What ISP is best for linux? (vanity post)

[InformedMomOf6]

I'm asking for my 74 year old father who just put linux on his computer and then found out juno wouldn't support it. Thank you all so much for your help.

[jdm]

Pinging the masters.

[Dumpster Baby]

Any ISP supports Linux, as the interface between the Linux operating system and the ISP is whatever web browser is being used. Juno requires a proprietary web browser and email client, which only runs on the Windows operating system. Other than Juno, I can't think of any ISP-to-user interface that uses proprietary software.

Here at home I have 11 different Linux installations and 3 different Windows varieties. Each installation uses a variety of web browsers and email programs, and my ISP doesn't know the difference.

[Wheee The People]

When in doubt...pick the one on the right.

[ThePythonicCow]

Agreed - other than Juno, pretty much all ISP's should work. Some of them won't be able to provide desktop support setting up your PC's network except on Windows. But if you can do your own (or your Dad's) network setup,then technically, any of them work.

One can get into a difficult spot if one has to troubleshoot a down connection, and it's not clear whether it's your problem or their's. ISP's with weaker tech support may not be able to work with anything other than a Windows, or perhaps Mac, desktop.

The good ISP's that can happily deal with a Linux desktop (I recommend Speakeasy) are more expensive (I pay perhaps $70/month for my DSL line from them.)

Perhaps once a year, I have to dig out a Windows box, and hook it directly to the cable modem, to work some problem with Comcast (half the price, twice the speed, and a tenth the tech support). I feel like doing a clean reinstall of that Windows box when I'm done.

Yes - both DSL and cable modem here - load shared through a HotBrick LB-2 router - sweet setup:

[Dumpster Baby]

I have 8 PC's connected to a Netgear 8-port firewall/router, and every new installation I fiddle with automatically connects to Roadrunner flawlessly. I've configured many web browsers and email clients dozens of times with no problems at all - much better than when I was on dialup.

My late father had me install Juno email on his Windows 95 box because all his friends were using it. It was a pain to get working properly, and when he wanted Internet access too I ran into sockets problems with W95 that I couldn't fix. I upgraded his W95 to Windows 98 SE and the sockets problem was fixed.

I had to download and configure Juno's web browser, and that was a real mess. Everything connected with Juno is a real mess. It really messed up his other web browser installations by taking them over and reconfiguring them to Juno's standards. After my father died several years ago I wiped out his W98SE installation and started over again to regain control.

I feel sorry for anyone who installs Juno or AOL or MSN Internet stuff on their computers. :o)

[ShadowAce]

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

i’m running SuSE 9.2 Professional (yes, it’s an old version). It had a configuration script for Juno Internet, and it worked just fine.

It also worked for Earthlink, and Earthlink did provide detailed support for Linux (didn’t need it though).

The problem is generally getting a modem that works under Linux. i had to find an old external Hardware Modem.

Things such as Juno Speedband, or Earthlink Accellerator does NOT work however.

[FRForever]

Suggest you try running the Juno client in Wine. Should work without a hitch. If you would like detailed instructions, freep-mail me the name of your father’s distribution.

[FRForever]

> I feel sorry for anyone who installs Juno or AOL or MSN Internet stuff on their computers. :o)

Agreed. :) It’s blessed difficult to remove MSN and MSN Messenger from XP though — you have to really work at it.

[Still Thinking]

Why do you have both DSL and cable?

[shorty_harris]

I've been using SBC DSL for years. All the connection parameters are handled by my router, which I configure through a web interface (windows or linux). As a rule, when there's a problem (rare), I DON'T call the help number, but try to find an answer on DSLreports.com

[antiRepublicrat]

Never, ever, ever go with an ISP that requires you install their software on your computer in order to use the service. Not only does it limit your OS choice, but in my experience it is always crappy, buggy software. Find one that just requires you make certain network settings (and dial a certain number if dialup) so you can use it with with any OS. Note that some, like Roadrunner, want to give you software, but you don't need it.

[N3WBI3]

If youre using dial up I would say none, I have never gotten solid tech support from a dial up isp. If this is cable or DSL I have had good support from every one Ive had (Adelphia, Time Warner, and Comcast)..

[shorty_harris]

I remember when SBC merged with Yahoo (or one bought the other...I can't keep track), there was a HUGE push to get SBC customers to download and install the Yahoo 'customized' browser. They made it sound like you had to do it, and only had a limited time to do so. I'm sure lots of people did.

I only pay SBC for the connection, and nothing else.

[ThePythonicCow]

Why do you have both DSL and cable?

Bandwidth and reliability.

The load balancing router (Hotbrick LB-2, in my case) automatically gives me the combined bandwidth of both.

If either one goes down, I still have the other. Downtime on the DSL line is perhaps 2 hours per quarter, and on the cable is perhaps 4 hours per quarter. Comcast (cable) and Speakeasy (DSL) try to schedule these times in the wee hours of the morning, but I work all kind of strange hours so I notice, no matter when.

With both of these along with the UPS battery backup on my key equipment (a pair of APC Smart-UPS 750's) and along with multiple redundant PC's, I work right through most outages, sometimes not even noticing.

Since they don't usually fail at the same time, my downtime is a few minutes a year, so long as there isn't a wide spread power outage that takes down both of them at the same time.

And if the power outage looks to last more than an hour, I just drive to my other office, 40 miles away, with an another setup, always up and running, and continue there.

... probably not your grandfathers setup <grin>.

[Still Thinking]

That was the only rational explanation that I could think of. I wondered.

[HAL9000]

In my opinion, if your Dad doesn't have the expertise required to establish a simple Internet connection, Linux is not the right operating system for him to be using. Linux works best as an operating system for servers, not desktop computers.

Get him a Mac - and get yourself one so he can video chat with the six grandkids. You'll all have a great time.

Apple released a lot of new products yesterday. A video of announcement is here.

[bigdcaldavis]

I actually have NetZero on Ubuntu. And I’ve never had any problems with it. In order to use their dialer on Ubuntu, I have to install Sun Java JRE.

I find the best tool to use to dial into NetZero (better than their proprietary dialer) is Gnome-PPP. I do have to enter in my REAL username and REAL password (your real username and password are both encrypted, but I found a username/password unencryptor a long time ago for Windows called Rasspy).