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why doesn't he go roll out some fiber from the telco to his house himself?

In a rural environment, the choices aren't as abundant, but there is less regulation too. Where there is a need, there'd be a business addressing it... Practically, one can order a T1, install an antenna on the roof and sell access to all neighbors. If you order your connectivity through Speakeasy, for example, they will even help you billing your customers/neighbors for whatever ammount you want (in a big city or in a small village).

Private entrepreneurship, not government is how such things ought to be addressed.

Basically it will take an act of congress to make it happen.

You may want to look into Speakeasy's NetShare service, if it's available in your area.

Basically, you get a T1 line (Free install + Free Router after $500 MIR) and split it with your neighbors wirelessly. You become the admin and set the price and speed for your neighbors, while Speakeasy handles the billing and credits you 80% of what your neighbors pay.

It's $460/month for a 1.5Mbps symmetrical connection, and you'd have to split that down to what you consider affordable -- but hell, anything beats dial-up.

I feel your pain, buddy.

Have your ISP alter your reverse DNS information to reflect your domain. If they won't, change over to one that will.

When last I checked, SpeakEasy allowed re-selling of your connection, through their own billing system. You hook up your friends, wirelessly perhaps, and they did the billing, cutting you in for a percentage. A while ago, it was 50/50, but I think now it is someting around 75/25 in your favor.

And if you use Speakeasy they offer a service where they handle the billing, accounting and email for your wisp. Of course they are in it for themselves but it's much better then some other isp that would TOS ban it and sue you for sharing it. http://www.speakeasy.net/netshare/learnmore/

It makes sense -- they're selling you bandwidth, and how you use that is up to you.

It makes sense -- they're selling you bandwidth, and how you use that is up to you.

It's unfortunate to see that Speakeasy, an ISP known for its flexible usage policies, is not specifically represented in that review. From the TOS: "Speakeasy believes in the right of the individual to publish information they feel is important to the world via the Internet." This includes allowing servers and sharing connections, as long one's activities don't disrupt others' use. As a DSL customer that is outside SE's range, I am curious how SE compares to the more restrictive services of the companies represented in the review.

It's unfortunate to see that Speakeasy, an ISP known for its flexible usage policies, is not specifically represented in that review. From the TOS: "Speakeasy believes in the right of the individual to publish information they feel is important to the world via the Internet." This includes allowing servers and sharing connections, as long one's activities don't disrupt others' use. As a DSL customer that is outside SE's range, I am curious how SE compares to the more restrictive services of the companies represented in the review.

I rate them a 9, only because I think the cost is a bit high. But, service is exceptional and reliable.

Why I like them:

• 6 megabit/sec downstream (effective rates peaks out at about 4.5 M/sec)
• 768K upstream (effective rate about 650K/sec)
• Techie-friendly TOS: I'm allowed to run servers: game, email, web, etc.
• Static IP (extra ones are inexpensive)
• Speakeasy will configure their DNS to return the FQDN of your choice when doing a reverse lookup on your IP.
• Unix shell account, if you want it.
• Share your connection with your neighbor, if you don't charge your neighbor anything.
• If you DO want to charge for sharing, Speakeasy will collect the amount that you specifiy from your neighbor, and credit part of it to your bill.

NOTE: Our recommended browser for the VoIP Communications Center is Firefox 1.0.

NOTE: Our recommended browser for the VoIP Communications Center is Firefox 1.0.

Where? What country? :)

Speakeasy.net
Seattle, WA, USA.

Not Speakeasy.

They even handle the billing for you.

Hardcore geek here, with a UID that's far lower than yours.

You're allegedly a hardcore geek, but you're whining about the fact that people on consumer-grade internet connections are treated like consumers?

Really, if you want to get treated like the big swinging dick you apparently think you are, you should probably get a real internet connection. Go get yourself a T1 or a colocated server. Or both. Christ, I know people who get hundred-megabit pipes for their hobby projects; if you can't afford the few hundred bucks a month for a home T1, or the $70 bucks a month for a real ISP's DSL, then you should scrape together the $20 per month for a fractional colocated server and run your own mailserver.

Otherwise we may have to take away your ridiculously low UID and give it to somebody more deserving.

Hardcore geek here, with a UID that's far lower than yours.

