UK Broadband
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From: Pete Thompson on 30 Mar 2006 15:22 Hi, I'm currently trying to size up which ADSL ISP to go for having just installed AOL on windows for a friend of mine, and been embarrassed by how painless it was. I'm considering Pipex, but I wondered if anyone had any good tails/horror stories about ISPs in the UK. I'm particularly interested in... Linux support (Ie I'd quite like to go with a company who knows what linux is!) Modem compatibility - I've never set up a USB modem on Linux, do they look like serial ports (Doubt it) or will I need obscure drivers? Band width - I'd kinda like to get the latest Suse next month, but that might eat up my limit in one go And possibly Web address hosting (which is why I thought of Pipex) Sorry if this is a rather ambiguous request, but I hoped I could gather some opinions before I make inquiries so I know what I'm letting myself in for! BTW - currently using Suse 10.0 and would rather not have to install windies just to use a modem! Cheers in advance - Pete
From: Trevor Jenkins on 30 Mar 2006 16:00 On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:22:01 +0100, Pete Thompson <rodeopete(a)freeuk.com> wrote: > Hi, I'm currently trying to size up which ADSL ISP to go for having just > installed AOL on windows for a friend of mine, and been embarrassed by > how painless it was. > I'm considering Pipex, but I wondered if anyone had any good > tails/horror stories about ISPs in the UK. You might want to check the spamhaus databases for Pipex. Then make your decision. > BTW - currently using Suse 10.0 and would rather not have to install > windies just to use a modem! I deliberately side-stepped that issue by going for a ADSL router solution. Connect one of the network cards of the firewall into the router and the other into a network switch, then everything else into that. Works like a dream. Regards, Trevor <>< Re: deemed!
From: -G- on 30 Mar 2006 16:15 Pete Thompson wrote: > Hi, I'm currently trying to size up which ADSL ISP to go for having just > installed AOL on windows for a friend of mine, and been embarrassed by > how painless it was. > Linux support (Ie I'd quite like to go with a company who knows what > linux is!) > Modem compatibility - I've never set up a USB modem on Linux, do they > look like serial ports (Doubt it) or will I need obscure drivers? > Band width - I'd kinda like to get the latest Suse next month, but that > might eat up my limit in one go > And possibly Web address hosting (which is why I thought of Pipex) I am running suse 10.0 too and Telewest Blueyonder (this is cable, not adsl), Be aware that a lot of people have complains about TW, but for me it has been fine so far. There are no download limits (at the moment). They do not support linux officially, but setting it up is extremely simple, they give you a modem that they connect to the cable, the modem has a usb and an ethernet connector. They give you a CD with some installation, but you do not need it for linux. I chose connecting the the modem to the ethernet card, because the usb modems are sometimes not as easy to setup (or so I was told) and also they will consume some cpu cycles. You then go to yast and set the ethernet interface to get a IP address via DHCP and also set it to get the name servers IPs too. That's it. It will take you a couple of minutes to do. Perhaps you know this, but if you also want to add a router, then the cable routers are different from the adsl routers, so make sure you choose correctly. I hope it helps. -G-
From: anahata on 30 Mar 2006 17:12 Pete Thompson wrote: > Hi, I'm currently trying to size up which ADSL ISP to go for having just > installed AOL on windows for a friend of mine, and been embarrassed by > how painless it was. > I'm particularly interested in... > > Linux support (Ie I'd quite like to go with a company who knows what > linux is!) Andrews and Arnold are positively Linux-centric - I see they can still be reached via the url: http://sod.ms I'm with Plus Net, who certainly have some Linux clue and have been reliable enough for me to stay with them for a good few years now, and they're cheap. Also consider www.ukfsn.org - Definitely Linux-centric, and financially supporting free software. > Modem compatibility Sod that - get an ethernet router. Just works, and gives you a first line of firewall defence. If you must use an ADSL modem, I don't think its too hard under Linux, but I've never tried. -- Anahata anahata(a)treewind.co.uk -+- http://www.treewind.co.uk Home: 01638 720444 Mob: 07976 263827
From: Whiskers on 30 Mar 2006 16:56
On 2006-03-30, Pete Thompson <rodeopete(a)freeuk.com> wrote: > Hi, I'm currently trying to size up which ADSL ISP to go for having just > installed AOL on windows for a friend of mine, and been embarrassed by > how painless it was. > I'm considering Pipex, but I wondered if anyone had any good > tails/horror stories about ISPs in the UK. > I'm particularly interested in... > > Linux support (Ie I'd quite like to go with a company who knows what > linux is!) > Modem compatibility - I've never set up a USB modem on Linux, do they > look like serial ports (Doubt it) or will I need obscure drivers? > Band width - I'd kinda like to get the latest Suse next month, but that > might eat up my limit in one go > And possibly Web address hosting (which is why I thought of Pipex) > > Sorry if this is a rather ambiguous request, but I hoped I could gather > some opinions before I make inquiries so I know what I'm letting myself > in for! > > BTW - currently using Suse 10.0 and would rather not have to install > windies just to use a modem! > > Cheers in advance - Pete Andrews and Arnold <http://aaisp.net.uk/> seem to have heard of Linux - and currently offer new home customers a 'pre-configured ethernet router'. The UK Free Software Network don't lend routers, but they charge less and are keen on Linux <http://www.ukfsn.org/>. (I'm hovering on the brink of plumping for one of them for my first ADSL connection). Don't pay for a "USB modem" to connect to ADSL; although I believe at least one model has been made to work with Linux, they are the broadband version of the winmodem. Real "ADSL modems" with ethernet and/or 802.11b/g 'wireless' connection are readily available, and should just plug in and work, regardless of operating systems on connected computers. If your computer has no ethernet socket, ethernet NICs (network interface cards) for PCI slots don't look expensive. -- -- ^^^^^^^^^^ -- Whiskers -- ~~~~~~~~~~ |