[ale] OT: DSL at HellSouth

[Stuffed Crust]

On Sat, Dec 01, 2001 at 08:20:10PM +0900, Keith Hopkins wrote:
> 1-> BS wants to charge me $199.00 for "installation" because I have a fiber-optic line.  They have not been able to tell me what the "installation" consists of.

I'm in a similar situation. 
 
> 2-> BS told me that once the "installation" is done, I will not be able to move my computer.

That's not technically correct. so just smile, nod, and do your own
thing.

Basically, you haved IFITL -- Integraded Fiber In The Loop.  Instead of
copper wires from your CO to your building, there's a pair of fibers..
and at the curb, there's a little phone company pedestal that splits the
fiber into the actual copper phone lines that go into your home.

When you haev IFITL, BellSouth inserts a module into that pedestal that
spits out 10BaseT ethernet (really!) which then has to enter your house
on a different pair (well, two pairs) of wires.   That's what the
installation fee is for; in my case the technicians were here for six
hours trying to get the wiring to cooperate.

DSL typically goes to all phone jacks in the home, but since you'd be
getting an ethernet feed, It can only go to one jack.  So if you want
your computer in a different room, you'll have to run a cable.  No big
deal.

But I highly recommedn the IFITL stuff; it's immune to nost of the
interference and reliability crap that DSL has, and it's FAST.  My
connection doesn't seem to be capped (on the download) and I routinely
get 200-250KBps of throughput to fast sites.  Plus since it's ethernet,
you don't need any fancy windows-only modem thing.  

Unfortunately, BellSouth uses PPPoE, but I think you can get a static IP
if you pay them a little more.  

 - Pizza
-- 
Solomon Peachy                                    pizzaATfucktheusers.org
I ain't broke, but I'm badly bent.                           ICQ# 1318344
Patience comes to those who wait.
    ...It's not "Beanbag Love", it's a "Transanimate Relationship"...

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