Re: Verizon FIOS and linux in general
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On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:00:49 -0500
Lance Hoffmeyer <lance@augustmail.com> wrote:
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> Hey all,
>
> Verizon just install fiber optic lines in my neighborhood and want me
> to switch from my DSL to FIOS.
> They have certain computer requirements and I am wondering what they
> are for?
>
> At least 650M processor. My current file server is an old 450M
> computer. I don't really use it for the
> internet so I don't think it is an issue unless I need to connect from
> an office outside my home.
>
> The main problem is that Verizon will setup one computer for free and
> they appear to want to install software on
> this computer in able for FIOS to work. Some reading I have done
> suggests that this software is trying to
> overcome the latency for the packet acks in a TCP session. I can only
> guess that they are going to increase
> the sliding window set for the max # of tcp packets that can be
> received without an ack.
>
> Since two of my three computer run Debian (one running I386 Sarge, one
> (my primary production computer)
> an AMD64 Sarge/Sid/Etch hybrid) I am wondering if Verizon FIOS will
> work on these computers?
>
> Does anyone have experience with Verizon FIOS? Will my debian boxes
> run without the Verizon software?
> Are these tweaks I can make to the linux boxes to optimize the FIOS?
> Any suggestions or links welcome!
> I am simply in the consideration phase of determining if I should
> switch from my DSL to FIOS and what, if
> any, problems I will encounter by choosing to switch.
This is more a debian-user question, but I'll try to answer your
questions here.
FiOS will work fine on any computer you have that can do networking.
I'm using their 5/2 package currently. They do need a Windows or Mac
machine to complete the installation, however. (They could do it just
as easily with a web interface, IMHO, but they didn't ask me.) The
software they install on your computer is nothing special, in my
experience. I've had them use the same iBook for two different FiOS
installs now and have never noticed any speed or performance difference
between the iBook and any of the other computers in the house.
Their 1-year contract packages come with a free wireless router, which
is setup for you as part of the installation. Then you simply plug in
ethernet cables or turn on wireless for any machine in your house to
use the internet connection and its as easy as any other networking.
There is an old thread in Debian-user about a problem I had getting my
Debian firewall to work in place of their wireless router. That was
eventually fixed with a few iptables rules. (Their FiOS currently uses
pppOE as well, but that's no big deal to setup on a Linux machine.)
Oh, and their system specs. are simply to try and make sure you can
take advantage of the speed, run a new enough version of Windoze, etc.
I have sucessfully used a P133 on my FiOS connection and the only
"problem" was that the debian packages downloaded worlds faster than
the computer could unpackage them and install them. :-)
HTH,
Jacob
P.S. So far their reliability is worlds better than August.net, too. I
wish they'd never been bought out by Nationwide... but that's another
story.
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