Re: [TCLUG:10513] Relocating + Why cable will not suck

[Scott Dier - dieman <dieman@ringworld.org>]

Other decent DSL providers include onvoy (because they do more areas than
anyone else), iaxs (because I have been using them for this box), and I
have also heard that citilink is decent.  Many providers have visi as
their upstream and charge lower DSL rates, you might want to consider that
as an option.

On Sat, 27 Nov 1999, Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:


> you will probably have to use MediaOne (and their stupid ISP).  I use
> MediaOne and keep a dialup at VISI.  Also, neither service is available in
> Stillwater at this time.  MediaOne is planning on upgrading to two-way there
> sometime in the next century or so.

Heres the deal.

Everyone disses mediaone because of the shit-ass oneway modems.  They
suck.  The mediaone repair guy I had come out to the house last week said
they break 50% of the time.  So, stay away from one-way.

**BUT**

He has installed a ton of two way equipment in areas in the twin cities
that can do two way.  It is a 3com docsis (sp?) cable modem.  3com makes
very decent equipment IMHO.  He hasn't had to fix one of them yet since
they went live in some areas.  It seems like the rest of the twin cities
should be done within 6months to a year.  Time Warner is following suit
within a year also.

People that I know on mediaone in the northeast US like it.  Its
excrutingly fast for the cost. (50$ /w rental, 40$ if you have your own or
buy it from a local retailer and install it yourself -- This has been
mentioned on CNET as happining in the Mlps Area) 

The reason cable does kick ass is that there is fiber coming *much, much
closer* to your house than any other technology.  Whereas DSL is running
over gobs of (old) copper from the CO.  The way m1 does it is they run
fiber from roseville all over to a close distance to your home and then
hook it up to copper within your subdivision.  That's why they are going
through peoples *yards* with fiber.  With this setup, there are probally
less than 50 homes per hub.  Meaning that you would probally never have a
over-stuffed segment of cable.  Mediaone is also fascist about warez and
people eating up bandwidth for things that are illegal.

Cable is only capped at 150K/sec. Not Kbit.  K.  Thats for downstream,
when I asked him about upstream he said he hadn't a clue.

The security concerns about cable are untrue.  The new docsis standard
uses some sort of encryption plus modems that will only get packets
destined to your MAC address.  

Sadly, you dont get a static from them.  You do get a domain name from
them. (something.mn.mediaone.net) that will point to your current DHCP
addy (that perhaps changes once a year.  hook up your domain anyhow.)

AT&T is buying m1 right now.  I would guess as soon as its completed that
m1 would be moving upstream from mr.net (ewwww.. then again. my upstream
is mr.net here.  I get over 100K/sec easy.) to something AT&T owns.

So, if you are looking for complete stability: go with t1.
If you want something that works and lets you pick an isp: DSL.
If you dont want to pay over $100+ a month for faster and more t1 like
speeds: go with cable.

I would be happy to argue this with anyone. :)

*********** IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS A TWO WAY RIGHT NOW?
************** CAN WE HEAR YOUR COMMENTS ON IT?

---
Scott Dier <dieman@ringworld.org> #nicnac@efnet 612.301.0265
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