Linux-Friendly ISP?

[Leon Goldstein]

Hi Lonni: re

>you need a
>competent ISP who values your business...
>
That is my problem!  Until recently it was Time-Warner cable or
Earthlink riding on TW's cable.  As I mentioned earlier, I've had enough
of T-W and disconnected from their TV cable.

For the moment, it's Century Link, or stay on dialup.  I do not watch TV
or movies on my computer.  My main handicap is not being able to update
my Linux installs by download.  Next in line is slow connection to my
bank and credit card accounts.

Anyhow, this episode has already paid off for me, albeit modestly.  I
checked Earthlink to see if they also had DSL for me.  Still no DSL in
my area, but I saw they had a dialup promotion, so I called and got my
monthly dialup reduced by $3/month instead of increased.

Lonni J Friedman wrote:

>hi leon,
>century is easily one of the worst ISPs in the US from a network
>neutraility perspective.  they are openly hostile to allowing all data
>regardless of source or destination, through their network without
>compensation.    for that reason alone i'd warn you away from them, as
>you will never know what kinds of shady deals they've extracted from
>companies to allow their data onto their nwtwork uninhibited.
>
>to be honest, you don't need a linux friendly ISP.  you need a
>competent ISP who values your business and doesn't play favorites with
>your data choices.  getting a 3Mb/s plan is useless if youtube never
>gets more than 100Kb/s, or netflix is being routed over a path that is
>so congested that its effectively unusable.
>
>TW would be a much better choice for internet access.
>
>full disclosure, i work for netflix.
>
>On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 2:48 PM, Leon Goldstein via Linux-users
><linux-users at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
>  
>
>>Matt, Jay, Michael: thanks for the infill.
>>
>>The big problem in my locale is that Century Link is using some local
>>contractors for their internet service, and they are a bloody bunch of
>>morons.
>>
>>As I mentioned, I got interested in this when a friend told me he was going
>>to try Century Link ADSL.  That was last week; he is still not connected.
>>That does not cover the 11+ hours my friend has spent to date in fruitless
>>discussions with tech support.  He only has cell phone telephony, and I
>>suspect his land line  to the junction box was disconnected.
>>
>>That is obvious to me, but evidently not to Century Link's local internet
>>support folk.  My friend has a techie due to come tomorrow.  I'll bet the
>>techie will find no continuity in the land line and tell my friend to call
>>Century Link to reconnect.  (My friend already tested the phone jacks and
>>there is no current flow in them; no indicator lights.*) That's how things
>>"work" here in Dogpatch, NC, USA.
>>
>>* A while back my telephone went dead.  I have a line tester and got no
>>lights with the gauge plugged into the test socket in the interface panel.
>>i called the Century Link repair number.  After getting through to an
>>operator and describing my problem -  no dial tone, no connection - the
>>operator asked if I was calling from my home phone -  the same one I
>>reported as out of order!
>>
>>I had a devil of a time convincing here that the line between the interface
>>panel and the telephone pole was dead.  Eventually a lineman showed up and
>>removed the cover from the junction box by the street.  Then my phone worked
>>again.  It was a loose connection at a binding post.
>>
>>This sort of thing can drive one to drink!
>>
>>
>>
>>On 02/11/2016 02:38 PM, Michael Hipp via Linux-users wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>I've used Century Link for some of my clients here in rural and small town
>>>Arkansas. I think highly of them. Their support seems competent. In a
>>>previous $JOB I knew some of their top execs and they are one of the few
>>>telco companies that seem to *value* rural customers.
>>>
>>>If I could get their 3Mbps DSL here I'd run to sign up.
>>>
>>>They don't need to "support" Linux. They either just need to give you a
>>>good modem-router or else you buy your own and put it on your side  of their
>>>modem. OS is irrelevant. There should be nothing to install on your boxes.
>>>
>>>I wouldn't hesitate.
>>>
>>>Michael Hipp
>>>Outer Boonies, Arkansas
>>>
>>>
>>>On 2/11/2016 11:10 AM, Leon Goldstein via Linux-users wrote:
>>>      
>>>
>>>>I've mentioned earlier that I'm still stuck in the breakdown lane of the
>>>>information super highway with dialup.
>>>>This may end now.  Apparently I can now get a rather slow -  3 mbs -
>>>>ADSL connection with my telco (Century Link.).
>>>>
>>>>For years I've been told that there was no DSL in my area and only after
>>>>upgrading of the telephone lines would it be offered. However, evidently
>>>>there are now fiber optic cables running to the nodes, and this now
>>>>allows sufficient signal strength and/or purity for DSL.
>>>>
>>>>First question: does this sound real?
>>>>
>>>>Second question: anybody have experience with Century Link and their
>>>>technical support?
>>>>
>>>>I have never used the only other broadband available to me - Time-Warner
>>>>cable "Road Runner"  - for several reasons.  Their cable TV service
>>>>stinks; I disconnected from their cable TV last year and put up an
>>>>antenna.  Whenever I've talked to TW about internet, I've asked if they
>>>>support Linux.  Usually I've had to be shunted to a technically savant
>>>>operator, and get the same reply;  only Windows and Mac OSX are
>>>>"supported."  So if I have a problem, the first question is "what
>>>>operating system do you have" and a reply of "Linux" will be answered by
>>>>TW hanging up on me.
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Linux-users mailing list
>>>Linux-users at linux-sxs.org
>>>http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>--
>>Leon A. Goldstein
>>HP Pavilion DV8000
>>SuSE 13.1 Linux
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Linux-users mailing list
>>Linux-users at linux-sxs.org
>>http://mailman.celestial.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
>>    
>>
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>  
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-- 
Leon A. Goldstein

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