[ale] OT: BellSouth FastAccess DSL

[Geoffrey]

Larry Grenevitch wrote:

> Honestly, I think they (BellSouth) would be open to giving the Linux community the ability 
> to post HOW-TOs for various Linux distributions to connect to their network.

Nope, tried that, multiple times.  I first discussed it with the sales 
twit.  I then moved up the ladder, working my way to more technically 
oriented folks.

BellSouth doesn't want people to use Linux on their network.  They are 
afraid of you, for various reasons depending on who you talk to.  Some 
of them assume Linux == cracker, others have more intelligent biases, in 
that they don't want folks with your kind of knowledge on their network. 
  Even others told me that they don't want to tell other folks that you 
can have multiple computers connected to a BellSouth dsl line without 
BellSouth knowing it.  After all, they want that extra $10 a month.

BellSouth just doesn't want you.  Go figure, they are the locally 
monopoly in local phone service and dsl.  They drag their feet when 
other providers try to hook you up to dsl.

When I was talking to them about getting static ip with dsl from them, I 
noted that I worked for the networking research arm of AT&T labs.  The 
guy immediately turned me over to a supervisor, who wanted to know all 
kinds of things about what I would be using this connectivity for. 
Suddenly I'm a criminal because (they think) I'm knowledgeable.

The thing that griped me the most though was that you can't get static 
ip from them unless it's on a business line.  In my case, that meant 
jacking up the cost of one of my phone lines and paying double the price 
for dsl.  My usage of my phone line would not change in any way and I 
would receive no more services then I currently was.  Now you tell me, 
who else could get away with that kind of approach short of Microsoft?

dsl was going to me $140 a month.

-- 
Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net

I didn't have to buy my radio from a specific company to listen
to FM, why doesn't that apply to the Internet (anymore...)?


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