[plug] broadband with linux

[Jason Posavec]

Dem N wrote:
> plug question:
>
> Hi, I'm researching broadband, because I'm getting a little tired of 
> dialup, and I'd like to know what people would recommend.
>
> Basically I want about 1G at any broadband speed (I'd prefer cheaper 
> to faster) with shaping (I want to ensure there are no excess fees), 
> and I'd like to keep it to under $30 a month. I could get a Vista 
> laptop, but I'd rather use Linux, so compatibility with Linux is 
> virtually a must, and support, if possible, would be good, though it 
> looks like no one offers this.
>
> So far, the best deal seems to be iinet's package of 2Gb (peak) naked 
> DSL with bundled VOIP ($50 combined with phone; my usual phone bill is 
> $35 so that's just $15 for good broadband). I've checked with them, 
> and my line is compatible with naked DSL, so there's no problem there. 
> The only thing holding me back is really that (1) Is it definitely 
> Linux compatible? I'm using Fedora Core 4, but could upgrade to Fed 7 
> if needed. (2) They have an irritating way of doing phone messages (it 
> sends a .wav file to your email address). Has anyone had any 
> experience with iinet's VOIP, using their own (non-iinet) VOIP phone 
> with an answering machine, and does it work?
>
> Also, can anyone tell me of any decent rival offers?
>
> Also, no one seems to provide an installation CD for Linux. Is it 
> technically difficult to install broadband, and roughly what does it 
> involve? Are there any websites that give good general guides to this?
>
> regards,
> Dem Nisbet.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.org.au
> http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
> Committee e-mail: committee at plug.linux.org.au
>   
I use iiNet naked DSL and swear by it. I'm on the 3/6Gb plan and have an 
iiNet/Belkin wireless router that is 100% compatible with Linux.

The thing I like most of all about iiNet is the freezone - selected 
websites mirrored by iiNet that don't count towards download limits, or 
get shaped. It just so happens that one of those mirrors is an Ubuntu 
Australian repository, which is the distro I use. This means that I can 
download as many ISOs of distributions as I like, try out as many 
applications on synaptic that I like, and none of it goes towards my 
limit. AND being an iiNet mirror, it's all at their maximum transfer 
speed of around 800KBps. This speed remains even after being shaped to 
64KBps on everything else. Normal transfer speed for non-mirrored sites 
is around 300KBps. Not to mention Internet radio on the freezone, choose 
your favourite music genre and go for it!

Hope this helps.

Jason Posavec