Patrick wrote:

> If a problem occures and you know your setup is correct be ready to 
> have windows handy---with there pppoe software loaded. You can't say I 
> can't reach the pppoe server, you can't say I log in and can only 
> trace x far.
>
> Christofer C. Bell wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Dejan Cabrilo wrote:
>>
>>  
>>
>>> I am thinking about switching to DSL with SBC soon. I read on their
>>> website that for self-installation "Linux operating systems are
>>> compatible, but not supported."
>>> What are they saying?
>>>   
>>
>>
>> They are saying that their service works fine in Linux, but that they
>> won't help you configure it.  (DSL works that same, from the user's
>> standpoint, as a regular dial-up modem.)
>>
>>  
>>
>
>
As a happy SBC DSL user for nearly a year (refugee from Telocity), and 
an un-orthodox user, let me chime in.

First, go to the Soutwestern Bell forum on dslreports.com - there are 
actually SBC DSL techs that monitor that board, and I have been helped 
directly by them.  Lots of good info there, but they will tell you (and 
they are employees of SBC) that you don't need anything more than PPPoE 
software.  They even walked me through getting some loaded on a Win98 PC 
when I was doing some trouble-shooting.

My normal set-up is that a D-Link DI-704 plugged directly into the DSL 
modem.  The D-Link knows PPPoE.  I was even able to do the initial 
set-up without their software, by logging in and creating an account by 
coding the default ID and password in the D-link, then replacing with my 
actual ID/Pwd after assigned.  The D-link is a DHCP server for my 
in-house PC's.  Works like a charm.

Two problems I've had since service started in January -

- One I can't even remember.
- The other (went down on Sunday, not resolved until Monday afternoon) 
turned out to be a network problem. 

The techs at 1-800- help desk are not usually a lot of help, especially 
without the full-load software running under Windows.  However, the guys 
at DSLREPORTS.COM not only respond to posts, but will work with you via 
"private messaging".  I got a tech at 10:00 p.m. Sunday night to open a 
ticket with ISI (or is it ASI?) and when they called back, they were 
ready to sent a tech out at 'first truck roll'. 

Bottom line, it's a great service, and they are upgrading the upload 
speeds starting 10/25 without a price hike.  But, you need to know your 
side of the network, and use the services of the techs at DSLREPORTS.COM 
if it's anything more than a routine trouble-call (i.e.; if you call and 
they say "yep, we have a service problem...")

Chris.