Re: Cable Modem Questions

[awilliam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> Hello-
>     Personally I don't have a cable modem, but do know people who "do" 
in
> Grand Rapids.  The "do" is for the fact that the service is SO bad 
that
> often they resort to using a regular dialup when it gets bad enough.  
To be
> fair I don't have one myself, but just thought that I would pass on 
what I
> have heard.
> p.s. - included is an email that was on a FreeBSD mailling list a few 
weeks
> ago (hence the suggestion to use FreeBSD servers :) )

I have heard these horror stories, but dial-up here sucks as well, and 
in principal.  I do not intend to use their e-mail service at all (I 
own a hosted domain),  all I want is someone to sell me a constant 
connection (vs. on demand) as I do a lot of work via VPN and taking it 
down and putting it up all the time is a real pain.  Even if I only 
get ISDN speed I'll be happy, just please Lord, no more dialling.

> 
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> I sent an e-mail expressing my frustration and pointed out that even 
MS
> doesn't use NT for heavy duty e-mail service.  I suggested they look 
into
> FreeBSD as a way of upgrading their technology and reliability.
> If they receive this suggestion from enough people they might start
> listening.  Especially now.  Wednesday when I called in the second 
tier
> support person I spoke to  told me that the @home e-mail was down for 
the
> entire US and they didn't know why!  If they received multiple e-mails
> suggesting FreeBSD as an alternative with helpful contacts at Yahoo, 
Walnut
> Creek, or HotMail then we might get another large commercial user to 
join
> the ranks!

As a Sys/Net-Admin I doubt the effectiveness of suggesting a technical 
change to a large organization, as such decisions are made by 
trench-coated men in smoky rooms who play lots of golf, and not by the 
people who have to live with boxes 24/7.  Also if they provide 
national e-mail on NT they've spent VERY SERIOUS $$$$, and CEO types 
will want to see what they shelled out for work regardless of 
techincal considerations.