Hi Folks,
Those interested who haven't already heard may like to learn that a notorious broadband black hole in the region is planned to be filled shortly.
Details of the announcement can be found at the Nordelph Web site
under the tab "Nordelph Future". In summary, the following exchanges areplanned to be bith ADSL and SDSL enabled by the end of October this year:
Broadfield, Hertfordshire; Burnt Fen, Suffolk; Higham, Suffolk; Knarr Cross, Cambridgeshire; Brandon Creek, Norfolk; Nordelph, Norfolk; Linstead, Suffolk; and Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire. The exchanges are to get ADSL, and additionally will also be enabled for SDSL thus benefiting businesses in the area. The work on the exchanges is slated to begin in the next few months and completed by the end of October 2005.
(Knarr Cross exchange is by Thorney, East of Peterborough; Burnt Fen exchange is situated near Shippea Hill on the A1101 Littleport-Mildenhall road; all other names can be found on most maps).
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
Best wishes to all, Ted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 17-Jun-05 Time: 16:24:07 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
Congratulations on getting closer to broadband!
If you get an ethernet 'DSL router then setup is a cinch. Just set your PC's ethernet card to use DHCP.
Good luck! Tim.
On 17-Jun-05 Tim Green wrote:
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
Congratulations on getting closer to broadband!
If you get an ethernet 'DSL router then setup is a cinch. Just set your PC's ethernet card to use DHCP.
Good luck! Tim.
That looks like good news! However, I'm a little bit wary about the hardware side.
My exhcange (Brandon creek) is a BT exchange, BT will be doing the upgrade, and it's a BT line.
When I look on the BT website at their broadband options (and I think their 2Mbits/15GBperMonth is probably what would best suit my likely usage) I see that they supply their own modem router (free if you buy your broadband sub online they say).
So two questions:
a) Will a BT broadband connection only work with a BT modem/router? If so, what's the score on connecting it to a Linux machine and getting it to work (implicitly: is it Linux-compatible)?
b) If, on the other hand, BT's is not Linux-compatible, but one can buy a different one which is BT-compatible, which ones will work most smoothly with BT and are Linux-compatible?
Thanks for any info!
Best wishes to all, Ted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 17-Jun-05 Time: 19:24:50 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
On 17-Jun-05 Tim Green wrote:
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
If you get an ethernet 'DSL router then setup is a cinch. Just set your PC's ethernet card to use DHCP.
That looks like good news! However, I'm a little bit wary about the hardware side.
My exhcange (Brandon creek) is a BT exchange, BT will be doing the upgrade, and it's a BT line.
Sounds normal.
Do not use BT as your broadband ISP! I'd still recommend Eclipse over them. BT will monkey with the exchange, and you sign up with an ISP and install the micro-filters and the ADSL modem (they all plug into obvious phone style sockets so you shouldn't need an engineer to visit your house, unless like me you need the ISDN taken out first).
When I look on the BT website at their broadband options (and I think their 2Mbits/15GBperMonth is probably what would best suit my likely usage) I see that they supply their own modem router (free if you buy your broadband sub online they say).
So two questions:
a) Will a BT broadband connection only work with a BT modem/router? If so, what's the score on connecting it to a Linux machine and getting it to work (implicitly: is it Linux-compatible)?
Many other ISPs will provide free hardware (eg. PlusNet have a special offer on at the minute) but forking out £40-80 for your own shouldn't break the bank.
You can use any ADSL modem/router commonly available in the UK on your BT phoneline.
b) If, on the other hand, BT's is not Linux-compatible, but one can buy a different one which is BT-compatible, which ones will work most smoothly with BT and are Linux-compatible?
I suspect BT will try to palm you off with a USB based modem. I suggest in the strongest terms getting ethernet because then you will not be limited by USB drivers nor will you be limited to any particular OS.
When I signed up with Eclipse last year I went for the Alcatal Thompson SpeedTouch 530 they offered - it has both USB and ethernet. I configured it through the ethernet port with Firefox in Linux and I have not noticed any trouble with it.
Regards, Tim.
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Tim Green timothy.j.green@gmail.com wrote:
<snippity />
Do not use BT as your broadband ISP! I'd still recommend Eclipse over them. BT will monkey with the exchange, and you sign up with an ISP and install the micro-filters and the ADSL modem (they all plug into obvious phone style sockets so you shouldn't need an engineer to visit your house, unless like me you need the ISDN taken out first).