You're allegedly a hardcore geek, but you're whining about the fact that people on consumer-grade internet connections are treated like consumers?

Really, if you want to get treated like the big swinging dick you apparently think you are, you should probably get a real internet connection. Go get yourself a T1 or a colocated server. Or both. Christ, I know people who get hundred-megabit pipes for their hobby projects; if you can't afford the few hundred bucks a month for a home T1, or the $70 bucks a month for a real ISP's DSL, then you should scrape together the $20 per month for a fractional colocated server and run your own mailserver.

Otherwise we may have to take away your ridiculously low UID and give it to somebody more deserving.

[click]

http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php?error=404

Page not found: http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php

Mrr? :O(

[click]

http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php?error=404

Page not found: http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php

Mrr? :O(

[click]

http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php?error=404

Page not found: http://www.speakeasy.net/main.php

Mrr? :O(

At any rate, if you read Speakeasy's website where you would actually sign up for the service, you'll find they do offer a $500 per month option offering 3 megabit service. It's still not "cheaper" than a $500 1.5 megabit service as the article incorrectly claims, but it is more bandwidth for your buck.

It's actually, at most, 3Mbps both ways. Or you can do 4/2, 5/1, etc. Seems slightly misleading to me :(.

http://speakeasy.net/business/wimax/pricing.php

Didn't they have a similar survey last time?

Wait, I found it.

http://valve.speakeasy.net/

Speakeasy had this first, branding it Onelink. I think they rolled it out in September. Note too, if you only have one copper pair (some places have this), it complicates things a little bit - you'll have to come in with a VoIP line already established, forward your old phone number to the VoIP, and when the DSL is ready to hook up, instruct the tech to make the switch at the punch board. At your option, you either shuck the old number, keep it, or arrange for a transfer, which *might* involve a new VoIP account (and all the logistics thereunto related).

The first step to solving this problem is using Speak Easy.... I won't go into details but VZ has been dragging their feet offering DSL, loosing market share for DSL as a whole to cable in the process, simply to kill off the little guys. When they do, they will engage in a particularly nasty price war with cable and eventually settle with 34-45% of the market before jacking up their prices. Get away from the cable and phone monopolies, regardless if there is "competition" in your area, since even with "competition", since they are regulated and game the system big time.

DSL with no phone line. I have this in BellSouth territory.

It used to be that if you had the "wrong" (physical) address, or belonged to the "wrong" religion, or had the "wrong" skin color, many businesses wouldn't even talk to you. You weren't even given the chance to prove yourself. That kind of discrimination has long been illegal in the US, but it's still legal to openly discriminate on the basis of your IP address, as opposed to your actual behavior (whether or not you spam). That's why the word "ghetto" is perfectly appropriate.

If you have the option, you could switch to a more enlightened ISP that doesn't treat you like a moronic criminal. I eventually abandoned both Road Runner and SBC DSL and signed up with Speakeasy DSL. While their services are priced at a premium, I think they're fully worth it. I wanted several static IP addresses anyway, and when you price static IP addresses from a typical cable modem or telco DSL provider Speakeasy doesn't look so expensive. Since switching, I've never had any email rejected for having an IP address on a blacklist.

And, as icing on the cake, Speakeasy promises to never block any ports -- try getting a guarantee like that out of Road Runner or SBC! So, given a choice, I decided to give my money to the more clueful outfit.

Lets also not forget that Speakeasy DSL nearly encourages you to share your wireless access.

C'est vrai!

I guess you're calling me a liar, so fuck you and look at the OneLink page.

Maybe you guys can't do it because you're incompetent.

Note that this ruling does not prevent CLECs like Covad and their ISPs, like Speakeasy.net, from providing naked DSL service. I have this service from Speakeasy. They call it OneLink and I'm no longer an explicit customer of Verizon on that line, although Speakeasy still kicks a few bucks a month back to Verizon; it is their wire and their CO I suppose.

But in the end I have all my services, including VOIP, through Speakeasy.net thanks to naked DSL.

What about Speakeasy's OneLink?

Since this does (re)activate the copper to your house, does it mean that you also get the mandated E911 service on it?

