[KLUG Members] RE: Bandwidth and ISPs

[Adam Williams]

>There are many differences between connectivity options. Although Cable
>was initially setup with shared broadcast domains (hubbed), the trend
>has been to run new setups with a switched environment (like xDSL).  It
>is possible to get 1.5Mbps sDSL for $400 monthly, but it is still not a
>true T1 line.  (Those are still at $800-$1000 monthly-I just did a
>contract for another one using Sprint). Most ISPs won't publish a CIR
>(most don't even offer one).  The confirmed information rate for a
>typical aDSL 768x128 is under 10Kbps.  Dialup accounts don't offer
>guarantees and can ween you under 2Kbps.  Sounds like overselling? Yup.

No.  CIRs are only possible on managed networks.  Even then I can get a 
CIR on a frame relay port (not the circuit).  It means I can send X amount 
of data  to the cloud, they promise.  But if the remote port is congested,
or has a lower CIR, etc..., I'm still stuck.  A CIR on an ISP connection 
really doesn't make much sense as I don't really want to talk to the ISP, 
I want to talk to someone beyond them.  There certainly is no CIR on the 
Internet.
 
>With a T3 costing $13,000 monthly I would certainly not be able to put 
>30 customers at full T1 speed for less than $433 monthly (local loop
>circuit fee is now $235 per T1).  

1:1 allotment?  No one does this, it would be crazy.  People don't do it 
on phone lines,  if everyone in your company picked up there handset and 
pressed "9" I'd be most of them wouldn't have dial tone.  People don't do 
it on server bandwidth,  I've got ~200 10Mbps or 100Mpbs clients, and a 
server on a 200Mbps leg.  If everyone tried to download a 100Mb file at 
the same time most of the would time out.  But it works 99.99% of the time 
for whatever people want to do, ratio bandwidth is a very solid and 
pragmatic principle.  

Those ~200 clients surf the net, send/receive e-mail, etc... all on a T1 
(1.54Mbs).  And performance is really good. 

>I still don't have broadband at home.  I am 8,000 feet away from CO
>(although a field tech live 15,000 ft south of CO and has it) but RSU3
>will not be updated until they can justify installing a dslam.  No
>cable, satellite-puke...I am still holding onto hopes of setting up
>wireless.