Re: [sudo-discuss] Recommend an ISP!!!!! + Official SR Recommendations?

To delve a little into specifics: The DSL speeds I typically get (fairly close to Vicky geographically, so likely similar) are 3 Mbps download, 1Mbps upload. (An easy way to check your speeds is http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ -- be sure to shut down other computers/devices on your network to get an accurate reading.) For day-to-day use this is usually fine, but it's pretty frequent that I encounter problems. I've had Sonic since July, and have been able to manage; but since Internet is a vital part of my work, and I work from home, I do unfortunately feel the temptation to "sell my soul to Comcast." The upload speed is the bigger problem. When I am uploading something big, typically a video or collection of photos, other activities can grind to a halt. Uploading a 500MB video at these speeds can take over an hour, so this is significant. Contrary to common belief, if you max out your upstream bandwidth, your downstream bandwidth is maxed out as well. I share my connection with a roommate. Higher bandwidth activities include Skype and various other videoconferencing/screen sharing applications (which require both upload and download bandwidth); and streaming stuff video (Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo) and music (Amazon, Pandora, iTunes). Much of the streaming is done on a Roku. One thing I have tried is replacing my router with one that has Quality of Service (QoS) functionality -- a Belkin N750. Unfortunately, when I received it I found that it does not permit specific settings by MAC address -- I had intended to just throttle the upload speed for the computer I usually use for uploads -- but instead has a simple "on/off" checkbox for QoS, so I guess it's just prioritizing stuff according to somebody's (obscure) idea of what traffic should be prioritized. In the simple tests I have run, though, things do seem dramatically improved: a Skype call during an upload connected quickly and sounded fine. In troubleshooting this stuff, I've found Sonic tech support very happy to look at my usage patterns, in my case confirming my hunch that uploads are the thing that maxes out my connection, but that I'd never maxed out the download when an upload wasn't in progress. I strongly recommend asking tech support about this before making any big decisions -- it's possible that more intelligent routing, or just saving your big uploads for overnight, might solve your problem. A friend also suggested installing a "whole home DSL filter" -- it installs where the phone line terminates *outside* your house, and then sends *two* lines into the house -- one for DSL, and another for voice. That way you don't need the little DSL filters on every phone. I've heard mixed reviews, and suspect these only make a difference where there is lots of internal wiring in the house -- and there's not in my place, so I haven't bothered with this. Sonic offers a feature -- I can't remember the name, and consequently can't find the web page -- where you change your connection to drop your downstream speed and increase your upstream speed. So in my case, maybe I'd get something like 2Mbps in each direction (likely a little less, actually). This is a free switch, but obviously involves a significant sacrifice. It's probably worth trying before making a switch. If you're willing to spend more each month -- like double -- Sonic does offer a service that bundles two ADSL lines. But that's *really* voting with your dollars ;) It also might be possible/interesting, if you have friendly neighbors, to explore bundling your Internet service with theirs, so you both share both connections. This would involve some fancy router setup, but I think is possible. Or, if you have to go with Comcast, you'll probably have way more bandwidth than you need -- so consider sharing it with a neighbor and at least not sending *two* households' worth of business their way! Or…maybe the occasional high-bandwidth need can be addressed by temporarily tethering your cell phone for any other stuff you have to do at the same time…? OK, on to something a little more philosophical. (Apologies for the jargonese that follows, I can explain in more detail if people want me to.) Like others on this list, I think, I have four (interrelated) major complaints about Comcast. Some are specific to Comcast, some to cable carriers, and others apply to lots of big Internet carriers: - An FCC ruling that I consider a travesty, that exempted them from the "common carrier" laws even though they lease public rights-of-way to run their cables -- effectively establishing a monopoly in many areas on high speed Internet (There's a pretty good documentary here: http://barbershoppunk.com ) - Their bundles and customer service that push you to sign up for stuff you might not want (like TV service) and enter into 2-year contracts. - Their bad record on sharing customers' info with goverment entities (compare Comcast and Sonic here: https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2013 ) - Their abysmal record on net neutrality (see barbershoppunk.com ) I want to talk about the last one for a sec, and am really interested in what others think about this. It seems to me that the fundamental challenges in defining "net neutrality" has been a bigger problem than I previously thought. With the benefit of hindsight, I think it would have been better to acknowledge upfront that network management is a sophisticated and complex task, rather than telling the seemingly simpler story that the Internet, absent the meddling of service providers, is some kind of level playing field. Networks have always been managed to prioritize one kind of traffic over another; and we all benefit from intelligent and benevolent decisions being made in network design. It seems to me that the simpler and more accurate way to frame the issue is around the "transparent and ethical management of conflicts of interest around network management decisions." It seems to me that the whole net neutrality issue has been driven by concern around conflicts of interest, but that the *term* conflict of interest is almost entirely absent from the rhetoric. Curious what others think on this last point? Pete On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:01 AM, Vicky Knox <vknoxsironi(a)gmail.com> wrote: