AT&T @home questions...

[Daniel R . Kilbourne]

When I asked their "tech support," I was told that running servers is no issue. However, the install tech told me any services were 
a no-no. Quoting http://help.broadband.att.com/faq.jsp?content_id=416 :

"Can I Host a Server?

AT&T Broadband does not allow servers to be connected to the cable modem. This means that no computer in a personal network can be u
sed as a server."

Now, that basically just means they do not allow it technically, but in practice (from what I have heard from a few people), they on
ly scan for NNTP traffic - I guess they only worry about bandwidth hoggish newsfeeds.


You will either need to have a windows machine to  install on (definitely the easiest way), or have your *nix box up and running with nmbd (they use your computer name/workgroup to authenticate your connection). 

They have not gotten smarter (you can switch NICs all you want). The only MAC address that matters is the modems, everything else depends on the name/workgroup they give you to use. Their network never even 'sees' your local PC.

Keep in mind that they do now filter port 80 themselves - to protect you of course. Check out http://help.broadband.att.com/faq.jsp?content_id=764&category_id=54


Good luck....I personally dumped AT&T to go back to my frame-relay circuit, but the bandwidth is nice on a new node.


Paul Donahue extolled:
> if they come out and install the service let them do it on a windows machine so as to avoid the conflict of them knowing you're gonna put up a linux box. Then once they leave it's as easy as plugging in the network values into your linux box, then plugging that into the cable modem. Give the cable modem a reboot and all should be good. If they've gotten smarter since I last dealt with the @home people, you might have to use the same nic that they used for the initial setup. (only in the case if they hardcode the mac address in the modem. they never used to) Then don't attract attention to yourself by leaving your box open for just anyone to "walk into" secure it down. Only leave the ports open that are absolutely necessary for your operation. Plus if you plan on using your linux box to do IP masquerading, I think that is technically against their policy, but with the dawn of all of the DSL/Cable modem "routers/gateways" put out by companies such as linksys, this is almost an!
>  accepted method nowdays. I've heard mixed things across different cable modem services as far as port blocking goes. Mine (TCIMET) doesn't block anything, however it's only offered in 3 cities and is expen$ive! @home for sure does not block ssh, around here and I know they don't block ssh or UDP 500 out east. Anyways, I hope this makes sense as I've been up for about 5 minutes, and hope it gives you some useful information.
> 
> Best of luck!
> 
> 
> Paul Donahue
> Computer Scientist
> Computer/Network Technician
> Michigan State University
> http://www.pdonahue.com/
> ICQ: 1624723   Phone: 517-204-6047
> 
> >>> Matt Graham <danceswithcrows@usa.net> 08/22/01 11:21PM >>>
> So everyone's favorite evil phone company is now offering cable-modem
> service to the area where I live. I know from scuttlebutt on Usenet and
> the thread started at
> http://www.egr.msu.edu/archives/public/linux-user/2001-June/004173.html 
> that people can get the service to work under Linux reasonably easily. I
> have perused the company's website, checked out their amazingly
> content-free FAQ, and their amazingly weasel-worded TOS. (Say, what is
> the legalese for "All your soul are belong to us"?)
>  
> Anyway, the TOS does not say "You are not allowed to run an
> HTTP/FTP/SMTP/ SSH login server". Am I correct in assuming that @home
> subscribers are allowed to run these services? (I know a couple of
> things about securing a machine, and will not run open relays,
> globally-accessible NFS/SMB, telnetd, or really old versions of BIND
> here.) The 128kbps upstream cap blows goats, but it's about 3x faster
> than what I have now and I suppose I can live with it.  (Idiots.
> Freenet/OpenNap/Gnutella show that people want to share stuff; even if
> they threw out a bone like "Upstream: 128kbps to the Net at large,
> 768kbps to other @home users", they'd get more Clued and more k1dd13s
> jumping on their bandwagon.)
>  
> Any comments/advice/howls of pain from those currently using @home from
> AT&T are appreciated. 
> 
> -- 
> Matt G / Dances With Crows
> There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
> "I backed up my brain to tape, but tar says the tape contains no data...."
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-- 
--------------------------------
Daniel R. Kilbourne
daniel.kilbourne@corecomm.com
CoreComm Systems Engineering
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