I have speakeasy RADSL 1.5Mbit/384kbit in Merrimack...they're a Covad reseller, and they actually give you a shell on their Linux box as part of the higher-quality packages they offer. Unfortunately, it's a bit pricey... $90/mo for 1.5/384 with a static IP, shell access, and 30 hours a month dialup from anywhere in the US (for when you travel), $80 if you're willing to live with a dynamic IP (and no shell, no dialup)...interestingly, the "dynamic" IP is actually currently a static IP, though they say it may change "any time now." The reliability is not an issue, aside from a failure to tell me when they switched my static IP's (to move me from the NYC POP to the Boston POP) I haven't had a single unannounced outage (that I know of; outages less than a minute long I probably wouldn't notice, so if there were any I missed them.) The only announced outage so far was for replacement of some routers, and was done at 4 in the morning with better than a week of notice. The usual year initial contract, but there's a 30-day escape clause that you won't need anyway. :-) On the down side, their phone support has moderately long wait times (especially when I had to call in to get my new IP's.) Online payment, 10% discount if you pay for a year in advance, billing notices via email...and when I called to set up the install, they asked me what OS I used... "Linux? We like Linux. OK, we'll send you an email with your IP's and install date once the phone company has finished its setup."
On another note, as long as you aren't using the circuit for criminal hacking, they pretty much don't care what you do with it. The only exception they've made was when nimda/code red/etc. started affecting network performance...they instituted a policy where if your line is sourcing infected traffic, they'll let you know in an email, ask you to fix it, and if 7 days later you're still sending data nastygrams, your line gets blocked until you talk to them and get your box immunized. (Since I don't run Windows except for that rare boot to play Civ 3 or use Photoshop and Freehand, I can't tell you if they'd turn a line back on for you to download antivirus stuff.) Whew...I guess that's enough. I think they're also available out of the Salem and Derry CO's, anything up to 1.5 SDSL (distance allowing.) --Drew Thompson __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
