Or more particularly, getting it to work once I have. I'm after some reassurance essentially as I'm moving from Virgin Media to a non BT ISP and this is new territory. With VM, I needed to be taken through registration via their IP address (yes, some support for Linux!) but will I need to go through something like that again when I swop the way I get broadband?
Ta.
Bev.
Or more particularly, getting it to work once I have. I'm after some reassurance essentially as I'm moving from Virgin Media to a non BT ISP and this is new territory. With VM, I needed to be taken through registration via their IP address (yes, some support for Linux!) but will I need to go through something like that again when I swop the way I get broadband?
Ta.
Bev.
Hmm, I guess its going to depends on A) the provider and B) your set up?
When you say VM had support for Linux, what were they supporting? I only ask because really if they supply a modem and you supply a wired/wireless router to attach to this because you have more than one machine in the house then I don't see what is needed from any ISP?
I recently got VMs 50Mbps service; they provided a modem and free router so they set those two up and left, there was no interaction with any of my machines from their engineers. The demarcation point was their equipment, beyond that it's nothing to do with them (and as with most of these things, its plug and play). I guess though if you do have one machine plugged strait into their little black modem boxes it may be a different story, was this your scenario? Although again I can't see what was needed, shy of setting your machine to use DHCP (which you can bet your bottom dollar is the default configuration anyway) I can't imagine what they would want with it?
Any provider like BT or VM that chucks in a router shouldn't be bothered by the fact you are on Linux. If they are providing the router then that is where their service ends. If your Linux box has difficulties connecting to the Internet but the router provided is defiantly working then it is your responsibility to get your Linux box working. The only time they don't like it is when you ring them seeking technical support and the problem is with your box and not their equipment because the call centre monkeys aren't clever enough.
Have you got any idea who you are going to move to?
On 29 June 2010 18:23, James Bensley jwbensley@gmail.com wrote:
Have you got any idea who you are going to move to?
Whoever it is: beware of false economy. One of my clients opted to move to a cheaper than hitherto provider recently. He has a fixed IP address so that mail can flow from an external server to his home network. They made the change without forewarning of the event, meaning he had a new username and password that had not been updated on his router, and a new IP, which the DNS servers didn't know about. A good few hours of work to fix it all and get mail flowing again after several phone calls trying to find out what had happened.. Two days later, the IP address suddenly changed - guess what, they hadn't given him a fixed IP. Nobody at the support centre has 'had the authority' to talk to him for nearly two days, and although he was eventually assured this morning that he would be called back with a fixed IP address within the hour he hasn't heard back as yet.
Jenny
<< Have you got any idea who you are going to move to?>>
Yes, I'm moving to ID Net. You communicate with real people rather than an automated answering system. Hoorah.
As for my comment about Linux support from VM, that was an attempt at mild humour. Setting me up (taking me through registration) was all they did.
Bev.
Bev Nicolson asked:
With VM, I needed to be taken through registration via their IP address (yes, some support for Linux!) but will I need to go through something like that again when I swop the way I get broadband?
It depends on the provider, but many of them just give you router or modem settings these days. Check the provider's website's support/setup section to try to find out before you order.
http://sod.ms/ are very strong pro-Linux and solve some problem cases, while our partner's http://www.software.coop/phone really shouldn't cause any problems either (worksforme).
Hope that helps,
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Bev Nicolson -
James Bensley -
Jenny Hopkins -
MJ Ray