cox connectivity issue

[Technomage]

On Friday 07 October 2005 08:24, Craig White wrote:
> ----
> that's jumping to conclusions.

agreed.

>
> The surest way to find out is to change the device that you are testing.
> I don't know if you are using a Linux system as a router or have a
> different router and that may have everything to do with it. Perhaps if
> you want something other than just pure speculation from us, you should
> acquaint us with your setup.

here's mine (just for S&G):

Teraton cablemodem (provided by cox free of charge) 
connected to 4 port hub (port 1)...

primary firewall (linux MDK 2.4 kernel) on port 2 using iptables

secondary firewall (openbsd 3.7 using pf) on port 3 of hub

both firewalls are connected on their internal interfaces to a primary switch 
for the house (one on 192.168.16.1 and the other on .254 same subnet).

I have been migrating my stuff over to openBSD because of its higher 
reliability and better firewall capabilities (there are just some things I 
cannot do with iptables).

both firewalls have their own outside IP addresses.

as for connectivity issues: downtime this year: 2 hours total
throughput (on the best sites) > 400 KB/sec down and >70 KB/sec up with a 
latency on saturation of 10 ms.

now, I have been a cox customer for just more than 6 years without a major 
outage and I have bundled telco and catv (digital) with these folks. so far, 
they have been far superior to QWEST in every way (I had significant troubles 
with qwest as far as service and other issues went).



>
> As for Cox not being able to figure out what is wrong - that is to be
> expected...heck, they only work from a scripted set when they
> troubleshoot Windows issues and are thoroughly discouraged from engaging
> in their own independent analysis and are not at all equipped to deal
> with various routers and operating systems.

craig, this statement is only true at tier 1. I have spoken with many tier 2+ 
individuals who are willing to do "independent analysis" on the fly with 
little or no difficulty. hell, in 3 of 4 cases, the person on the other end 
of the line is also a linux user/admin (and in one case I was talking with an 
NOC admin who was an old unix man). now, there may be problems with the 
original posters location (such as long runs of cable between amps, or old 
buried cable that needs to be changed out) or simply a bad luck of the draw 
on cablemodem devices. again, this is just speculation on my part.

IMHO, cox is still better for a lot of ways, though their policy of blocking 
specified ports for outbound access does leave something to be desire (just 
about every major "broadbad" isp does this these days to "secure their 
networks against problems").

TMH