[CALUG] CALUG Digest, Vol 13, Issue 2

Arkhitekton email4arkhitekton at mac.com
Thu Jan 3 21:17:02 EST 2008 

Following up on mhartwx's message.  I'm using FIOS and I think its  
great.  My network has a NSLU2 (NSLUG Debian), Dell 9100 (Ubuntu),  
Dell 266 (various OS), Dell 510 (XP), Apple iMac (OSX) and HPC2500  
plus my work laptop (XP) when I bring it home.

The Verizon wireless router is an Actiontec device.  Its very  
comprehensive and you get access to all the features via http/https  
with your username/password.  It provides various types of WPA (as  
well as WEP or nothing) for wireless encryption.  It allows me to  
"DNS" all my devices so I don't have to remember IP addresses (which  
always change as I use DHCP).  I've set up static and dynamic  
addressing along with naming.  This has allowed me to set up the  
paths to the NSLU2 by name not number.  I've not had this capability  
before on a residential router so I'm impressed.

The FIOS service is excellent - running Debian and making lots of use  
of apt-get - upgrades, updates and additions - download speeds are  
more a function of the server than the network in between.

The router installation was very good and straight forward.  We have  
telephone and TV as well via Verizon - but all done at different time  
(our choice not theirs.)  The installation comprises of the router,  
small external power supply, a Cat-5 cable run for the WAN-side  
connection and a coax cable run for the cable TV-side connection (as  
we have their TV service).  You have 4 Ethernet ports for your own  
use along with the wireless network.  Note that the cable TV set top  
box appears in your IP address space (in our case at 192.168.1.100)  
but its not an issue in our case.  I've got the router mounted in our  
basement with no problems getting wifi connections anywhere in our home.

If there have been any problem the tech support have been very  
knowledgeable and helpful - and actually treated you as if you may  
know something about computers and networks as well.  The only major  
problem we've had is the router failed completely on Dec 26.  We  
received a new router via UPS on Dec 28 which I just plugged in and  
set up and we were back in cyberspace very quickly.  Very good service.

I hope this is useful.  Post any more questions and I'll try to help.

Kind regards

GD  [Arkhitekton]

>> I remember some CALUG discussion a year or so ago when Verizon  
>> started wiring this part of Maryland for FIOS.  Have any CALUG  
>> members switched over to FIOS & how do they like it, now that it's  
>> been here for a while?  Did they rip out your copper phone lines &  
>> how has their battery system worked when the power went out?   
>> That's been a big sticking point with me.  I'd like to dump my  
>> dial-up & am not a fan of COMCAST (& the dual TV-Internet Verizon  
>> packages look pretty good).  Are there any snags involved in using  
>> Linux with FIOS?  I'm using Mandriva 2007 (I got acquainted with  
>> Mandrake when I lived in OH - the LUG there were Mandrake fans)  
>> but could switch to Ubuntu or something else if necessary. I don't  
>> own a router & was thinking about using Verizon's - is there a  
>> different router I should consider?   Can the same router be  
>> bought somewhere else?  I plan to to some talking with Verizon  
>> before I order but it may be hard to get past the sales people to  
>> their techies for the real info.  One other thing I've been  
>> wondering about - my circa 1990 house has the standard phone &  
>> cable TV wiring, so is it worthwhile to install something like  
>> cat-5?  I'm looking toward the future which is always difficult  
>> where technology is concerned.

On Jan 3, 2008, at 12:00 PM, calug-request at unknownlamer.org wrote:

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> than "Re: Contents of CALUG digest..."
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: LINUX & FIOS - backup (John Hengen)
>    2. Re: Linux & FIOS (Willie Kupersanin)
>
> From: John Hengen <jghengen1 at verizon.net>
> Date: January 2, 2008 8:05:10 PM EST
> To: CALUG at unknownlamer.org
> Subject: Re: [CALUG] LINUX & FIOS - backup
>
>
> P Yasuda wrote:
>
> Interesting. I was wondering how their super deluxe detectors find  
> optical
> lines.
>
> But are you sure the embedded wire is connected to anything? It  
> would be
> detectable even if it's not. So maybe you are electrically isolated  
> after
> all?
>
> py
>
> -----
>
> All I know about the wire is that the man that climbs the pole in  
> the street said there was a wire in the fiber entrance cable so  
> they could find it when it was buried. All my service comes  
> overhead from a pole line out in front of my mid-fifties house./
> My concern is that a conductor picks up energy from passing radio  
> waves and then re-radiates some of that energy to the local  
> environment, as well as conducting whatever energy is on the pole  
> into my house. Oh well, I still have the power line & old telephone  
> line to bring unwanted stuff in./
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Willie Kupersanin <wkupersa at gmail.com>
> Date: January 2, 2008 10:29:46 PM EST
> To: mhartwx <mhartwx at sprintmail.com>
> Cc: CALUG at unknownlamer.org
> Subject: Re: [CALUG] Linux & FIOS
>
>
>
>
> I have had FIOS for a few months now and have had no problems with  
> it other than the fact that one day they mysteriously decided it  
> was time to start bocking incoming 80/tcp. One interesting thing  
> about the service that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that the  
> provided router is running BusyBox, an embedded Linux.
>
> Enjoy,
> --Willie
>
>
>
> mhartwx wrote:
>> I remember some CALUG discussion a year or so ago when Verizon  
>> started wiring this part of Maryland for FIOS.  Have any CALUG  
>> members switched over to FIOS & how do they like it, now that it's  
>> been here for a while?  Did they rip out your copper phone lines &  
>> how has their battery system worked when the power went out?   
>> That's been a big sticking point with me.  I'd like to dump my  
>> dial-up & am not a fan of COMCAST (& the dual TV-Internet Verizon  
>> packages look pretty good).  Are there any snags involved in using  
>> Linux with FIOS?  I'm using Mandriva 2007 (I got acquainted with  
>> Mandrake when I lived in OH - the LUG there were Mandrake fans)  
>> but could switch to Ubuntu or something else if necessary. I don't  
>> own a router & was thinking about using Verizon's - is there a  
>> different router I should consider?   Can the same router be  
>> bought somewhere else?  I plan to to some talking with Verizon  
>> before I order but it may be hard to get past the sales people to  
>> their techies for the real info.  One other thing I've been  
>> wondering about - my circa 1990 house has the standard phone &  
>> cable TV wiring, so is it worthwhile to install something like  
>> cat-5?  I'm looking toward the future which is always difficult  
>> where technology is concerned.
>>           ml hart
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> CALUG mailing list
>> CALUG at unknownlamer.org
>> http://lists.unknownlamer.org/listinfo/calug
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> CALUG at unknownlamer.org
> http://lists.unknownlamer.org/listinfo/calug

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