linux isps

[Marc M]

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 19:49:19 -0500, ne... <guhvies at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 16:10:45 -0600, Langer, Christian
> <clanger at tnstate.edu> wrote:
> 
> > Are there any national isps that are friendly to linux? I am just
> > getting started interneting with Linux.
> <shameless plug>
> Speakeasy is.
> http://www.speakeasy.net/refer/190653
> </shameless plug>
> 
> N.Emile...
> --
> Registered Linux User # 125653 (http://counter.li.org)
> Certified: 75% bastard, 42% of which is tard.
> http://www.thespark.com/bastardtest
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There are a lot of smaller ones that are good.  Companies that host a
lot of sites are usually linux friendly, like affordablehost.com.  I
agree, it is sad that you have so many companies /isp's, that
basically mooch off of the open source movement without giving
anything back.  Also I have been in the situation where you have to
basically lie to tech support because you know the problem isn't the
os, and you don't want to hear their silly line 'we don't support
linux' etc etc.

One advocacy type thing that I do whenever that happens, is to act
<extremely shocked> at the news.  My attitude is to _assume_ linux
support until told otherwise.  Then I start grilling them as to why. 
I make sure that by the end of the call (hopefully recorded) that they
know just how outrageously ridiculous and stupid of a policy it is. 
Hopefully also I can get an escalation out of the call, in which I
start over with a new level of listener.   These companies need to
know that thier 'no support for linux'  is directly correlated with
'no support for your business'.

I came close to signing up with netzero, but they didn't offer any
intelligent answer to this issue.   Roadrunner is ok, but not a lot of
support in terms of explicit help, software, etc.  If you are like
most of us, you probably don't need a lot of the client software they
give you so if you can survive with just the one cable modem type dhcp
connection that can work. I have heard bad things about earthlink not
having any support, but that is secondhand.

BellSouth is the same as Roadrunner from what I can tell - they don't
block you or force you to use their software ,but you are on your own.
 If you don't know what you are doing, with these isp's you can at
least set up the hardware and do a fresh install and probably get
connected that way, (so at least there is hope for the newbies out
there).

Oh, and SBC is routed through the Convergys helpdesk in the Heathrow
area of Lake Mary, FL, and they do not have any linux support
whatsoever.  That goes for anyone with an @sbcglobal.net email address
or any of the merged/unmerged SBC YAHOO! accounts.  Same for SBC yahoo
dial.  SNET in Connecticut is also handled in the same place and
offers absolutely nothing in terms of Linux support and the most
horrid of horrid customer service --kiddies with zero training in tech
or customer service.  Worse yet, they may *require* you to run their
software, which of course likely precludes even a regular Roadrunner
or Bellsouth-type DSL DHCP setup without the software.   If they force
the customers to use the software, that is unforgivable in my opinion.

Cheers
Marc

PS If anyone has gotten netzero service over linux, I would be
interested in hearing about it on or offlist. I didn't see a
workaround with them.