anybody using SBC Yahoo DSL?

[James Sissel]

I started with Telocity which was bought out by
DirecTV which folded and switched over to SBC service.
 When that happened I got a new 2wire DSL modem.  I
paid $200 for it (a ripoff) but was "reimbursed" by
lower monthly bills the first year.

I did setup via a Windows PC but it looked like it was
just using a webpage servered up by the modem.  I
think the address translated to 192.16.0.1 to talk to
the modem.  After I setup the modem I deleted all of
the installed software on the Windows PC.  I still
talk to the modem via a webpage and can download
updates and do all the administration.  Of course part
of the 150 Megs of crap software they install on the
Windows PC is a "monitoring" program for the modem so
they can serve me better.

I setup one Gentoo Linux PC by name in the DSL modem
and passed the IP address directly through to it and I
serve a simple set of webpages on it now.  I have an
account on http://www.dyndns.org/ but don't have the
software installed quite correctly on the Linux box to
update the IP address every time it changes.  Since I
have frequent power blinks at my house it sometimes
changes often.  I need to UPS the DSL modem in the
basement.

I have never noticed an outage.  I have never had to
call customer service.  I use paid Yahoo as my email
but see no reason I couldn't setup other servers.  I
have run SMTP servers on my Windows PC to send mail
out on occasion.

I have the $26.95 year contract.  The speed of the
downloads are often better than here at work.

Oh, the 2wire modem is also a DHCP server and firewall
so you just have to hook up a hub and then as many PCs
as you wish.

--- Brian Kelsay <Brian.Kelsay at kcc.usda.gov> wrote:

> I have a few questions about details of the above
> service install.  Answer only if you are a current
> or former user of the service or have performed
> installs for others with the service.  I need
> details, not flames and trolls so I can make an
> intelligent, informed decision.
> 
> Current pricing is $26.95/month (1.5Mbps down) for a
> one yr commitment with free hardware and
> self-install.  The higher speed (3Mbps down) is
> avail. for $36.95/month and same free hardware and
> install.
> 
> If you have this service and use Linux, did you have
> to hook up a Windows PC for the initial install and
> then move the NIC used for the install to your Linux
> box or Linux based firewall?  I had to do this when
> I originally signed up for @Home, but this problem
> went away with the switch to Comcast.net.  I noticed
> this change when setting up friends with Comcast.  I
> have not really dealt with Roadrunner or DSL for
> anyone.  The deal was that your MAC address was used
> as part of the authentication scheme somehow.  I
> don't really recall more detail than that.
> 
> Do they use PPPoE?  Not a big deal, but I know it
> can be a pain in some ways when you try to keep
> alive your connection for an always on PC.
> 
> How is their customer service if you are competent
> with PCs and networks?  Do they try to give you the
> run-around and have you do stupid things in their
> support script books or do they listen to you when
> you tell them you have already tried all that?
> 
> Have you had any problems with the service being
> down frequently like some users here that have RR
> have experienced?  I have not had outage problems
> with Comcast until I moved to the new address, but
> I'm looking to save some money and maybe lose the
> ties to cable.  This is probably more dependent on
> your phone line quality, like cable is on the age
> and quality of cable wire, than anything else,
> though DSL is dependent on distance to switch.
> 
> Tied to the last question, have you had trouble with
> email being down?  I think they just have most
> people use Yahoo webmail, which I do now anyway, but
> with paid service you can do a legal POP download of
> mail.  Again, this is a frequent complaint of RR
> users, but not a problem with Comcast.  If I get
> this DSL connection I intend to try to have my own
> mailserver, but the family will probably be on the
> ISP mailserver.
> 
> Any trouble running a home webserver, mailserver and
> using ssh into said servers?  Any blocked ports by
> default?  I've not had a problem with Comcast, but
> some RR users have had to call CS to get ports
> unblocked.  I'm not planning on running a business
> or getting 5 nines of service, I just want a
> playground for server stuff, so don't get yer
> panties in a bunch over getting a business level DSL
> connection.
> 
> Any other caveats about using their service that you
> have noticed, any limitations that I haven't thought
> to ask about?
> 
> Brian Kelsay
> 
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