon DSL customer when the company was still called Bell > > Atlantic and when consumer DSL service was still very new beginning in > > February 1999. In those days, DSL customers were assigned static IPs. My > > personal experience was that the service was great when it worked, which > > wasn't quite enough of the time. I had long periods of down time--about > > two weeks every three months or so. Calling tech support was a nightmare. > > First, I would sit on hold listening to the same clip of Vivaldi for tens > > of minutes. A half-hour wait was common, and the Vivaldi never > > changed--always the same snipit from the first movement of Spring. Once I > > got first level tier support my problems only got worse. Clearly, it was > > my fault because I wasn't in Windows. Clearly, when I rebooted into > > Windows, it was the screen reader. Once I pushed up to second, and even > > third tier support, it was, of course, never my fault. At least twice they > > moved me to ppoe without even telling me they were doing it. Mostly, they > > just couldn't explain it--system upgrades at the CO, please call back if > > the problem persists. > > > > I will not be a Telco DSL customer again, mostly because of their terrible > > track record with me, but also because they've moved away from DSL > > technology I care to buy. They have indeed found ways to provision DSL in > > ways I don't fully understand--and don't care to. It's more than dynamic > > IPs. I was surprised recently when a friend was installing Verizon DSL on > > his Windows computer--surprised to learn that the install added an icon to > > his Dial Up Networking program group. > > > > In essence, I suspect the telco's judge ip space and general network > > resources insuficient to support the millions of customers they want to > > sell. They want the customers money, but expect they will not use > > persistent connections any more than they use dial up connections. My > > friends DUN based DSL would disconnect on inactivity. Voice phone service > > network capacity is based, as I understand it, on the expectation that the > > average phone call will last four minutes. I'm sure they also have a > > number of calls per month in mind as an average. Of course, they have to > > make those kinds of predictions in order to build out adequate > > infrastructure. But, I have no desire to be part of a broadband service > > that expects casual and occasional web surfing. So, no more telco DSL for > > me. > > > > My advice is to seek a quality provider. My answer, for myself, was > > speakeasy.net for two crowning reasons: > > > > 1.) They actively support linux. In fact, I believe their servers run > > Redhat; > > 2.) They actively have no problem with home networks; > > > > Most providers have problems over linux even if their technology doesn't, > > and have fine print that prohibits multiple machines accessing the > > service. So, I choose to go with the provider that supports the OS and > > features I want and support. > > > > > > On Thu, 6 Sep > > 2001, Karl Dahlke wrote: > > > > > For what it's worth, and it isn't worth much, > > > I used Ameritech dial-up service for almost a year, > > > and was very happy with it. > > > I left only because I wanted a cable modem. > > > > > > Of course I was happy because everything worked for me straight away, > > > and I didn't have to ask their technical department for help. > > > > > > I'm a bit confused by this whole thread. > > > I thought dsl was a static always on connection. > > > Why ppp? > > > Why pppd? > > > Why ppp0? > > > Don't they give you a box that looks like a cable modem, > > > with a nic interface, > > > and don't you just plug into that, like an ethernet? > > > Don't you just set up for an ethernet connection and go? > > > I guess I don't know much about dsl, > > > so I'll stop talking now, > > > before I do more harm than good. > > > > > > Karl > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > > > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > > > > -- > > > > Janina Sajka, Director > > Technology Research and Development > > Governmental Relations Group > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > > > Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 > > > > Chair, Accessibility SIG > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) > > http://www.openebook.org > > > > Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper, > > Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp > > > > Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther > > King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at > > http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp > > > > Learn how to make accessible software at > > http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > -- Janina Sajka, Director Technology Research and Development Governmental Relations Group American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 Chair, Accessibility SIG Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) http://www.openebook.org Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper, Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp Learn how to make accessible software at http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp