Site News :: Linux and ISPs
I use Cogeco cable (in canada) and they are not friendly at all. They don't support anything other than plugging the modem into the computer. No router support, no macintosh support, and certainly no *nix support.
My candidate for a local privately-owned ISP in Europe [name withheld because they're probably owned by the Mafia] nearly freaked when I asked if they blocked ports, to which they replied (paraphrasing) 'as many as possible because it stops customers getting viruses and things'. When I replied that I would be running linux most of the time and hence would not be quite so vulnerable as WinPersons to viruses and spyware, that I definitely wanted filesharing and to be able to act as a server, and suggested that they might just **** well open a specific port for me if I requested same ... you can imagine the look I got. The requested service was not forthcoming and so I have given them a miss to date.
No problems with Joi dial-up yet.
Yea, I know, but I had MSN 5.4 preinstalled on what is now my DSL box back in 2001 and you know how that goes; MSN 8 was preinstalled on everything new I acquired and I'd heard some horror stories about getting the software off; fear makes you do things that look pretty stupid in retrospect.
Anywho, I refuse to put any more ISP software on my windoze machines and I'm frequently online downloading stuff for over eight hours a day. I chose Joi over other no-software-required dial-up ISPs because it has instructions for dialing out with Red Hat on the site, but I have taken the warning about "unlimited" not really being unlimited to heart, so we shall see what we shall see.
My Mandrake machine dials out just fine through KPPP now that I've got the linux drivers for the software modem.
I use Earthlink dial up at home ( will be switching to broadband shortly).
Earthlink has been great. they have no linux support. Their basic philosophy is that they will provide the network information the rest is up to you. I have been using their dial up service for a number of years I believe that on 2 occasions I had to go and change/update an IP address as they have some type of plan to rotate them every few months..
The service has been great. I would suggest that if you do have to call them, that if you need anyone with half a brain, then you choose the phone options for MAC support instead of Wind-ers support as that is where they seem to relegate their people with any semblence of knowledge.
Peace,
Mark
I had used earthlink for a few years. When I set up my first linux box...mandrake 6 I think, I called up for support, they had no clue. About three years ago I moved over to RedHat and had no issues what so ever. I have since moved to Charter Cable here in Oregon. When I came home they had already set up the modem, to my horror, on my girlfriends winbox with their software as the main comp. They gave us the username and password right there.
I asked about linux support, they said I might be able to talk to someone who knew about linux, but it was not covered by tech support. As soon as they left, I ripped the set up appart, set my mandrake 10 box up as king of the network and it was flawless. It saw the connection and assigned what was needed.
On a strange note, my girlfriends computer could not get a connection through the network to the outside, I beat my head against a wall until it dawned on me; it was the charter software. My neighbor was having the same prob. I just uninstalled their garbage and all was well. As for tech support, I have never had to call. DSL finds the connection just fine as well. simon
Next Page...
original here.