[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Friendly DSL

[Steve Baker]

brian at pongonova.net wrote:

> Other than that, from the technical side of things, cable is much easier to set up
> than DSL.  The cable modem looks like a hub to your internal network, so you just
> plug your firewall machine (you *do* have one, don't you?) into your cable modem --
> no special setup, no fuss, no muss.

That's exactly how easy DSL is to install.  Plug DSL modem into phone line, plug
PC/firewall into Modem...just like that!  No *special* setup - it's just like being
directly "on the Internet".  At least that was my experience of a week ago.

> DSL is somewhat more difficult to get going, as most DSL providers force you to use
> PPPoE, which requires a separate PPPoE driver.

OK - that would be painful - but both DirectTVDSL and SWBell offer 'true' DSL without
PPPoE and with static IP's. (With SWBell, you have to ask for "extended" service since
the basic package *is* PPPoE or some such nastiness).

> The bottom line here (and I'm sure I'll hear wailing and gnashing of teeth on this
> one) is that both cable and DSL are viable alternatives to run under Linux.  In
> your case, the choice appears pretty simple:  I'd go with cable, since DSL isn't
> available.

Yep.

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