[ale] OT: Speedfactory dropping USENET news

[Christopher Bergeron]

James, I think you made my point.  It's best to avoid DSL if you want to use VOIP easily.

Which makes perfect sense - the phone companies don't want their users to be able to use VOIP.  It would defeat their business model(s).  They wouldn't be able to charge 4 cents a minute for Long Distance.  The phone companies also make it clear that they are not ISPs because of the regulation issues; they also maintain that they are not 'content providers' either. 

Kind regards,
CB



>Can you use a VOIP phone with DSL?

>Yes. Use a box that shares the line at the "head" and make sure the
>required ports are open. i.e. one of the linksys DSL routers will work
>as well as a Linux box firewall.
>
>Some of the VOIP boxes also may have pppoe capability built in thus
>allowing them to be the first box in the DSL chain.
>  
>
>>however, requires a username/password PPP kludge - which no VOIP phones 
>>offer (without additional hardware: switches, administration overhead: 
>>configuring multiple home routers, etc). 
>>
>>Just my .02 gold nugget shavings,
>>-CB
>>
>>    
>>