Linux friendly local ISP?

[Jonathan Hutchins]

----- Original Message -----
From: "zscoundrel" <zscoundrel at kc.rr.com>

> You should NOT use CAT5 for voice or analog data phone lines.  It has
> the wrong impedance and you will actually suffer slower modem
> connections than if you buy average quality twisted pair phone cable.

The only reason I ever see office sites wired with Cat3 or Cat4 is that,
being obsolete, it's cheaper than Cat5.  Most sites, including my current
one, run Cat5 for the phones as well as the data, and run analog phones over
one pair of the Cat5.  With the distances involved in the average premise
wiring, it's just not worth the hassle to run special cable - even though
you're running three extra pair.

This is true of RS232 Serial over Cat5 as well - it doesn't have the correct
impedance or the specified twist, but it works just fine, and if you do all
the wiring with Cat5 you can just re-patch if you want to swap a terminal or
printer for a PC.