Cheap DSL service for Linux?

[sports fan Matt]

Hey all,

Is there any cheap dsl services (im tired of paying comcast) $23 a month on a fixed income, that would work with linux?

I tried peoplepc and they only work with Windows based platforms:(. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[brons2]

You're paying Comcast $23 a month now for a cable modem? That is pretty cheap as it is. I'm not sure you can go much lower than that. If you have a wireline, AT&T has DSL in our area for $19.95 but it's only 768KB down/ 384 KB up. Not sure if they offer that same deal in Chicago or not.

[sports fan Matt]

yeah, i called them about it...things are just really tough with bills nowdays..I rent an apt and its just very painful since im on such a fixed income because im disabled. At least i'm on my own, as tough as it is :)

[brons2]

Try this:

http://www.dslreports.com/search2/

click on "Cheapest Broadband"

[lisati]

The DSL providers in my area (several thousand miles away from Chicago) have a habit of saying that they only support Windows, as does the ISP I use. Yet I'm currently using it with a laptop running Linux. And after allowing for exchange rates, the $23/month sounds very reasonable compared to the plan I'm on.

IMO, the stuff about Windows in a provider's list of specs has more to do with initial setup CDs they provide and customer support than what's actually required to establish a connection

EDIT: My current setup was originally done running Windows and then I started using Ubuntu. The ISP doesn't need to be any wiser...

[sports fan Matt]

it does, yeah. I sometimes with I wasnt in this situation...anyone that says being disabled and not having to work is great, is talking a load of crap, it in reality sucks, and is isolating at times.

[lisati]

it does, yeah. I sometimes with I wasnt in this situation...anyone that says being disabled and not having to work is great, is talking a load of crap, it in reality sucks, and is isolating at times.

+1: having a "disabilty" (I use that in a broad sense) can be a lot of hard work, and doesn't automatically mean that we're idle with nothing better to do with our time watching TV

[sports fan Matt]

I spend more time outdoors around here then anything, but alot say "youre disabled?" well, why cant you ...and see, the broad spectrum is they dont TAKE THE TIME to sit with me and talk to me.

I have very good radio station friends from a station in town who have had me in their studios and at remotes and such. Its called "keeping it real"--be true to who YOU are and others will care and love you cause they'll know your capibilities..trust me, ive learned it.

[hanzomon4]

Ah man fixed income in Chicago... That sucks

I'm going to school out there and everything is kinda expensive(jewel grocery store!!). If you don't mine me asking whats your disability? And how did you end up in chiago on your own? Its a great city but very cold(and I don't mean the weather)

[sports fan Matt]

I grew up about 50 miles northwest of the city and when my dad divorced again (even though I was dumb and stupid) I had friends pick me up (they were from pa) and we hitchhiked in their van from Ft Worth, Tx. I got as far as 45 miles north of louisville and had about 6 state agencies on my tail and was scared chitless. I am now 3 years later trying to prove to all my family (even though ive taken several across the country trips) that Im smart enough (and they know it, just my benefits are a factor) that I can move an manage an apartment and such. Im trying EVERY day.

ps:3 jewels within 6 blocks and 1 domminicks

[sports fan Matt]

I just got an email from netzero saying they dont support linux.

Dear Matt,

Thanks for writing to NetZero email support.

Please be informed that you cannot use NetZero DSL service with Linux Operating System. In order for you to use NetZero DSL, your system must have the following minimum requirements:

For Windows 98/ME:

266MHz or faster Intel Pentium Processor (or equivalent)
128 MB RAM
125 MB free Hard Disk space
CD or DVD-ROM drive
Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or USB port
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or above

For Windows 2000/XP:

300MHz or faster (266MHz for Win 2000) Intel Pentium Processor (or equivalent)
256 MB RAM
150 MB free Hard Disk space
CD or DVD-ROM drive
Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or USB port
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or above

For Windows Vista:

800MHz or faster Intel Pentium Processor (or equivalent)
512 MB RAM
15 GB free Hard Disk space
CD or DVD-ROM drive
USB port or 10Base-T Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC)
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.x or above

For Mac OSX:

333MHz G3 Processor or better
128 MB RAM
12MB free Hard Disk space
================================================== ==========

Also, you cannot have two DSL connections in one telephone line. You have to cancel the current DSL service before you sign up for NetZero DSL.

