RCN vs Mediaone cable modem experiences?

[seth at job.cs.brandeis.edu (Seth M. Landsman)]

On Thu, Jul 15, 1999 at 08:27:33AM -0400, Charles C. Bennett, Jr. wrote:
> 
> Hi Seth -
> 
>    I got an RCN cable modem installed this week.  I think I'll be
> giving it back.  Their DHCP server appears to use a very short lease
> period and hands out hostnames that look like this: r93aag000892.
> This means that I can't reasonably expect to be able to telnet to
> my machine from on the road and I'll no longer be able to continue
> to host some of the mailing lists that I host from this machine.
> If you're doing client-only stuff, the RCN modem appears to work
> as advertised.  As soon as you try to get back into your system from
> somewhere outside the house you need to go to a dynamic DNS service
> like tzo.com and set up a permanent name.
> 
>    The MediaOne service (at least in Cambridge), while not providing a
> static IP addr at least provides a stable name in the DNS namespace.
> This allows them to look the other way on the "NO SERVERS!" mandate
> unless you become a bandwidth pig.  I'm not likely to go with MediaOne
> because they keep squeezing the cable lineup...
> 
>    Looks like it's time to write a letter to Mr. V Chip about
> legislation clarifying open access to cable systems for ISP's.  Cable
> modems would be great if you could only get a reasonable company
> working the other end.

	Urk.  That might be a dealbreaker for me.  I'm in the process of
setting up a VPN circuit between my department's network and my LAN, and I
need at least a stable hostname to be able to do so.
	Although, according to my current housemate, RCN said that they
would provide a static hostname for him.  Maybe not a sensical one, but a
static one.

-Seth
--
"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion"
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