[Tfug] What are the good DSL ISP options here in Tucson?

[Angus Scott-Fleming]

On 1 Nov 2006 at 9:22, Cory Jon Hollingsworth  wrote:

> I'm thinking about changing my ISP.  My DSL connection is about 5 years
> old and my ISP isn't the same ISP they were 5 years ago.
> 
> This question has been asked before, but the answer changes over time.
> 
> Does anyone know what ISP options are available for someone with the needs
> of a programmer/sys admin.  A good summary of my needs are:
> 
> 1) Reliable upstream and downstream connection.  (I need to access my home
> systems from work just as much as I need to access my work systems from
> home.)

DSL is actually ADSL - asynchronous DSL - so your upload speeds are going to be 
much less than your download speeds unless you change service type to SDSL, 
which AFAIK is vastly more expensive.

> 5) No ICMP mangling, port blocking, traffic shaping or filtering, or ISP
> firewall between me and the rest of the Internet. (Interferes with my
> work.  The exception of course is a DOS attack.  If a hacker clogs my DSL
> like I expect the ISP to fix that on their side as I don't have the
> bandwidth to fix it on mine.)

That's what I have with my Officeworks DSL from Qwest.

> Right now my ISP is failing to deliver 1 and 5 on my list.
> 
> Now SpeakEasy would have fit all my criteria, but they do not provide
> service to my CO.  With them out of the picture I don't know who else to
> look into.
> 
> Any one on the list have similar needs and have an ISP that works for them?
> 
> Don't bother offering Comcast or Cox Cable as a option.  Cox is not
> available and Comcast failed to deliver criteria 2, 3, 4, and 5 last time
> I checked.

Comcast offers a business-grade service but I think it's over $90/month and may 
still include some limitations.

According to Qwest, you already have Qwest DSL -- ass*u*ming the service is at 
the same phone number that is in the whois records for the pumpatorium.net 
domain that is in your mail headers ;-).

Sounds like you need a business-class connection.  Qwest DSL -- just ordered it 
for a client's house up in your part of the valley, and he got 1.5/1 for 
$27/month (could have gotten 7/1 for $35/month for life with a 2-yr commitment) 
-- should be able to meet your needs except for the faster upload speeds, but I 
don't know if you can add static IPs to the home package.  Qwest charges me 
$15/mo for a block of 8 (5 usable) on my office DSL connection, but I don't 
know if you can get that on a residential DSL account.

Interestingly enough we were able to dump MSN as the ISP and choose to have 
qwest.net as the ISP for the same price, but you'll have to order over the 
phone to get this.  Since your needs are special, you should call them and talk 
to a real human.  800-244-1111 is the number we called.  Prices above reflect 
bundling with the clients home phone service, which is also Qwest, it would 
have been $5 more if his POTS had been through another provider.

If you have MSN as your home ISP on a Qwest line, then perhaps you could change 
your ISP to qwest.net to get rid of the filtering that MSN is imposing.  We had 
no trouble ordering our DSL that way earlier today.

FWIW here's Qwest's list of other ISPs that run on their DSL lines:
    http://www.qwest.com/residential/internet/isp_list.html
and pricing:
    http://www.qwest.com/residential/internet/other_isps.html

HTH

Angus

--
Angus Scott-Fleming
GeoApps, Tucson, Arizona
1-520-290-5038
+-----------------------------------+