[luau] Re: Configuring Router

MonMotha monmotha at indy.rr.com
Wed Jul 24 20:25:01 PDT 2002


Dustin Cross wrote:
> I switched to DSL so I wouldn't have to deal with this stuff.  Sandi and I
> run our our mail and web server for personal use and it would suck to have
> RR shut us down and not get e-mail until I got a new provider!
> 
> Dusty

There's a reason they prohibit servers.

I dunno what you guys are capped at out there, but I hear it's even 
higher than what I'm at here.

Here I get 2.5/.5 for $45/m.  That amount of bandwidth probably costs 
them (even at the rate they buy it) about $1000/m.  They gamble that you 
won't use it all most of the time.  When you run a server, you mess that 
up.  If you want to run a server, they offer "commercial contracts" 
where you can do whatever you want as long as it's not illegal (same 
thing you get with like a T1).  These contracts cost a LOT more (usually 
around $200-$700/m), but still less than buying a "real line" from the 
phone company.  The reason they cost more is that you're using more.

Unfortunately, the equipment to run at these insanely high speeds is 
expensive. An OC-12 for example runs 155Mbit full-duplex over a single 
pair of fiber at insane distances.  That laser has to switch 155,000,000 
times per second.  Any volunteers to build it cheap? The telcos inflate 
their prices a LOT, which is why they're so rich...if you guys have 
competitive phone service your prices are probably lower than my 
examples as that's what it is in Indiana where we have a baby bell, but 
they still have to make money, pay their workers, and buy equipment. 
Hawaii is also a little more bandwidth rich than Indiana (it's a hub 
between west coast, Japan, and .au), but it's still expensive.

RR isn't being mean; they're being realistic.  Normal residental use is 
VERY bursty.  Small business usage is less, but still so.  They count on 
this to give you the kind of connection you get at decent prices.  Try 
to get your connection from the phone company; it won't be cheap.  If RR 
let you do whatever you wanted on their $50/m residential contracts, 
they'd be out of business in less than an hour probably.

Also, remember that cable modems are a shared bandwidth medium.  Think 
of them as a huge coax ethernet segment.  In fact, they even run a LLC 
protcol similar to ethernet!  When one person uses a disproportionate 
amount of bandwidht, it slows the others down.  This can cause 
nightmares for the cable co as they have to go splitting subnets.

Here's an idea though, and this might actually be possible since you 
guys are on small islands and seem to be fairly well organized.  Use 
various devices to set up a big public access network.  Start off with 
T1s and upgrade as you go.  Eventually you'll become so big, that the 
telco might be willing to PEER with you.  This ain't buying bandwidht 
folks, this means you ARE another telco (expect them to fight it at 
first though; telcos HATE competition).  Telephone companies have no 
choice but to peer with others, otherwise they're of no use.  Ideas for 
links:

*RONJA: http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~clock/twibright/ronja/
*Directional Microwave, 802.11b/g, or possibly 802.11a
*If two people live next to each other or close enough where buying a 
right of way is feasable, go all out and run fiber!

Unfortunately the startup costs are EXTREMELY high (and you need some 
dedicated individuals to maintain it), but it's amazing what you can do 
when you have a community owned network.  You can run native IPv6 on it 
and offer VoIP services.  Every telephone can have it's own phone 
number, or be tied to a central one for the house.  Built in voicemail, 
caller ID, etc.  The possibilities are endless.

Extreme idea.  You bet, I probably wouldn't even bother trying.  But 
that gives you a good idea of what roadrunner and others are trying to 
do.  It's not easy to provide high speed internet at reasonable prices.

--MonMotha




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