[Malvern] Is there life in BT Broadband?

Mon Oct 4 13:42:03 BST 2004

Hi Guys

T'other Andy M

Broadband - the only time you need an engineer install is if the chicker
indicates that you are on the limit for standard Broadband - BT
Openworld are to provide Broadband Lite in the near future - 256 / 128
instead of 512 / 256 for the 500 range of products.

For firewall protection I would look at Geoff's setup - in built
firewall on the router.  Don't forget to keep anti-virus software on all
PCs though.

Chris I - the test number you give only checks on earth bonding and the
line integrity it does not give a definate OK hence why in some close to
the edge places an PTO - test officer - needs to visit site and plug in
his test kit.  Broadband 500 is generally OK up to 3.5 - 4 km radial
distance from the local exchange.  If you are outside this limit you can
get satelite broadband definitely from Openworld other ISPs may not
provide this option.  You also need to be careful when using ISPs that
they may not provide the service to the full limits of service whereas
BT will.  State of fact not a quick sell!

Ian Pascoe
BT Service Agility Client Relationship Management

-----Original Message-----
From: malvern-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk
[mailto:malvern-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] On Behalf Of Andy Morris
Sent: 04 October 2004 10:58
To: MLUG
Subject: Re: [Malvern] Is there life in BT Broadband?

Oh, and I just found out that if you have 512Mb or more installed,
Debian doesn't want/need a swap partition. Must bung another 256Mb in my
son's machine ...

Andy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Morris" <zaglabod at onetel.com>
To: "MLUG" <malvern at mailman.lug.org.uk>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Malvern] Is there life in BT Broadband?

> Knoppix (Live-on-a-CD) is stripped-down Debian after you load it to 
> HD. I just upped to 3.6 (3.7 is out) after I found out how to fix the 
> CUPS
printer
> system (it was seriously bollixed in 3.4 and still is). The Knoppix HD

> installer is still under serious development, but it has not presented

> me with any problems on several installs - plus it comes with Open 
> Office
1.1.2
> (latest). Loads KDE by default, but the cheat codes list gives an 
> option
to
> go GNOME (never tried it - prefer KDE)..
>
> Debian "apt-get" works, although you must first run "apt-get update" 
> to revise the package lists. With broadband available, it's a matter 
> of
running
> the "upgrade" and "kernel upgrade" options and you have a 
> bang-up-to-date Debian system. (Not recommended on dial-up, unless you

> have a few days to spare). Check the Knoppix forums on www.knoppix.net

> for latest details on the HD install and post-install tweaks.
>
> My only comment is do not log in as a user after installation, until 
> you have first logged in as root and set up the "master" system setup.
>
> I've tried Wine for some games apps - doesn't do Train Simulator 
> (yet),
but
> handles many others - emulates W95/W98/W98-2, but not W2000 or XP, so
the
> age of your game counts.   There's a compatibility list on the Wine
website
> (www.winehq.com).
>
> Andy
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Eilbeck" <chris at yordas.demon.co.uk>
> To: <malvern at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 12:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [Malvern] Is there life in BT Broadband?
>
>
> > On Sat, Oct 02, 2004 at 12:37:28PM +0100, Guy Inchbald wrote:
> > >
> > > I've been playing with a few distros/toys to come up with my ideal

> > > system. The arrival of BT "Broadband" 3 miles from Upton, subject 
> > > to
an
> > > engineer's visit, makes this a timely moment to ask for advice:
> > >
> > > I'll need to sign up with BT Broadband, otherwise the engineer is 
> > > unlikely to call for free.
> >
> > Why do you need an engineers' visit?  I live quite a way from 
> > Malvern exchange and didn't need it.  Do the test yourself.  Pick up

> > a phone, type 17040 and follow the prompts to do a test.  I think 
> > the correct sequence is 3, 1, 2.  Put the phone down and the 
> > exchange will call you back with the results.
> >
> > You shouldn't have to go with BT Broadband anyway.  BT provide the 
> > line. BT Broadband or Openworld or whatever they're calling 
> > themselves
nowadays
> > are a separate company.
> >
> > > I'd like to have a firewall between my home network (mostly 
> > > Windows - one will be used extensively for online gaming) and the 
> > > "always on = always vulnerable" broadband. IMHO a firewall on a 
> > > Windows PC is a contradiction in terms. Is it better to use a 
> > > modem with inbuilt
> firewall
> > > (means buying one), or to use my planned Linux machine as a
> gateway/firewall
> > > for the others (so I can use the freebie BT modem which apparently

> > > has
> 3rd
> > > party Linux support)?
> >
> > Get a modem/router/firewall box.  They're dead easy to set up, 
> > pretty cheap and you don't get into the situation of not being able 
> > to reboot
or
> > power off one machine because someone is doing something else on
another.
> >
> > > How techy is it to set up and maintain a gateway and a firewall?
> >
> > Piece of piss.
> >
> > > Presumably, there are some games to play with IP addressing 
> > > between
the
> > > "intranet" and the wide world.
> >
> > You can run Network Address Translation or non-NAT.  NAT hides a 
> > private class C network behind a single IP address provided by your 
> > ISP.  I'd recommend going with someone like Zen (who I've been with 
> > for about 8 months now) and getting 8 static IP addresses so you can

> > have some machines NATed and firewalled and some machines (if you 
> > want) accessible from the net for running servers.
> >
> > > Are there any issues over online gaming which need thinking 
> > > through?
> >
> > No idea, sorry.
> >
> > > Now to Linux. My ideal system:
> > >   Pure freedom for all main tools (GPL or better, even for 
> > > commercial
> use).
> > >   Installer able to cope with most hardware and X GUI without 
> > > deeply
> techy
> > >   scripting.
> > >   GNOME only (no KDE). Don't know why, but GNOME apps tend to feel
> nicer.
> > >   Easy update / uninstall.
> > >
> > > Debian looks close, but I am unsure whether even the latest 1.0
> Installer
> > > will be easy enough for setting up X, or how Debian manages
> uninstalling.
> >
> > Debian is easy to get going but the current installer doesn't 
> > install X. That's still pretty simple to do.
> >
> > > Do any Debain-based distros come closer?
> >
> > Debian Sarge is pretty good.
> >
> > > Has anybody got a copy of Debian with the 1.0 installer they would

> > > be willing to burn to CD, for a small compensation?
> >
> > Let me know what you want tomorrow and I'll see what I can do for 
> > the meeting at Phil's place on Tuesday.
> >
> > Chris
>
>
>

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