I'll go along with the not using BT thing, too... In my experience, at the end of a support line, BT ADSL customers have a small nightmare getting through to anyone that has even a slight clue of what's going on. I'd suggest Black Cat Networks (http://www.blackcatnetworks.co.uk/) as an ISP, I've been using them as the ISP for my home and for my dads for the last few months with very very few issues, and timely announce e-mails on the announce list explaining what the problems where when there are any, and any maintainance that they know of. They're not the cheapest option, but it is 'uncapped' ADSL, which is handy.
Many other ISPs will provide free hardware (eg. PlusNet have a special offer on at the minute) but forking out £40-80 for your own shouldn't break the bank.
Hmm, Work is on the end of a PlusNet line. I have not been at *all* impressed by PlusNet so far.
I suspect BT will try to palm you off with a USB based modem. I suggest in the strongest terms getting ethernet because then you will not be limited by USB drivers nor will you be limited to any particular OS.
I believe BT are now shipping Ethernet speedtouch modems, but I could be wrong.
When I signed up with Eclipse last year I went for the Alcatal Thompson SpeedTouch 530 they offered - it has both USB and ethernet. I configured it through the ethernet port with Firefox in Linux and I have not noticed any trouble with it.
I forked out a few more quid and got a Netgear DG834G, I know that a few other ALUGers out there also have this ikkle router, it's not bad.
Thanks, - -- Brett Parker web: http://www.sommitrealweird.co.uk/ email: iDunno@sommitrealweird.co.uk
Thanks, Tim and Brett, for the good comments and the tips!
I'm pleased to learn about Eclipse:
and about Black Cat:
http://www.blackcatnetworks.co.uk
both of which seem to have commendable attributes. It seems Black Cat run on Linux, so one can expect some understanding in the event of seeking tech support (as opposed to the BT help desk minion when I was enquiring about setting up authenticated SMTP on Linux, whose reply was "We do not support that software. Please consult the help desk of your software supplier.")
Also, from the Eclipse web site I learn that they are now part of Kingston Communications, which merges them into a group with a long tradition of reliable independence of BT (Kingston upon Hull had for about 100 years the one and only independent telecomms service in the UK).
Black Cat do indeed seem to be more expensive than others for a similar level of service, but being "uncapped" and also Linux based is a merit that could be worth paying for.
Best wishes to all, Ted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 18-Jun-05 Time: 09:41:29 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On Sat, Jun 18, 2005 at 09:45:25AM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
Black Cat do indeed seem to be more expensive than others for a similar level of service, but being "uncapped" and also Linux based is a merit that could be worth paying for.
Black Cat are also the kind hosts of the Alug mailing list and host the domain for us. The Alug website is hosted by PHP4hosting.com.
I also have ADSL from Black Cat (and my mail/domains/hosting are done by them) and I like them for technical competence and having the kind of support that doesn't expect you to be running Windows XP.
The only thing that I would take note of is that support is done via email (well, afaik you can phone them but they only expect this when you have no other way of getting online, I think...) but at the same time I find I get more useful responses much more quickly via email rather than using the phone as you have to battle your way through the first line support who get upset when they realise you aren't running Windows XP.
Also it is nice to be able to go out to the pub or an Alug meeting and see 1/2 of the people behind Black Cat.
Oh, and AIUI Black Cat are the only people doing native ipv6 ADSL in the .uk, as all the other people doing it are using tunnels (unless other providers have changed in the past couple of months).
Adam
-----Original Message----- From: main-admin@lists.alug.org.uk [mailto:main-admin@lists.alug.org.uk] On Behalf Of Adam Bower Sent: 18 June 2005 12:05 To: main@lists.alug.org.uk Subject: Re: [ALUG] Broadband in the Black Hole
On Sat, Jun 18, 2005 at 09:45:25AM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
Black Cat do indeed seem to be more expensive than others for a similar level of service, but being "uncapped" and also Linux based is a merit that could be worth paying for.
Black Cat are also the kind hosts of the Alug mailing list and host the domain for us. The Alug website is hosted by PHP4hosting.com.
I also have ADSL from Black Cat (and my mail/domains/hosting are done by them) and I like them for technical competence and having the kind of support that doesn't expect you to be running Windows XP.
The only thing that I would take note of is that support is done via email (well, afaik you can phone them but they only expect this when you have no other way of getting online, I think...) but at the same time I find I get more useful responses much more quickly via email rather than using the phone as you have to battle your way through the first line support who get upset when they realise you aren't running Windows XP.
Also it is nice to be able to go out to the pub or an Alug meeting and see 1/2 of the people behind Black Cat.
Oh, and AIUI Black Cat are the only people doing native ipv6 ADSL in the .uk, as all the other people doing it are using tunnels (unless other providers have changed in the past couple of months).
I use Blackcat Networks for both hosting and adsl on multiple accounts and I will testify that their service is of the highest professional standard and their support via email is exemplary. They are also very knowledgeable nice people.
