[NCLUG] AT&T slow to sucky, DNS showers

Michael Dwyer mdwyer at sixthdimension.com
Tue Dec 11 11:29:18 MST 2001


Mike Loseke wrote:
> 
>  So, my cablemodem seems to be working, although I spent a good portion of
> yesterday trying to download a couple small (6-10MB) files over it. Traces
> through shows a particularly messy AT&T network and speed (if you can call
> it that) was abysmal when the DNS servers actually resolved an address.
> They seem to be pretty picky about what sites are fast and which are slow
> to non-reachable too.

If you are using a linux box to do NAT/MASQ with, consider also setting
up a caching-only name server on it.  You will find it is much nicer to
use your own DNS than to fight with AT&Ts.  Mind you, if means you might
have to figure out where mail.attbi.com should actually map to,
however...  On the old network, mail.home.com got remapped to something
like mail.ftclns1.co.home.com or something.  Or, you can just do what I
do -- don't use their provided E-mail system...

>  The question, then, is what have you guys heard about Qwest progress on
> DSL in Fort Collins? Or, for that matter, other "broadband" solutions that
> actually offer, you know, bandwidth. I'm hoping that someone with half a
> brain at Qwest said "Hey, while we're pulling this fiber up here for AT&T,
> why don't we install some more DLSAM's at the same time?" Yeah, I know,
> the half-a-brain thing is wishful thinking...

I got something from FRII not too long ago saying that you should check
if DSL is now available in my area.  They said that Qwest did some
expanding -- and since both switches already had DSLAMs, I assumed that
to mean that they have put DSLAMs in some area SLC cabinets.  So if you
are on a SLC, you may have DSL access now when you didn't before.
Doesn't help me, though...  Back before cable modem, we had a second
phone line -- it was on a SLC!  It might be DSL capable now!  But we had
it disconnected, and our other phone line is solid copper all the way
across fricken town...  toooooo far. Grr.  Furthermore, I can't get them
to tell me if that wire was DSL capable.  You apparently have to have a
phone line 10days straight or so before they will even run the tests... 
Phone company rules are screwy.

Anyway, I'm still chasing this one down, and I may have an answer for
you soon.  Don't hold your breath, though.

CWX.net is, of course, an option.  I'm amused that John mentioned
getting your own hardware and installing it yourself.  When I was
looking into CWX, professional installation was a requirement.  Anyway,
with the exception of some gamers who were asked to leave for abusing
the system, the CWX users seem to be a pretty happy bunch.

Startband and DirectWay nee DirectPC are small-dish satellite systems. 
You'll have trouble hooking up Linux to them, and they are best at bulk
downstream delivery.  The latency makes interactivity prohibitive. 
Their extra software is mostly stuff to try to cache things for you. 
Essentially, you install your own news spool and push-web cache.

Sprint Broadband sounded REALLY neat, but they have cut back on new
rollouts.  It may still be avaialable in Longmont/Loveland.  I'm not
sure.  

Someone on this list is using IDSL.  It is pretty slow, but still faster
than a modem.

Yipes?  Hehehe.  Their fibers runs down my street... Oh, how I wish...

Back in my digital-divide hometown of Leadville, they are running DSL
over T1s to get their bandwidth.  It sounds really silly, but lacking
both DSLAMs and ISDN equipment, that's the only way that works short of
satellite and wireless.  Amigo.net, the local ISP, does have a wireless
system rolled out.  Fortunatly, Leadville is small.

Hmmmm... DSL over T1...



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