[mdlug] OT: Comcast rant

[Dan DeSloover]

Having worked phone tech support for AT&T Broadband, way back when (when
they still did support in US.) I can confirm that they feel that they have
every right to block incoming traffic to your network. Whether they are
correct or not is separate matter. Actually, I'm surprised support didn't
mention any of this as soon as the issue of running a server came up.

Your options are few, you can pony up the extra dough and get a business
account. They'll give you a static IP (or a few), the ability to host a
domain and run servers unfettered on your network.

Or maybe it's possible to get a different ISP under "equal access"
provisions. You may pay a bit more, but it might be worth it to get out
from under Comcast's thumb.


Michael Corral wrote:
> 2009-02-21, Monsieur Michael a ecrit:
>> I was able to ssh into my home computer, and finally through a nice
>> tunnel was able to listen to the media at my house over a daap beacon. I
>> was
>> in heaven.
>>
>> It appears that Comcast didn't want to keep me happy. I no longer have
>> access to my computer from outside.
>
> That's because you were violating Comcast's Terms of Service (TOS):
> http://www.comcast.net/terms/subscriber/
>
> Go down to Section 7 (Use Of Services), part b (Prohibited Uses of HSI)
> [HSI = High-Speed Internet]:
>
> "You agree not to use HSI for operation as an Internet service provider,
> a server site for ftp, telnet, rlogin, e-mail hosting, 'Web hosting' or
> other similar applications..."
>
> Also, from their Acceptable Use Policy, Section I. (Prohibited Uses and
> Activities), under "Technical restrictions":
> http://www.comcast.net/terms/use/#prohibited
>
> "use or run dedicated, stand-alone equipment or servers from the
> Premises that provide network content or any other services to anyone
> outside of your Premises local area network ("Premises LAN"),
> also commonly referred to as public services or servers. Examples of
> prohibited equipment and servers include, but are not limited to, e-mail,
> Web hosting, file sharing, and proxy services and servers;"
>
> Running an ssh server falls under that "similar applications" category
> (not to mention the streaming media). You *did* read Comcast's TOS
> when you signed up for them, right? Because you're bound by those terms
> when you do sign up. The fact that you were able to get away with it for
> a while just means they hadn't caught up to you yet. It was probably
> your bandwidth usage from the streaming media that tipped them off. :)
>
> I don't like the policy any more than you do, but that's the way it is.
> I do think that if you pay extra for a static IP then they allow you to
> run that kind of stuff. Check with Comcast.
>
> Michael
> _______________________________________________
> mdlug mailing list
> mdlug at mdlug.org
> http://mdlug.org/mailman/listinfo/mdlug
>


----
Dan DeSloover
dand at zifferent.net