[ale] DSL Data Points (Long and meandering)

[John Mills]

ALErs -

I have three speed measurements to report:

1) Obtaining DSL: Searching through DSLreports and marketing web sites, I
   ordered a home/business account through Concentric, who then morphed
   into XO Communications. Backbone provider is NorthPoint. CO is Eastlake,
   estimated about 13000 ft. from our Emory-area home. (Concentric didn't
   believe they could serve us until I pressed them to look at NorthPoint's
   access. Chronology:
   a. Ordered service on Aug.31, 2000, taking advantage of free installation
      and modem against a one-year minimum service offering 4 static IP
      addresses, 5 e-mail accounts, 20 MBy web space, 300 MBy/mo server
      traffic, "up to" 748/416 MBps, $69.00/mo. Not bottom dollar, but it
      looked like a good package, and for our address there were few non-
      cable choices. I also sprung for $35 for 2 yr. registration of a
      domain name: "mills-atl.com" Vanity plates on the InterNet. Order form
      warned me to expect 45-60 days to get service.

   b. Oct.8: got appointment for BellSouth to connect circuit on Oct.15.
   c. Oct.15: appointment canceled because BellSouth wouldn't verify our
        service address against our street address. I cut the address text
        from an on-line BellSouth statement and e-mailed that to Concentric.
   d. Oct.30: BellSouth installs loop, which in fact required they run a
        new, additional phone line from the pole. Couldn't happen to nicer
        folks.
   e. Oct.31: Copper Mountain "Copper Rocket" SDSL modem arrived priority
        mail. Solid looking little box.
   f. Nov.3-4: I put in a shelf and outlet in the basement over my table saw
        and next to the phone entry block.
   g. Nov.7: NorthPoint rep does inside installation, but his net card had
        died so he couldn't do the final checkout. I plugged Linksys hub
        into the modem. The lights on both went on and stayed on.
   h. Nov.12: I called Concentric and asked them to joggle NorthPoint to
        finish the job.
   i. Nov.14: I got a phone call asking me to attach _something_ to the
        modem so the tech could test from the other end. I carried the
        family iMac down to the table saw and plugged 'er in. Tests OK.
   j. Nov.15:Billing and service started.

 Total Time: approx. 75 days including one delay by BellSouth and one by
      NorthPoint. Doesn't sound too bad compared to some horror stories
      on this list. I haven't been monitoring the service, but haven't
      had it dump or delay on me at any time.

2) List readers know I'm still pfutzing around trying to get 'ipchains'
    doing what I want. Last night I decided for a relief to run one of
    the DSLsource speed tests. I got 724 KBps download, and 727 KBps
    upload!! Yeah!! Must be 13,000 decent feet of wire! I suppose time and
    load were in my favor, but I am happily surprized. Thanks, NorthPoint.
    Thanks, XO Comm. Even better than the optimistic sales literature.

    Box is a 333-K6 w/ $15 LinkSys card - "tulip" driver, but had to
    replace the driver in RH6.2 with a newer one that works.

   Full points to ISP and Backbone providers.

3) Wednesday I ordered Bob Toxen's _Real World Linux Security_ from Barnes
    and Noble, generic surface shipping. Stock page said, "Ships in 2-3
    days". Next day I got the 'Your order shipped' note. Today (Fri.) I got
    the book. That's the only piece of mail I've gotten in reasonable time
    in the last 3 weeks!

   Full points to Barnes and Noble.

Now, if I can just get 'ipchains' doing what I want, I'll happily leave the
box on line 7/24 and figure out how to make some use of that bandwidth.

Just wanted to give a few data points.

-- 
Regards -
 John Mills

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