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jjohn (22)

jjohn
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http://taskboy.com/
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Perl hack/Linux buff/OSS junkie.

Journal of jjohn (22)

Friday January 09, 2004
06:12 PM

Goodbye, static IP DSL

[ #16743 ]
For the past four years, I've enjoyed having a static IP address for my DSL connection while paying for basic consumer service. It's been lovely. Because I collect all my email onto one linux box on my home LAN, I can ssh into my machine even when I work remotely. This makes me happy. Unfortunately, Verizon has just sent me hate mail informing me that the gravy train will end Feb 6. My options are these:
  1. Go with the dynamic PPPoE DSL service (no change in speed) ($45/mo)
  2. Go with a business package for the static IP (an additional $40 cost, no change in speed)
  3. Chuck verizon and go with comcast cable modem service (I'm already a subscriber to their TV service) $35/mo, possibly less. Double the download speed, perhaps four times the upload speed. I would need to buy a modem and pay an initial fee.

My current DSL plan provides me with 640Mbs download and a whopping 64Kbs upload. I can get better average speeds with the cable modem service. My Linksys router already supports PPPoE (thankfully).

Leveraging the mighty forces of the Interweb, I ask: which option would you pick?


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  • You can live without a static IP address. If you use a dynamic dns host such as dyndns or easydns, and have them manage your dns entry, all you have to do is update the entry whenever you lose the PPPoE connection and get a new address. A shortish time to live on your DNS entries is important so that sites don't keep a cached copy of the old address for a long time.

    I've done this for years, and have switched between the two dns providers (for no important reason), and switched adsl providers (because Bell Sympatico stopped being sympatico) without any change in my domain name. My new ADSL provider is happy to provide static IP for an extra $5.00/mo on top of the $35/mon for the basic service but I'd gotten so ued to having dynamic IP working that I didn't get it. (Sympatico didn't offer static IP as an option for residential customers at all when I started and business rate were $200/mo for the same service + static IP + extra things that I didn't want.)

    E-mail me for more details or questions.

  • 3) Chuck verizon and go with comcast cable modem service (I'm already a subscriber to their TV service) $35/mo, possibly less. Double the download speed, perhaps four times the upload speed. I would need to buy a modem and pay an initial fee.

    I had Comcast when I lived in Maryland. One trick I did was to split the cable modem and run one line into my modem and the other into the TV tuner (I had an All-in-Wonder card), so I got double my pleasure. I dunno if this still works, but it might. :)

    • Yes, you can split cable any number of times, though there is signal degredation and you may need an amplifier. That should not be a big deal for a single split, but jjohn is in an apartment. I doubt it would be a problem anyway, and amplifiers are fairly cheap regardless.
  • They rock. They are upgrading their nationwide network to operate at 3mbps (downstream) with no additional charge. Infact, many Comcast markets have already been upgraded. I can report no significant issues, just some minor, and brief, service interruptions in the very beginning. Customer service is excellent. They do no filter out outbound port 25, or inbound port 80, like Verizon does. Setting up dynamic DNS support is trivial. Quality of service is that of DSL. I've been very happy with them. You might w
  • I'm about to switch from expensive ISDSL to cable service at half the price and double the speed. I'm currently relying on my static IP address to get me through the firewall at work. Would I be able to use Squid to tunnel my ftp through my dedicated web host?
  • overall I've been very pleased with Comcast other than the 128K upstream cap we've 'enjoyed' up til recently when they raised both the downstream and upstream limits at no additional charge.

    Personally I use ZoneEdit.com to manage my dns, and it's been working like a charm. I offloaded my website to another location when I moved, and haven't gotten around to moving it back yet, but overall I'm much pleased with comcast.

    I can actually hold my own on UnrealTournament now, since the upstream cap was revised,
  • I live without static, and it is OK. It is not static, but it rarely changes. But if you needed static, I'd give cable a chance. Cable companies like Comcast blow, but so do phone companies like Verizon. :-)
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