On Wed, May 14, 2003 at 01:45:17PM -0700, Jonathan Cline wrote:
> >From: Richard Rauch <rkr@olib.org>
> >
> >(Speaking of DSL modems, I wish I had a little electronic switch that
> >I could open/close by controlling the DTR serial pin, say.  My modem often
> >loses synch (my ISP says that all DSL modems do this) and can't resynch
> >on its own, about once every week or three.  The only way to get it back
> >to life is to cycle the modem's power (!@#$ brain-damage inspired by
> >MS, no doubt).  For a non-hardwawre type, is there an inexpensive part
> >or switch that will let me do this?  
> 
> I have some engineering experience with DSL modems and if you're in
> the US, I think I know what's inside.  You really will have to cycle
> the power.  Can't blame MS for this one, it's just poor system engineering

That's what I mean by "inspired by MS".  (^&


> >The best any electronics places could
> >suggest was an X10 module which is overkill and way too much trouble, as
> >well as probably being 10 to 100 times more expensive than what I think I
> >really need...)
> 
> Here's a better solution.  Go down to target and buy one of those 
> appliance timers that you can set to go on/off at certain times.

Not really a good solution for me because I'm often on at random times.
Completely losing my connection at scheduled times "just because" isn't
all that desirable.  And, too, I don't know that it would really solve
the problem.  I don't know what causes it to lose track of its
connection, so for all I know it could happen at literally any time (and
I don't know that cycling the power before losing the connection will
postpone a lockup).  Scheduled power cycles might only increase my annoyance.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.


> There's another solution, too.  Cancel your service, or threaten to.
> DSL protocols have changed significantly over the past several years 
> and if you force your local telco to upgrade their line card, they'll 

I don't deal directly with the telephone company.  I did that, with
Southwestern Bell (SBC/Yahoo/Prodigy; really nasty).  I dropped my service
with a very bad taste in my mouth as soon as the 1 year contract
expired.  I'm now dealing with a local ISP.  They, in turn, deal with Bell.

I'm not sure if I can exert enough influence, indirectly, for this.  And
even if I did, I might then find myself forced to choke on one of those
USB modems.  I *like* my ethernet modem.  It just works, and I can plug
it into my hub's uplink so that using my static IP numbers is as easy as
assigning the IP's to machines and plugging them into the hub.

I think that a USB modem would force me to designate a local gateway
and probably would burn up one of my (quite few) static IP numbers.

I'm also skeptical that they would upgrade my modem for free.  My old one
is well out of warranty, and was *sold* to me by SBC when I first signed
up with them.  (Also, if I said that I "needed help" with the installation,
they'd probably be *more* than happy to bill me for the extravagent
"professional installation".  It was an option when I signed up with SBC,
and I was tempted to do it just to see them fall on their face with a UNIX
system.  *grin*  But it was an expensive option.)


-- 
  "I probably don't know what I'm talking about."  http://www.olib.org/~rkr/