Recently (actually today) i acquired a broadband cable connection through the new (and pretty tempting) deal of AZTV and 012.net. i'm not going to promote their sales, but in short, you pay them, and they give you broadband internet access, in a low price.Be careful with that. Don't disconnect until you have the other one set up and running.
In order to make sure i could connect through linux, i called 012 support line, and asked about their method of connection. I was told that the authentication is done via DHCP, using the cable modem. forgetting to ask for the name of the person that helped me with that, i got cables installed today and after the basic installation the technition showed me how to connect using WindowsXP (yuck.).
The connection was done via some kind of a dialer that uses L2TP.
Unconcerned i dialed 012 again, asking them how can i connect with the method promised to me - dhcp. what i mainly got was some lame excuses, and that i should connect with a dialer and that connecting via DHCP is deprecated (one of their excuses was that it is unstable and insecure). Not getting into details, it is probably possible to connect via linux to 012, but why should we? - when other isps give you your DHCP without arguing...
While writing this email, i didnt disconnect from 012, but i'm willing to, mainly because one of the comments i got from their support, translating to english it was something in the form of : "hey, if you disable DHCP access and move everybody to dialers and such, people not using windows will be unable to connect through you, it might be even 10% of your users"
"we dont care, they are probably very few..."
About promising me DHCP... just because i didnt write the name of the helpdesk dude that told me it's DHCP, i half way lost my 012 DHCP access, and besides, which linux user would like to stay in an ISP that doesnt give a damn **** about him or his convienience? ;/
In particular, I heared rumours that Netvision does not allow DHCP cable connections at all (not sure about those).
In any case, try to get 012's support to connect your linux machine instead. They officially support Linux (though, whether they do so in practice is a question currently unanswered. I know that the person behind their Linux support has left the comapny. I am BCCing her on this mail, in case she has anything intelligent to add to the conversation).
I should also warn you to beware of Netvision's Linux cable support. It is unproffesional at best. While their Linux support personnel does know some Linux, he keeps falling to the pitfalls you and me would fall into if we tried to do it by hand.
Lastly, reconsider whether you really want to use DHCP to connect. This means your username and password are not checked, and you are authenticated based on..... your network card's MAC address. Yes, that's right.
My point is, that as members of this list, and linux users as well, beware of the evil 012, and the way they treat linux users. Tomorrow i'll probably disconnect from 012 and move to another ISP, Netvision Probably. (in short - because they told me they can fix me a static ip and i wouldnt have to add any $$).Shachar
Take care.
-- Shachar Shemesh Open Source integration & consulting Home page & resume - http://www.shemesh.biz/
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