I started with Telocity which was bought out by DirecTV which folded and switched over to SBC service. When that happened I got a new 2wire DSL modem. I paid $200 for it (a ripoff) but was "reimbursed" by lower monthly bills the first year.
I did setup via a Windows PC but it looked like it was just using a webpage servered up by the modem. I think the address translated to 192.16.0.1 to talk to the modem. After I setup the modem I deleted all of the installed software on the Windows PC. I still talk to the modem via a webpage and can download updates and do all the administration. Of course part of the 150 Megs of crap software they install on the Windows PC is a "monitoring" program for the modem so they can serve me better.
I setup one Gentoo Linux PC by name in the DSL modem and passed the IP address directly through to it and I serve a simple set of webpages on it now. I have an account on http://www.dyndns.org/ but don't have the software installed quite correctly on the Linux box to update the IP address every time it changes. Since I have frequent power blinks at my house it sometimes changes often. I need to UPS the DSL modem in the basement.
I have never noticed an outage. I have never had to call customer service. I use paid Yahoo as my email but see no reason I couldn't setup other servers. I have run SMTP servers on my Windows PC to send mail out on occasion.
I have the $26.95 year contract. The speed of the downloads are often better than here at work.
Oh, the 2wire modem is also a DHCP server and firewall so you just have to hook up a hub and then as many PCs as you wish.
--- Brian Kelsay [email protected] wrote:
I have a few questions about details of the above service install. Answer only if you are a current or former user of the service or have performed installs for others with the service. I need details, not flames and trolls so I can make an intelligent, informed decision.
Current pricing is $26.95/month (1.5Mbps down) for a one yr commitment with free hardware and self-install. The higher speed (3Mbps down) is avail. for $36.95/month and same free hardware and install.
If you have this service and use Linux, did you have to hook up a Windows PC for the initial install and then move the NIC used for the install to your Linux box or Linux based firewall? I had to do this when I originally signed up for @Home, but this problem went away with the switch to Comcast.net. I noticed this change when setting up friends with Comcast. I have not really dealt with Roadrunner or DSL for anyone. The deal was that your MAC address was used as part of the authentication scheme somehow. I don't really recall more detail than that.
Do they use PPPoE? Not a big deal, but I know it can be a pain in some ways when you try to keep alive your connection for an always on PC.
How is their customer service if you are competent with PCs and networks? Do they try to give you the run-around and have you do stupid things in their support script books or do they listen to you when you tell them you have already tried all that?
Have you had any problems with the service being down frequently like some users here that have RR have experienced? I have not had outage problems with Comcast until I moved to the new address, but I'm looking to save some money and maybe lose the ties to cable. This is probably more dependent on your phone line quality, like cable is on the age and quality of cable wire, than anything else, though DSL is dependent on distance to switch.
Tied to the last question, have you had trouble with email being down? I think they just have most people use Yahoo webmail, which I do now anyway, but with paid service you can do a legal POP download of mail. Again, this is a frequent complaint of RR users, but not a problem with Comcast. If I get this DSL connection I intend to try to have my own mailserver, but the family will probably be on the ISP mailserver.
Any trouble running a home webserver, mailserver and using ssh into said servers? Any blocked ports by default? I've not had a problem with Comcast, but some RR users have had to call CS to get ports unblocked. I'm not planning on running a business or getting 5 nines of service, I just want a playground for server stuff, so don't get yer panties in a bunch over getting a business level DSL connection.
Any other caveats about using their service that you have noticed, any limitations that I haven't thought to ask about?
Brian Kelsay
Kclug mailing list [email protected] http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug