ubuntu-friendly broadband?

[Kent Borg]

On Fri, Apr 14, 2006 at 03:28:43PM -0400, Patrick Costello wrote:
> The trouble is that none of the providers in this area that I have
> contacted support Linux.

Mostly ISPs will not "support" Linux, but if you are lucky, you won't
need their support.  You didn't say what your options are...

There are roughly two cases to worry about:

 - Providers who want to run some sort of "setup" software on your
   Windows box (or Macintosh?).  If you don't have a Windows box, this
   can be a problem.  In this case, borrowing a Windows box and then
   plugging in your Linux box (possibly having the Linux box
   impersonate the ethernet hardware address of the borrowed box).

 - Providers that supply you with minimal hardware and need you to run
   special software that does part of the work.  I have seen this for
   implementing your end of PPPoE.  In this case there is probably
   software in Ubuntu that will do this.

If you are lucky installing service means a box shows up with a few
ethernet jacks on the back and you plug your computer into one (maybe
tell Ubuntu you did so), and it works.


-kb