ATTBI Registration Resolved

[nmeyers at javalinux.net (Nathan Meyers)]

On Fri, Aug 02, 2002 at 03:36:23PM +0000, John Chambers wrote:
> | The upshot:
> |
> | ATT broadband no longer allows you to simply call in the MAC of the NIC
> | you are using facing them.  You have to go through their silly
> | registration process.  Their registration process snarfs the MAC off of
> | your machine and away you go.
> |
> | It doesn't work from lynx 2.8.5dev3, as the form has a button on it that
> | is unrecognized by lynx. It doesn't work with konqueror (3.0) running
> | without java.  It works with MSIE and that is pretty much it. Further
> | caveat, it doesn't work unless MSIE on a machine that is connected
> | directly to the modem. No intervening firewall. Once the MAC is
> | registered, that NIC is the only one that will work with the cable modem
> | for anything aside from arp.  arp being available so that their installer
> | can find the registration machines.
> 
> So they it seems they are  working  hard  at  allowing  only  Windows
> access, and excluding most of the visually handicapped.
> 
> I wonder if there are any legal steps that can be taken to fight this

As far as I know, it's legal to run Konquerer with Java :-). If you
can't figure out how to set that up (I gave up on it, but then I gave up
on Konquerer in general), Mozilla and the Java plugin play very nicely
together. Your conclusion that AT&T is blocking all non-MSIE browsers
seems a bit premature.

Nathan Meyers
nmeyers at javalinux.net


> sort of barrier? After all, we did manage to get the rules changed so
> that we can buy our own phones and plug them in, and if they  satisfy
> the FCC specs, the phone company has to allow you to use them. Now it
> seems that AT&T is working toward restricting internet access to only
> Microsoft products.
> 
> We really should be pushing for laws that require ISPs to  allow  any
> devices that follow the RFCs. Otherwise, we're in for another century
> like the one in which the only phone innovations allowed  were  those
> that The Phone Company decided to allow.