[TriLUG] Roadrunner access

[John Franklin]

On Tue, Sep 04, 2001 at 11:31:55PM -0400, Don Brady wrote:
> At 10:54 PM 9/4/2001 -0400, John Franklin wrote:
>>On Wed, Sep 05, 2001 at 09:05:39PM +0500, Tom Bryan wrote:
>>> I think that I've finally decided to sign up for RoadRunner if they 
>>offer it
>>> in my area (20 miles outside of Raleigh, no DSL here).  Before I make the
>>> plunge, is there anything about the Triangle's cable modem access that I
>>> should know.  I'm sure I'll be back soon to ask questions about
>>> configuration, security, etc.  I'm sure that I'm going to get minimal 
>>support
>>> from TW judging by this page: http://www.nc.rr.com/rr/qualify/default.htm
>>
> >Cheaper than DSL, faster than DSL,
> 
> Debatable.  With the rollout of mini-DSLAM's to the DLC's, most people in 
> BellSouth territory now have access to TelocityDirectv which is comparable 
> in price for 1500 / 256 .  Actually DSL is $10 cheaper if you do not have 
> cable already.

DSL is nearly $10 more expensive if you have neither cable nor a
landline as I do.  If you have both, DSL is *still* more expensive.

> As to faster, there are two aspects to speed - raw throughput and 
> latency.    Road Runner has had latency problems at times.  Also some 
> people are reporting 50 KB/sec caps on ftp speeds - I do not know if this 
> is true or not.

I've seen it as high as 300KB/sec, as low as 10KB/sec.  Nominal is
150KB/sec.

> Telocity/Direct will roll a BellSouth truck same day if need be, if you 
> cannot connect and call during business hours.  They did for me.
> 
> And they have Unix/Linux in their installion guide.
>
> >only one idiot company that can break
> >it instead of three for DSL.  '
> 
> Oh ok you are talking about the older Covad style DSL rather than the newer 
> Telocity/Direct offering.

When I first had DSL it was through Northpoint and whoever Telocity
bought out.  Then came the Telocity buyout, and the wait for the new
modem.  Then the Northpoint flaming death, and six weeks of no service
(timed to coincide with the Utenzi flaming death and layoffs) and a wait
for yet-another-modem (which didn't work), leading to weeks of calling
them on the phone where the best advice they can give me is "try power
cycling the Telocity Gateway" or this classic exchange:

Telocity Tech Support: Is it near any sources of EMI?
Me: You mean, like the computer?
TTS: Yes.  Try moving it away from the computer.
Me: You're kidding, right?

Then my roommate moves out of town, disconnects the voice line servicing
the DSL modem and it, of course, goes dead.  Reactivating it would
require getting a phone line, getting a new Telocity/DTV account and
going through Bell South doing a "line check" (read: sitting on the
order for four weeks).

RR was up and running in two days.

jf
-- 
John Franklin
franklin at elfie.org
ICBM: N37 12'54", W80 27'14" Z+2100'