Canadian linux ISP

**budman7** · 02-16-2006

When ISP's say that they don't support Linux, it is not that they will not, but that they can not.
For the ISP to support Linux, they would have to support each distro.
Imagine calling your ISP and telling them that you can't get online, and ou tell that you are running SUSE or Fedora.
They will have no clue as to how they could help you.
But, if you tell them that you are running Win98 or XP, they will be able to tell you what to do to get online.

**DThor** · 02-16-2006

Heh, I actually see that as the reverse - they *can*, but they *won't*. Very simply, for every OS they support, that's a cost. They have to type up a whole new set of cards for their "tech support" people(and I use that term loosely

). In fact, there's nothing particularly complicated or magical about the whole business - they just need to support some basic, very common protocols like DHCP. What the ISP's should be doing is saying something along the lines of "we don't officially support Linux, although many of our end users are successfully using it with our service. For assistance with connectivity issues, please go to foobar_ISP_forums for assistance from other Linux users". That model works perfectly well, and is a natural outcropping of the OS user self-supported method. I have no trouble with that at all, myself.

Forcing you to run an OS-dependant app in order to use their service, *especially* after telling you they support Linux, is just plain braindead and deserved instant customer signoff.

DT

**cayalee** · 02-16-2006

give em a ring and see if they allow connections via routers, if so no worries! ive yet to find a router that linux doesnt like

**winter** · 02-17-2006

Originally Posted by budman7

When ISP's say that they don't support Linux, it is not that they will not, but that they can not.
For the ISP to support Linux, they would have to support each distro.
Imagine calling your ISP and telling them that you can't get online, and ou tell that you are running SUSE or Fedora.
They will have no clue as to how they could help you.
But, if you tell them that you are running Win98 or XP, they will be able to tell you what to do to get online.

The service from most isp are accessible in other Os's.....just that your on your own

**rob.rice** · 02-17-2006

you can get limeted support for linux from any ISP
IF and ONLY IF you know what questions to ask like
(for dial up)
"what is the dot decmal address of your name server ?"
"what authentcation protcol do you use ?"even if thay say none try PAP anyway
"do you use dynamic IP addresses ?" if thay say no to this one ask
"what is my IP address "
(for broad band )
"do you use DHCP " if yes most of the time this is it your done
if thay say no then you may need all the info for dail up
on some broad band services you will need to log in
some where I had a script to do this because my broad band provider requared it
at one time but I think those days are gone and yout router will log you on for you
thay may provide you with a script for loging on by email if your router dosen't do it for you

**dwm** · 02-17-2006

I am in Barrie, just North of Toronto, using Rogers on one linux box and sympatico on this one. They both work great

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