Linux friendly internet service 3263

In a message on Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:36:59 -0600, wrote :

Netzero's 'Linux' support is limited to one specific distro: Lindows-Linspire. It *won't* work with any other distro AFAIK. I tried it with RH 7.3. Although it uses Java, it has expectations WRT the location of (network-ppp) configuration files and the location of pppd is specific. You have to use Netzero's version of pppd, NOT the generic (open source) one. Netzero's authentication is different from the standard ones supported by pppd-wvdial.

I believe Version's DSL is just PPPoE, which Linux supports out-of-the-box. Yes, Version has some sort of deal with MSN, but I don't think you really need this. (MSN's software is like AOL -- only runs on MS-Windows and maybe MacOS.)

Most cable modem systems use DHCP, which also works with Linux out-of-the-box.

Note: if you use a LinkSys broadband router (recomended and Version 'gives' you one of these as part of their deal) with a EtherNet based DSL or a cable modem, the LinkSys broadband router deals with the ISP authentication. You just configure your Linux box to use DHCP (the LinkSys broadband router is also a DHCP server). And jack it into the broadband router. You then use your web browser (Mozilla FireFox Opera etc) to set up the broadband router.

PeoplePC works, out-of-the-box, using standard pppd-wvdial. Most 'local' ISPs that do plain old PPP also work just fine. Many of the 'smarter' local ISPs run Linux themselves -- at worst you need to get past the 'customer service' idiots to a 'real tech'. If you know how to use the Linux dial-up configuration tools, you can pretty much toss the 'instructions' and-or CD-download the ISP gives you. Just plug in the username, pbuttword, and phone number in the right places and you are all set.

AOL and the like use their own special software and are not likely to work with Linux.