🚀 go-pugleaf

I am not advocating staying with or dropping BSIS, just to throw in
something to think about... where ever you are located your DSL provider
will always be one step removed from your primary telco.

Example:
BellSouth is the ONLY local phone company.  Your wire connects
(eventually) to their CO.  If you go with Earthlink (or whatever) you
will use the BS DSLAM with some sort of gateway to EL. Then you move
into EL's backbone that will then take you to UUNET and you get to where
you want via that entire connection.  

In otherwords, if you get slow response from the primary telco, you will
get even worse response from the upstream provider.  And they may have
not be any better at supporting their network than BSIS does.  

I have spent a lot of time the last few weeks reading other  providers
"complaint" NGs and they sound a lot like what has been stated in this
group... This ISP <pick your favorite synonym for "stinks"> including
poor NG and Email maintenance, speed issues etc. etc.. etc...

Warning:   The following will probably offend some. Others will laugh
and others may cry.  Read at your own risk.
<SOAPBOX>

I am going to step out on a limb here... For the most part the ISP
business has improved over the last 8-10 years when this whole WWW
became "consumer available".  While the bandwidth building boom as all
but stagnated, there are still areas that need a LOT of improvement. 
Getting companies to expand their networks to the "ruaral" areas for a
very small ROI, is difficult.  With the current downturn in the economy,
the first thing to go when you lose your job is the "luxuries" like
email, and wirless phones etc... companies are being forced to hire kids
right out of college, pay them next to nothing and yet the consumer
expect "world-class" support.  Most of these kids are barely out diapers
that are running a lot of these shops.  A number of these kids (18-24)
are very good and they have learned their trade well, but for every
really good troubleshooter on staff, you will have many, many more who
are inexperienced and lazy and unwilling to figure it out.

Most of the latter are individuals who got into computers "for the
money".  Most of them should be at McDonald's flipping burgers, because
due their abilities should have never been hired.  Which brings me to
one of my pet peeves.  Certifications.  These kids paid some money, took
some exam and were sent a diploma.  All this tells me is that for most
of them, they could take a test.  Having been to school and graduated
does not make one a troubleshooter.  I have worked with Comp-Sci
graduates and Elec. Engineers that could not troubleshoot their way out
of a wet paper bag.  Troubleshooting is something that cannot be learned
unless you have this particular ability and you either have it, or you
don't.  

The whole point of this speech is, at this point in time, given the
above factors (kids running the networks, companies pay kids to read
queue cards etc...), you may have a very good experience with your ISP
or you won't. And "you pays your money and you takes your chances".
</SOAPBOX>

Good luck.
-- 
Michael Austin
First DBA Source, Inc. -- http://www.firstdbasource.com
Sr. Consultant

John Sessoms wrote:
> 
> Are there any alternatives to BellSouth for ADSL connection in
> Raleigh, NC. I am looking for ADSL only, not cable.
> 
> I would prefer someone with reliable service, including news feed, and
> a competent in house support staff.
> 
> --
> I do not speak for any corporation, government or organization.
> All opinions expressed are uniquely my own. Ain't nobody else to
> blame!
> 
>                 John Sessoms