Cheers, BJ
(Ted Harding) wrote:
Thanks, Tim and Brett, for the good comments and the tips!
I'm pleased to learn about Eclipse:
and about Black Cat:
I can certainly recommend my current ISP E7Even http://www.e7even.com - they offer an unlimited 512kbps connection for the equivalent of £10 per month as long as you are happy to pay for a years worth up front - free installation if you pay for 2 years (240 for two years, and thats it). They also regularly offer top-ups at a discounted rate (I recently added 6 months to my subscription for £30).
Their service has gone through a number of upgrades earlier this year, but once these had finished around April reliability of the connection has not been an issue, and with free setup tech support on a 0845 rate number for 30 days (after that its pound-a-minute), and dialup account as backup, I find it more than enough especially at the price. Obviously, email support is free and they appear to have some sense - I believe they run on a mix of BSD and Linux server-side as well so definate brownie points for that.
One gotcha, at least for me, was their free bundled .co.uk domain name - you cannot have this point at your DSL line, and have to set up POP mailboxes for any mail aliases you want through their web site so be forewarned (I registered my DSL line as a seperate domain with easily.co.uk for about a fiver IIRC). The domain is not registered unless you do so through the site after being connected, so its not a deal-breaker as I easily made up the difference in cost, in the first month in fact.
I believe they still have places on their free speed upgrade if you apply relatively soon, giving you 1mbps DSL at £10pcm. You can get an ethernet modem from them, which I did way back when, but I don't know about prices - it was bundled when I signed up. If they are still providing the same model as I got, google for firmware updates as it doesn't come shipped with Firewall, and also has an open Telnet management port WWW-side out of the box (oops)!
They also offer a recommend-a-friend program (without sounding like I am just after a quick buck, my referral code is 701738 if anyone finds my recommendation useful) which is worth 2 months extension per sign-up I believe.
HTH,
Jim Rippon
On Friday 17 June 2005 20:50, Tim Green wrote:
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
On 17-Jun-05 Tim Green wrote:
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
If you get an ethernet 'DSL router then setup is a cinch. Just set your PC's ethernet card to use DHCP.
That looks like good news! However, I'm a little bit wary about the hardware side.
My exhcange (Brandon creek) is a BT exchange, BT will be doing the upgrade, and it's a BT line.
Sounds normal.
Do not use BT as your broadband ISP! I'd still recommend Eclipse over them. BT will monkey with the exchange, and you sign up with an ISP and install the micro-filters and the ADSL modem (they all plug into obvious phone style sockets so you shouldn't need an engineer to visit your house, unless like me you need the ISDN taken out first).
I'm with Zen Internet - http://www.zen.co.uk/ - and haven't got a bad word to say about them. When you call support you get straight through, and the person at the end of the line is a real techie. They're support staff will discuss Linux without batting an eyelid - not of that "We don't support Linux" thing.
Not sure if they're the cheapest, but I reckon I've had about 1-2 hours downtime in about 2 years.
Matt
On Fri, Jun 17, 2005 at 07:24:56PM +0100, Ted Harding wrote:
On 17-Jun-05 Tim Green wrote:
On 6/17/05, Ted Harding Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk wrote:
Now I'm expecting to be asking you folks for advice on setting up ADSL/SDSL on Linux!
Congratulations on getting closer to broadband!
If you get an ethernet 'DSL router then setup is a cinch. Just set your PC's ethernet card to use DHCP.
Good luck! Tim.
That looks like good news! However, I'm a little bit wary about the hardware side.
My exhcange (Brandon creek) is a BT exchange, BT will be doing the upgrade, and it's a BT line.
When I look on the BT website at their broadband options (and I think their 2Mbits/15GBperMonth is probably what would best suit my likely usage) I see that they supply their own modem router (free if you buy your broadband sub online they say).
So two questions:
a) Will a BT broadband connection only work with a BT modem/router? If so, what's the score on connecting it to a Linux machine and getting it to work (implicitly: is it Linux-compatible)?
b) If, on the other hand, BT's is not Linux-compatible, but one can buy a different one which is BT-compatible, which ones will work most smoothly with BT and are Linux-compatible?
We went ADSL live recently (May 18th to be exact), the dates predicted by BT were just about spot on by the way, no delays.
I've got a Metronet broadband account, 1Mb/s and the cost varies according to how much you download. Minimum cost is around £13/month and it's capped at around £25/month however much you download. It's been rock solid ever since it went live too.
-
Adam Bower -
Brett Parker -
Chris Green -
Jim Rippon -
John Woodard -
Matt Parker -
Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk -
Tim Green