Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 14:25:24 -0400 From: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com> To: Paul Robinson <paul@iconoplex.co.uk> Cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Advice on how to straighten out a crappy ISP Message-ID: <3EF0AE94.8020508@potentialtech.com> In-Reply-To: <20030618160804.GB20204@iconoplex.co.uk> References: <3EEFC568.70900@potentialtech.com> <20030618105019.GR20204@iconoplex.co.uk> <3EF07317.4060307@potentialtech.com> <20030618143744.GZ20204@iconoplex.co.uk> <3EF083B6.8070902@potentialtech.com> <a06001203bb16361647ca@[10.0.1.4]> <20030618160804.GB20204@iconoplex.co.uk>
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Paul Robinson wrote: > On Wed, Jun 18, 2003 at 05:37:24PM +0200, Brad Knowles wrote: > >> The best solution may be to set up your own neighborhood co-op >>ISP. Get together with the other people in the area, and offer to >>help provide Internet access to them. Even if you can't get SDSL, >>you should be able to get a T-1 or fractional T-1, which you could >>then share with your neighbors via 802.11b or 802.11g. I'm considering this now that you made the suggestion. I called to get some cost estimates on a T1 or fractional, they're going to call back. > I was actually about to write back to Bill then and suggest the same thing > to him. Setting up an ISP is not only quite good fun, sharpens the skills, > but in an area with little competition like Bill's is likely to be > profitable. Also, quite straight forward for somebody with the skills. The > only thing I would do, is spend more time learning RADIUS before starting > out than I did the last time I was in a similar position... the tools are > better now though, anyway... I'm already familiar with RADIUS. I worked for an ISP a few years ago that went out of business. More of that ... >> You could then look at additional options for high-bandwidth (but >>high latency) downstream access such as satellite (with asymmetric >>routing via your T-1/Frac. T-1), or other alternative additional >>feeds. > > Satellite should be available everywhere below Alaska, and is quite cheap. I > know a lot of smaller ISPs use it purely for Usenet feeds, so as to not clog > up their 256Kb leased line back to the city... > > Of course, contrary to popular belief, here in the UK where the > neighbourhoods are all *VERY* old, we seem to have finally got a clue and > DSL is available in all cities, most towns, and even in the smallest village > you can get a 2Mb/sec frame relay (for $$$$$) if you want it... in fact, one > place I worked was in a hamlet and we had several 155Mb/sec links over SDH, > 34Mb/sec microwave, 34Mb/sec backup frame relay... and that was some 8 miles > from the nearest town of any size. See ... I'm not explaining myself well. We're not talking about a town or city ... or even a village. This a neighborhood, and by luck or whaterver, it's a crappy neighborhood. The house I live in is of undetermined age. We do know that it's the oldest house in the neighborhood. It used to be a horse farm. when my grandparents moved into the house down the street, the road wasn't even paved. In the first few years when my mother was young, the horse farm was bought and the land divided into a housing plan. They build housing plans in little over a year around here. This was around the 50s or so. Later the house passed on to my parents and I grew up here, and when I started my business and needed some financial relief, I moved back into my old room. Now, Plum Borough (right outside of Pittsburgh) is growing like mad. When I was young, there was my housing plan and farms all around us. Most of those farms have been replace with new housing plans in the last 20 years ... and they have new homes and access to everything (2 or 3 differen't cable providers competing sometimes!) So, putting up the co-op would only be practical for the very local neighborhood I live in. The population in this plan is also very old ... many are retired, I don't know how well it will be recieved. Regardless, I'm going to meander around the neighborhood this weekend and see how many people would be interested. As a side note, I worked for an ISP who tried to do this in Greensburg, PA, where there really wasn't any competition at the time. Makes me nervious. Couple of years ago. -- Bill Moran Potential Technologies http://www.potentialtech.com
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