ISPs allowing desktop Linux client to surf the web?

[david-8uUts6sDVDvs2Lz0fTdYFQ at public.gmane.org (David Kramer)]

On 10/27/2010 03:11 PM, Dan Ritter wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 02:58:36PM -0400, david_a_reed-fZsAqLoOLWc at public.gmane.org wrote:
>> Although I've used desktop Linux (SuSe, Knoppix, Ubuntu) for various accounting functions for ten years and have been running Apache web servers on RHEL for nearly as long, my personal web surfing has always been via Windows.  Now I would like to surf the web from a Linux client (Ubuntu or Puppy), I'm wondering if there are any Linux-friendly ISPs servicing the Boston-to-Cape Cod area. 
>>
>> When I Google "Linux-friendly ISP" the only one I come up with is Eskimo.com in the state of Washington.  As far as I can tell, Comcast and Verizon require Windows or Mac on the client machine.  Is that on account of the hardware that they provide?
>>
>> Also, am I correct in assuming that a Linux client with a dial-up 56K modem should be able to use any service provider?
>>
>> Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
> 
> You can use a Linux machine with Comcast, Verizon DSL, Verizon
> FIOS, RCN, Speakeasy, and basically any other provider who hands
> off the connection to you via ethernet. Don't expect any of them
> to do tech support for you, but they don't do that well at tech
> support for Windows and Mac users, either.

Many SpeakEasy CSRs speak Linux.  In fact, my account name was
dj_segfault, and several of the CSRs snickered because they knew what a
segfault was.  They were familiar with Linux commands, or at least knew
what I was talking about when I would rattle off output of commands to
solve problems.  And they let you run any servers you want without
filtering any ports.  Ferreal.

I have heard that they've gone downhill in the support department since
I used them, but I don't know that for sure.  I only left them because
Verizon was incapablee/unwilling to properly maintain my copper phone
line, something a slightly above avarage marmoset could do.