[wplug] DSL?

[Patrick Wagstrom]

> Cable may be an option for Zach, however I know that Comcast really 
> dislikes it when you try to run a server.  Also, to my knowledge, 
> Comcast will not give a static IP for residential service.  Comcast was 
> not a good value IMO.

I've had a very positive result with comcast.  I pay $42.95 a month for 
6mbps down, 2mbps up.  In reality, I usually get about 5mbps down, 1.5 
up, but still, that's smoking compared to DSL.  It helps that work pays 
for part of it too.

With regards to running servers, Comcast does not block any ports.  I've 
ran a personal webserver and ssh systems on comcast for the last three 
years without any problems whatsoever.  My webserver current sends out 
about 100mb of data a day, not a ton, but something sizable.  Contrast 
this with verizon which blocks port 80 because they claim they're scared 
of code red.  With any sort of residential connection it's probably not 
a good idea to run a mail server.  All the IP addresses of the big 
providers like comcast, verizon, armstrong, etc are in the blackhole 
lists for being "dynamic".  Google Mail for domains is nice solution to 
this.

However, I've found that my IP address is not so dynamic.  In the three 
years that I've had comcast my IP address has changed twice.  Both times 
were when the power went out while I was on vacation and I didn't get my 
equipment back online for five or six days.  Heck, even when I closed my 
account, moved, and had my wife open up an new account we kept the same 
IP address.

Yes, it's "dynamic", but if you've got a WRT54G (or something like that) 
for your firewall/router, it's basically static.  Combine it with the 
fact that those guys support DynDNS IP addresses, and it shouldn't make 
much of a difference.

Anyway, if you can deal with Comcast being jerks, crappy techincal 
support, and all sorts of other suckage in dealing with the man, it's a 
great deal for a very fast line.  Especially if you don't have a land 
line, like me.

--Patrick