verizon FIOS +linux 2058

Verizon FIOS is also coming to my neighborhood, so I researched it. (I'd love to get it, but first I have to run Cat 5 through my attic from one end of the house to the other.)

I was told by Verizon folks that the installation techs WILL bring a Windhose laptop, and I CAN count on using that for the activation step. If not, I'd be stuck, because my house is Microsoft-free.

The info I have says when they install FIOS they switch your copper-based phone line over to FIOS, too. I don't know what they do if you don't have a phone land line. That would be something you'd want to ask the Verizon folks.

Is PPPOE much more difficult than DHCP to maintain and troubleshoot on the WAN side of the router?

Reportedly, they want to be able to get into the router from the WAN side to do troubleshooting. I don't know how badly they might blow a cork if they found it absent.

Eric at 888-553-1555 (the second-line question number) told me new service would get an ActionTech (sp?) router rather than a D-Link.

In any case, if the router Verizon supplies doesn't please me, I plan to daisy-chain my own non-Verizon D-Link router as if it was the only host connecting to the Verizon-supplied router. That would increase LAN-to-WAN latency a bit but would keep my LAN under MY control.

Reportedly, they block some inbound ports but do allow inbound connections on non-blocked ports. Unfortunately, they reportedly block BitTorrent's ports. I use Mandriva, and their installation CD-DVD downloads use BitTorrent, so I'd be stuck. Rumor has it I can use non-default ports to work around that problem.

IMHO, the reason they disallow servers is to prevent excessive use of bandwidth on an ongoing basis, especially in the upload direction. If you put sshd on a non-default port, the might never find out and-or care.

-- Robert Riches (Yes, that is one of my email addresses.)