Re: Sharing bandwidth

[chuck <chuck@snew.com>]

There are bandwidth throttling software solutions for Linux and
FreeBSD.  I believe Darren Reed has mumbled about it in upcoming
features in ipfilter, but I'm not counting on it soon.  There are
MANY hardware devices that do this (not cheap, but usually better
than the soft versions, though with extra features.)

Perhaps these folks could go with renting spare/bandwith from
somebody ELSE and putting the files up to them (albeit slowly).
Download speed would be at the CoLo's rate.


Worst case, firewall with OpenBSD and put a FreeBSD box to the
neighbors using the DummyNet interface.  It beats rolling out
really bad NICs to the neighbors.

<Phone Co Rant>
Also, with no idea where you are, there IS some DSL competition
and the Local Phone Co.s, while cheaper sometime, suck far harder.

And Public Utility Commisions are getting a bit tired of hearing
that they need rate hikes to expand the infrastructure, but then
they can't provide services.  NYNEX got reamed (eventually) over
ISDN after not providing it (ISDN was a fine technology for 1988).

Check out Covad and other DSL providers - they may be able to
force the Phone guys to pull new wire if they can't get a clean
connection.
</Phone Co Rant>

Quoting Nick Holland (nhollan@home.com):
> The scene:
> ==========
> I've got a client who needs a small, on-site ftp server (they shoot
> huge files around the world...next day air often doesn't cut it, and
> often can't get there next day, anyway).  He now has an OpenBSD box
> set up and ready to go.  Unfortunately, they have been told by his
> local phone provider that he can not get DSL any time soon at his
> location, apparently the available pairs have "too many splices" and
> "too much resistance".
> 
> Grump.  The supposed availability of DSL had something to do with his
> choice of sites when he relocated.  (I've had VERY bad luck getting
> DSL at my clients...)
> 
> Anyway, apparently four other companies in his building are in the
> same boat.  My client is considering pulling a T1 or Teligent
> microwave connection (if anyone has used the Teligent solution, I'd be
> interested in hearing your experiences) in, but those are going to
> cost a lot more than he was hoping to spend.  He is _considering_
> offsetting some of the costs of these more expensive options by
> "renting" the connection to others in his building.  My concern is
> someone else in the building could end up grabbing the entire
> available bandwidth, leaving none for the application the high-speed