Jeff,

I'm sure you are aware that a E911 VoIP trial is ongoing in King County (greater Seattle area). The King County 911 office along with an ILEC, Intrado, Vonage, and others have already completed 911 calls that route to the correct Primary PSAP, carried the correct call back number, and the correct address information. Dynamic routing (within one hour) of "changed" address information when a user moves locations, is the last test and is scheduled for next week (today the information takes a week to be updated by industry). The method is unusual and still needs to be worked through the standards organizations but proves that 911 issues for VoIP can be resolved by cooperation between government and interested companies. If approved by NENA and ATIS, this method of routing 911 calls will bring better 911 service to VoIP users in all states.

The initial coordination of this continuing successful project was started at the VON conference in Boston more than a year ago. Inviting staff from the Washington State Utility Commission, as well as other state regulatory commissions, allowed for the type of communication that will build networks and resolve just these kinds of issues in the future between industry and the regulatory world.

Hopefully the difficult issues like E-911 cost recovery will be resolved in the same cooperative manner. Thanks again for making it possible for state regulators to attend both the Boston and Santa Clara VONs. I will miss the communication between attendees. I will also miss the excellent parties.

Cheers,

Bob Williamson
Senior Member Technical Staff
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Olympia, WA.

Does Speakeasy Voice Over IP/Home support 911 emergency calling?

Yes, Speakeasy's VOIP offering provides for standard 911 and E-911 emergency dialing.

Our customers have told us that a reliable 911 solution was key to switching from traditional phone lines to VOIP. This mission-critical requirement drove us to design a service that could deliver on this promise.

With Speakeasy Voice Over IP/Home, unlike with most VOIP providers, your 911 calls are routed to the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) for your area using standard 911 trunks (not the General Access Line). Your address and telephone number are provided to the 911 operator by way of E-911. In addition, you do not need to register for 911 dialing, as your phone number and address are automatically registered when we complete your order. We have made the design decision to offer voice service only in areas where this level of integration was possible. These features are equivalent to what the local telephone company would provide with the following exceptions: traditional 911 dialing is not possible in the event of a power loss or loss of connectivity. We suggest that you keep a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) connected to your telephone adapter and DSL modem to minimize the effect of power outages on your phone service, and we recommend that you always keep a cell phone as backup for emergencies. Please review our Terms of Service carefully for details about 911 and E-911 dialing.

OneLink uses the phone line running into your house and connects to your existing phone jack--no phone service is necessary (Speakeasy pays the phone company for this).
http://www.speakeasy.net/home/onelink/

How is this "no phone service" ?

You still have to have a line to your abode with a live connection to the telco...
and the telco is still collecting money for allowing that line to carry traffic.

"Phone service" is still required, it's just not voice and you're paying the ISP for it rather than the telco.

I had the same sort of deal with Covad years ago.

...I'm using the DSL ISP I use partly because they give out static addresses and partly because they've got a strong philosophical position that if you've got an Internet connection, all the bits are yours, and you should be able to do absolutely anything you want with it except spamming and cracking.

Do you have Speakeasy?

I wish I was close enough to my telco central office to order a Speakeasy DSL line.

Like this? except of course done by the mfr, and national.

There are, in fact, deployments of WiMax (or at least pre-WiMax) according to the IEEE. Sites include Owensboro, KY and Seattle, WA.

DSL does not require a "phone line." If you look at speakeasy, you'll see "onelink" which does not require phone service. Yes, it requires the POTS copper loop, but not the phone service. I think it costs something like $5 more than getting DSL added to a phone line (for renting the loop from the telco.)

Anyone got the sordid details?

Not me. But I have noticed something.

Quite recently, slashdot started up some kind of partnership with speakeasy.

On August 28, 2003, michael used five slashdot story tags to b*tch about speakeasy.

maybe there is some connection there...

If you have a good, reliable broadband connection from an ISP like Speakeasy, then you can probably set up a small server and handle your own e-mail and hosting. So long as you don't need rocket science, you'll get really good results. You just need to have an ISP that gives you a static IP (ideally) and has an AUP that allows you to run servers.

If you do that, then good options for the hosting OS itself would be either the SME Server (from http://www.contribs.org/), or the new version of Clark Connect that just came out this week (http://www.clarkconnect.com/ - I use the commercial version for my home server). If you're not serving up tons of dynamic content a fairly small PC and relatively low-bandwidth DSL line will give you really good results. I also use ZoneEdit for my DNS and backup MX service - that way with backup MX even if I'm down for a while I won't miss any mail and I'll just get it despooled when I come back up.

