Recently I switched internet service providers. I've used Charter for about a year and was very unhappy. Granted, I haven't used AT&T for long enough to decide whether the service is actually better, but I was so happy when I first switched.
Charter:
Disconnected at the telephone pole while doing operations for other customers
Cut the cable at the telephone pole while doing operations for other customers and wasn't able to fix it for three days
Steady stream of junk mail for services I already have (or other services)
Setup for online accounts is not easy--I had an account, then it stopped allowing me to log on and the only way to fix it was to call a customer service number
Intercepts DNS requests
Doesn’t respect my privacy
Has scary looking ads on the sides of buses
It is the evil that is Charter
AT&T:
Quick response to online chat
Tried hard to answer my technical questions and eventually succeeded
Employs Americans or foreigners that really sound like Americans at call centers
Claims to respect my privacy, but actually works with the government to deny civil liberties
Hasn't sent any appreciable amount of junk mail
Their website is reasonably pretty and quite useful
Installation of the modem was somewhat tricky, but highly amusing
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wireless Internet - Aesthetic and Security
As a stepping stone for my inaugural post, I would like to direct your attention to this Friday's (August 22, 2008) xkcd comic:
Yes, it is amusing and somewhat true. However, the rollover text is the key to my discussion. If you have not done so, please position your mouse over the image and read the text that pops up.
First, the aesthetic rant:
For those who are setting up a wireless network/internet access point (for the first time or not), please change the default network name. Where I live now, there are actually three 'linksys' points in range and most assuredly more beyond. This is equivalent to getting a puppy and naming it 'doggy.' Please, be nice to your wireless and give it a unique identity. Naming your network also lowers your n00b rating for the nerds (myself included) checking out the area.
Second, the security rant:
In addition to the three 'linksys' access points, there are nine others (named uniquely, yay!). Among all of these points, three are unsecured, seven are using WEP, and two are using WPA. First of all, some protection is better than none. Having an unsecured network is a big no-no — unless you enjoy broadcasting your unencrypted, browsing information in every direction for 100 meters (or maybe every web page you visit has an SSL connection available). So, if you've logged into your router to name your wireless network, please also select some form of encryption.
Secondly, if your router was purchased in the past four or so years, use WPA (yes, no 'please' in that command). WEP is a broken and deprecated standard that will fade away faster if people stay away from it (similar to Microsoft actually writing a rendering engine that doesn't suck and works to abide by standards due to people using Firefox/Opera). Also, in appreciation of a friend's point concerning passwords, if you're unsure of how to make a good password/passkey, you can use GRC's Perfect Passwords. It's free, fast, uniquely generating, and (as assured by the site's owner) generates passwords with the maximum Information entropy possible. Take as many bits as you want for your password, enter it on the router, and then type it once to login (assuming you save the password on the computer, which is okay).
END MAIN-POST
Ignoring wireless internet, I highly recommend you read the xkcd webcomic used in this post. It is hilarious.
END PERSONAL-UNSOLICITED-PLUG
Yes, it is amusing and somewhat true. However, the rollover text is the key to my discussion. If you have not done so, please position your mouse over the image and read the text that pops up.First, the aesthetic rant:
For those who are setting up a wireless network/internet access point (for the first time or not), please change the default network name. Where I live now, there are actually three 'linksys' points in range and most assuredly more beyond. This is equivalent to getting a puppy and naming it 'doggy.' Please, be nice to your wireless and give it a unique identity. Naming your network also lowers your n00b rating for the nerds (myself included) checking out the area.
Second, the security rant:
In addition to the three 'linksys' access points, there are nine others (named uniquely, yay!). Among all of these points, three are unsecured, seven are using WEP, and two are using WPA. First of all, some protection is better than none. Having an unsecured network is a big no-no — unless you enjoy broadcasting your unencrypted, browsing information in every direction for 100 meters (or maybe every web page you visit has an SSL connection available). So, if you've logged into your router to name your wireless network, please also select some form of encryption.
Secondly, if your router was purchased in the past four or so years, use WPA (yes, no 'please' in that command). WEP is a broken and deprecated standard that will fade away faster if people stay away from it (similar to Microsoft actually writing a rendering engine that doesn't suck and works to abide by standards due to people using Firefox/Opera). Also, in appreciation of a friend's point concerning passwords, if you're unsure of how to make a good password/passkey, you can use GRC's Perfect Passwords. It's free, fast, uniquely generating, and (as assured by the site's owner) generates passwords with the maximum Information entropy possible. Take as many bits as you want for your password, enter it on the router, and then type it once to login (assuming you save the password on the computer, which is okay).
END MAIN-POST
Ignoring wireless internet, I highly recommend you read the xkcd webcomic used in this post. It is hilarious.
END PERSONAL-UNSOLICITED-PLUG
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