>
> I'm pretty sure you have to have windows, because much of their
> software is windows only, and you have to run the software to setup
> the account.
> If you are going to be running more than one computer... it will be
> very slow. Well, it's ALREADY slow.. compared to my road runner, it
> was pathetic, however, you're getting what you pay for. The problem
> was running more than one computer... that REALLY slowed things down a
> lot.
>
"All ISPs suck!" - Robert 'CmdrTaco' Malda
I've had both Verizon DSL and RoadRunner. You can set up either one
directly in Linux; from your router's or computer's view it's just a LAN
connection with DHCP. It's like Earthlink or most other dialup ISPs;
you can use their CD or you can just do the setup with KPPP, the Gnome
equivalent, or with text commands. SimplyMEPIS and many other newer
Linux distros will set up DSL or cable automatically for you, anyway.
You may not have full use of the cable/DSL provider's home page and
other services without Windows, but so it goes. I have no need to be
blasted by their ads and promo offers. Note that all ISPs' (Windows
only; maybe Mac/Windows) setup CDs will give you their ad page as home.
If you have a problem with either one, they will want to step you
through a bunch of Windows diagnostic steps because most "connection"
problems are really Windows problems. Just mumble along with them, tell
them you did whatever control center step they told you to do, and that
you rebooted as ordered. Either that or ask for a supervisor. The
front-line reps read from a script and are not hired for technical
knowledge. They are told to stick to the script, period.
Reality: If you hook your computer directly to the cable or DSL modem
and "see" it when you run ifconfig, your stuff is okay and theirs is
not. Get someone half-smart at either service (usually a supervisor or
actual tech) and they should be able to ping your modem and send a line
tech if they can't reach it. If both you and they can reach the modem,
chances are the modem is defective. This is not hard stuff.
Speed reality: Close to the telco switch, DSL is as fast as cable. A
mile or more away, it's usually slower. Upload speed on DSL, though, is
usually faster than cable. A popular/saturated cable loop can be slower
than DSL at times, while DSL will be consistent. Both types of
connections have their good points and bad points. Neither one is
perfect. If you want *real* high-speed Internet, spring for T-1 or better...
Scary: Brighthouse (the cable monopoly in Bradenton) failed to send us a
bill for July. Thursday a guy was at our door to shut off our cable
service unless we paid on the spot. We did. But if we hadn't been home
at the time, I would have come home and found my Internet service shut
off, which would have meant I couldn't work except through my company
dialup account. We're switching to Verizon because -- say what you will
about them -- they manage to get bills out on time and process them
right, and will not shut your service off without warning.
Sooner or later any ISP will piss you off. That is the nature of the
beast. Both cable and DSL are fine when they work, but when they stop
working you are going to have problems getting going again if you have a
line problem, and you will have your problem longer if you expect their
front-line phone reps to think instead of going through their script.
And you might as well be polite to the phone reps. They don't get paid
much and don't deserve your anger. If you want to be mad at someone, try
the corporate officers, board of directors, and major stockholders.
Thanks to Bush & crew they pay a lower percentage of taxes on their
millions than the poor phone reps pay on $8 or $10 per hour, and they're
the ones who set "Windows only" policies, lobby/bribe the FCC and
Congress into eliminating their competition, and refuse to pay phone
reps a decent salary or give them adequate training.
- Robin
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