Another option potentially would be to use a Mac Mini with the 10-user version of MacOS X Server - that'd give you a nice turnkey server for about $1k. But it won't give you spam controls, which both the Linux distros I mentioned above will do. And day-to-day admin of both SME and ClarkConnect are real easy - in fact, ClarkConnect will take care of automatically providing all your updates when you buy the commercial (and cheap) version. They'll also do e-mail antivirus and give you what ZoneEdit offers as an ASP service - though it's not cheap.

http://pctech.invisibill.net.nyud.net:8090/MySpeak easy.xpi/ has a copy of the XPI (http://www.speakeasy.net/software/MySpeakeasy.xpi ), all extracted out. http://pctech.invisibill.net.nyud.net:8090/MySpeak easy.xpi/chrome/speakeasy.jar/content/menu.xul seems to have all the new links, if that's what you want to check out. ThinkGeek, Fark, Snopes, Homestar Runner, AnandTech... Quite a variety.

Actually, the "crap" is something that you have to manually install in the first place. According to the instructions They tell you to get firefox from the official site, then install the speakeasy XPI. And removing an XPI is really difficult...

Tools - Extensions - (choose extension) - click uninstall. Then you'd probably be prompted yes or no, maybe followed up with a restart of the browser for it to actually be removed.

Almost makes you pine for the simpler times of removing spyware shoved in by IE! Lets see, run ad-aware. Says it found it, tell it to remove. Hmm... didn't remove it at reboot. spybot? That should get rid of it. Hmm... same thing. Well, I'll run both, then manually remove the files. WHAT? STILL THERE? WTF! Well, I'll cancel every running service that I don't recognize the use of, run spybot and adaware, and... umm... nope. Well, what's this "Giant" I've heard about. Hey... third one actually seemed to do the trick. Hmm... shit. Now Giant's getting bought out by MS, and soon the definition files probably won't get maintained like they should.

Yeah, Firefox with a couple extra links is _SO_ evil. For a good portion of speakeasy customers, these are just things they'd go to every day anyways.

Just connect the spigot to my house, and get the fuck out of my way. I pay you every month, you give me uncensored bandwidth. Anything beyond that begins to tick the needle on the annoyance meter

You've basically boiled down speakeasy's terms of service. As for bundled software, I never received any software from them. Just a modem and 6/768 connection, with 5 static IPs and no limits on what I do with it. http://www.speakeasy.net/tos/

If you click on the link on the summary, you see that is actually just an extension (xpi). I'm tempted to install it and see what it is that they modified.

From the download page, it looks like they're just offering a plugin that handles all the customization. Their download page points to here, and their plugin resides here.

for teh win! Speakeasy

That was in response to, "can I sell wireless internet to my neighbors, and not tell you about it?"

The tech wasn't completely correct, at least according to the Speakeasy TOS:

http://www.speakeasy.net/netshare/terms/#wifipolic y

Speakeasy allows residential customers to share their broadband connection through a home network that utilizes technology such as Wi-Fi. However, if a Speakeasy member is collecting access fees from any individual accessing their Wi-Fi network, the member must be subscribed to the NetShare service as a NetShare Admin, and the individual must be subscribed as a NetShare Customer.

Short version: if you don't collect access fees, you are free to share your connection as you wish (but you are still responsible for all uses of the connection). If you collect fees, you must do so via NetShare.

Try Speakeasy.
As one of their tech support told me the other day, "That's the great thing about Speakeasy, you buy the connection from us, and then do whatever you want with it."

That was in response to, "can I sell wireless internet to my neighbors, and not tell you about it?"

The original poster already said "Speakeasy even has a plan to allow this." He didn't provide a link for it, but apparently they will do the billing for him and surprisingly enough they will even allow him to set his own price. It seems to be a really good move on the part of Speakeasy to do this.

The original poster already said "Speakeasy even has a plan to allow this." He didn't provide a link for it, but apparently they will do the billing for him and surprisingly enough they will even allow him to set his own price. It seems to be a really good move on the part of Speakeasy to do this.

Speakeasy handles the billing and credits your account, you just provide the wireless setup. People need to read about Speakeasy's WiFi Netshare Program before assuming stuff.