To find out if you qualify for NetZero DSL and to learn more about the service levels and prices available to you, just visit http://dsl.netzero.net.

If NetZero DSL service is unavailable to you, the NetZero Broadband Center will provide you with a list of alternate broadband Internet vendors providing service to your area. You can choose a service from the non-NetZero providers.



I hope this email has been helpful.

Thanks for using NetZero!

Sincerely,

Brad Augustine
NetZero DSL Customer Care
http://www.netzero.net/support/dsl

What do you guys make of it, if anything?

[doorknob60]

I don't see a reason why it shouldn't work. My cable company wouldn't let me sign up for internet until I told that I have Windows on a seperate partition. They said that I need Mac OS X or Windows 2000+. The cable guy didn't need to use it, and neither did I. I just plugged the router in the modem and I was on the internet...

[ad_267]

Often they have a cd you run to set up your router with their settings. You can just manually set these yourself usually; with my router I just point my browser to http://10.1.1.1 to access the router administration.

I would try and talk to someone who actually knows what they're talking about to make sure that windows is only needed for the initial setup (which it should be) and see if you can get information on the settings required for the router to set it up manually.

[sports fan Matt]

im probably just gonna go with at%t cause they are my cell carrier, but i cant beleive those idiots at netzero, its ridiciolous!

[billgoldberg]

To OP, you mean there are ISPs that won't work with linux?

I doubt that very much.

It could be that they don't support linux (mine does).

Just go to the router adress in a browser, fill in the adress and password you got from your isp, and you're on the net.

[mips]

99.99% of ISPs out there will work with linux. The trickiest ones I saw were some of the Israeli cable companies but it still works though.

They just say they dont support linux because,

1. They only offer technical support to Windows or OSX clients. They don't know linux and they don't have help desk staff to deal with linux queries.

2. Some ISPs require you to run a install cd that either configures your router or sets up a pppoe client on the desktop. None of this is actually required as you can do it manually yourself.

If you do sign up with an ISP just make sure you get a device with an Ethernet port and not a usb port. If it has an Ethernet port it is 99% a router, even if it is in bridged mode you can set it to routed mode which negates the need for pppoe.

[sports fan Matt]

Good things to know, thanks:) Wouldnt it make more sense to say "it would work, we just dont offer ________ support? I went to at&t and spent about 20 minutes and they determined I was in a serviceable area. How much would it cost for a tech to come out versus a self install kit, you think?

Edit: the salesperson actually ran linux on his computer (one of em anyway)

[mips]

Wouldnt it make more sense to say "it would work, we just dont offer ________ support?

How much would it cost for a tech to come out versus a self install kit, you think?


I really don't know how their minds work :confused:

I have no idea as to the cost, you would have to ask them. What I can however tell you is that a self install kit is a piece of cake. You will have a pots filter the normal phone connects to and the adsl router connects straigt to the line, this could be achieved with a splitter or a filter/splitter combo. As simple as connecting a normal modem to the line really.

Setting up the router is not hard. You just need to know a few parameters like username, passwaord, encapsulation type and you are set to go. All this is configure via a web browser usually.

[Seisen]

Good things to know, thanks:) Wouldnt it make more sense to say "it would work, we just dont offer ________ support? I went to at&t and spent about 20 minutes and they determined I was in a serviceable area. How much would it cost for a tech to come out versus a self install kit, you think?

Edit: the salesperson actually ran linux on his computer (one of em anyway)

I know when I had AT&T before I asked them how much it was to the tech to come out and set it up it was $150 I just ended up doing it myself. Its actually fairly simple to setup and give you some detailed instructions with the self-install kit.

[sports fan Matt]

i'll probably just do it myself then. I just heard ourt sales tax in the city (downtown) was raised to 11.25 % and in the rest of the county at 10.25 %. I think its absurd. By the way, they have dsl service in my area and was just looking so I can control the costs instead of the apt building saying i owe when I already paid heh.

[jbrown96]

Maybe you don't need to have your own service at all. One of your neighbors might have wireless and you can use that. You could try to figure out who it is and arrange some type of agreement to share it. For people with weaker morals, there is always aircrack and backtrack.

[sports fan Matt]

I installed my 2wire at&t dsl modem and although it wasnt able to connect to google yet (it is stated for activation on the 14th) I was able to connect to my homepage..wgnradio.com and its much faster then what I have now.