[clue-tech] Qwest DSL

[Steve Lowe]

On Nov 19, 2007, at 8:15 PM, Keith Hellman wrote:

> Hello all!
>
> Hell must have frozen over, because I now have DSL service in my area.
> The Qwest "Price for Life" deal seems appealing, and I'm wondering if
> people can share their Qwest DSL experiences so I can make an informed
> opinion.
>
> Here are some of the more pertinent questions:
>
> 1. Will they let me (occasionally) ssh into my home server?  Any
> restrictions there?
Yes, AFAIK there's no restrictions on running servers - but I haven't  
read the AUP since I signed up years ago. I have the 1.5mb line from  
Qwest with FRII as my ISP.
>
>
> 2. Should I use their modem or purchase another (suggestions on other
> models --- compatibility with Linux is a *major deal*).
It's compatible with anything that has an ethernet interface.
>
>
> 3. How is the performance?  I have Comcast (cable) broadband and am
> generally pleased. Qwest "silver" service (what I'm considering) is
> supposed to be about 5x the speed (1.5Mb/s).  Do others using their
> silver service see this type of bandwidth?
I currently have both DSL (Qwest/FRII) and Cable (Comcast) as I've had  
DSL foir awhile and wanted to see if comcast was truly any better.  
Here's my take:
- Cable is fast, but very variable. I've gotten download speeds as low  
as 700K and as fast 9mbps using various speed tests on the internet at  
different times of the day on my supposed 6mbps cable connection.
- DSL is slower, but rock solid. I get 1.3mbps downloads every single  
test, at any time of the day. There is overhead on the DSL connection  
- so a 1.5mbps conneciton will typically see 1.3mbps actual  
throughput. You can get up to 7mbps - but apparently my line doesn't  
qualify
- Cable is more restrictive, no servers at all - and just try to get a  
static ip!
- DSL, depending on ISP and Qwest's AUP, allows servers, and ip's are  
no problem. I have a /28 network from FRII for an additional $10/month.

Bottom line, if speed is your only consideration, stick with comcast.  
If you want  more stable performance and freedom with your connection,  
go DSL. Also, i recently was recommended to try cyberonic.com -  
they're a national DSL company. Apparently my line qualifies for their  
service, so I'll be calling them tomorrow (hopefully) to see if their  
advertised 6mbps is really available to me.
>
>