DSL and Linux questions...

bm bm at sonic.net
Thu Jan 31 09:06:00 PST 2002


Yet another vote for sonic.  Except for your personal information,
Sonic posts all the data necessary to set up their service.  If
for any reason you need it again, any machine that can get to the
web can give you the common data for setting up your machine.

At home I use sonic DSL and it has been excellent.  The external
DSL modem with ethernet output (LAN) allows easy insertion of
a hardware firewall (or firewall/router) to allow a private
network.  The private network can consist of Linux and Microsoft
(and I assume Macintosh or any TCP/IP devices).  Today there are
even firewall/router/wireless boxes that are not very expensive.


My daughter attends cal poly and sge has Pac Bell DSL.  It was a real
pain to get them going.  She uses a firewall router and it was slightly
more complicated to set up.  However the necessary data exists on several
pieces of paper.  It was impossible for me to give telephone support
as she had no idea what was relevant.  (If Pac Bell had kept their
schedule, she would have had the hardware and data when we were
already there to get her moved in.)

--Bill
> 
> On Wed, Jan 30, 2002 at 07:32:15PM -0800, Paul Stagnoli wrote:
> } Greetings!
> } 
> } I have decided to jump on the broadband wagon and get a DSL line from 
> } PacBell. Their website reports that the service is compatible with Linux, 
> } but Linux is not supported.
> } 
> } My question is how hard is it to set-up DSL with PacBell and get Linux to 
> } talk to the DSL modem. Any ideas, war stories, etc?  Also is there another 
> } DSL provider you would suggest that is cheaper that covers this area?
> 
> Another vote for Sonic.net here.  It costs more, but you get more.  No
> pppe stuff and a static IP address (or 4 addresses if you want, no extra
> charge).  They don't "support" linux, but there are sonic.net newsgroups
> that are very helpful and the sonic staff often answers questions there.
> Speaking of newsgroups they have excellent newgroups feeds.
> 
> They sent me a letter before my install date with IP address,
> nameservers, and the gateway address.  I had my linux firewall machine
> all preconfigured and as soon as the Pac Bell installer was done I
> plugged in the ethernet cable and I was on the air and NAT (IP
> masquarading) was working.
> 
> The hardware firewall/NAT boxes are cheap easy and secure.  I use an old
> 60MHz Pentium box with linux for my firewall because I have my own

> mail/web/ssh servers running.
> 
> -- 
> 
>    E Frank Ball                frankb at efball.com
> 



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