[KLUG Members] Charter internet

[Bruce Smith]

> > OTOH, I'm still amazed how broadband providers (Charter included) can
> > offer so high a bandwidth for such a small cost.  You figure a 56K
> > dialup connection (I connect at 26.6K myself) costs $21.95 from most
> > major providers, and a second phone line is $20+, making $42.95 (or 
> > even $52.95) for 768K sound like a very good value.  And I'd rather see
> > broadband providers raise rates instead of going out of business, like
> > so many DSL providers have already done.
> 
>     You've got to remember with a dial-up connection, an ISP has to provide a 
> modem for EACH customer that connects.

WRONG!  Dialup ISP's provide ONE modem for every couple dozen customers
or more (give or take, varies between ISP).

And some big ISP's don't provide any modems.  They lease the service of
modems from other ISP's.  You used to have a Earthlink dialup, what did
the modem say when it answered?  Earthlink doesn't have any of their own
modems in this part of the country.  My Earthlink dialup used to answer
with a UUNET modem, or PSI, or ...  depending what number I was calling.

> With Cable Modem, it basically one 
> large ethernet network; a whole lot less wiring / equipment to deal with.

If you're implying that it's cheaper for cable internet providers, I'd
like to see proof that buying all the digital cable internet equipment
is cheaper than buying a block of modems.  If supply and demand has any
effect on this, I'm betting the cable equipment costs more (but I don't
know either).  And the cable providers have to buy more bandwidth since
they are providing higher bandwidth to their customers.

>    I agree that I'd rather see the rates to up SOME and keep my cable modem 
> service verse dropping back to a dial-up modem... Yikes! I shutter at the 
> thought.... :-)

No kidding!!!   :-)

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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