> ... . Plus transfer rates have really gone down.

 This seems to happen in every other release. I'm observing it with
 ppp connections. In addition, it seems that ppp(d) just stops working
 if the machine load approaches and exceeds 1.00 (and it resumes when
 the load goes down again).

 This is why I usually prefer to use OpenBSD when I'm dialling in, but
 the hw upgrade to a CS MkIII has taken that possibility away (and I
 haven't yet been successful in porting the cbsciii driver over).