Re: [tlug] FTTH providers

[Joe Larabell <fred62@???>]

Depending where you are, you could have other options. I have Usen's
Broad-gate-01 service right now. They don't work through ISPs so you would
not run across them if you started by calling DION (or some other ISP)
first. But as of the time I signed up (3-4 years ago) they only offered
service in certain areas (Suginami-ku, Nakano-ku, maybe others). Check
their web site to see if you're in their area.

As for the router, the box that converts the actual fiber into a network
connection is going to belong to the fiber provider anyway. I have yet to
see a fiber router that one can purchase and, even if you could, you would
have one heck of a time hooking it up to the glass fiber ;-).

In the case of Usen, their box doesn't have any set-up. The glass goes in
one side and 100Base-T comes out the other. The connection is raw net with
five IPs (basically a 3-bit block with one address reserved as a gateway
address). I can hook any kind of router/firewall/etc to the 100Base-T that
I want. It so happens I have a Linux box hooked up to that port acting as
a router. All five IPs are static.

I don't know for sure how the other providers work. I have heard that
B-Flets may require s/w running on the local machine (like a dial-up
utility but working over ATM or IP instead of a modem). If that's the
case, it could be a problem hooking a Linux box directly to the port.
You can ask the provider if you can run multiple computers from the same
connection. If the answer is: 'yes, but you need your own router', then
they are probably providing a raw net connection.

---
Joseph L (Joe) Larabell            Never fight with a dragon
http://larabell.org                     for thou art crunchy
                                  and goest well with cheese.