[wellylug] [OT] Internet & Citylink

[Gordon Paynter]

> Ihug appears to have some good deals - can anyone comment on their blink
> (asdl) service? I think it's from Telecom's UBS, but I can't be sure.

I have the blink 256 service.  

It is via Telecom. I pay Ihug $50, and Telecom nothing.

I've just looked at the Web page, and the plan seems to have changed.  Traffic 
is apparently unlimited (it was 20 GiB when I signed up) and the cost is $50 
(it was $60 last time I was billed).  Note that you save another $10 if you 
elect to use Ihug for toll calls.

> What's performance like? (ie: how close is it to 256kbs?)

Note that 256 kpbs (note: that's kilo-bits per second, not kilo-bytes per 
second) only applies to downloading.  Upload speed is officially 128kpbs.  

I am currently doing a Debian upgrade at a rate of about 280kpbs (i.e. faster 
than advertised), though naturally it is slower at other times too.  I have 
seen faster-than-advertised upload speeds lately too.


> Also, would I be able to access the citylink ftp server from ihug? I
> think it might be only accessable to isp's which are peered with
> citylink...

I cannot connect to ftp.citylink.co.nz any longer. I now hit 
http://http.us.debian.org for debian updates.  I have enough bandwidth, and 
little enough use for it, that this is not a problem, except in rare cases 
where I want an updated package fast.


> I understand that this isn't really linux related, so please reply to me
> offlist. (dodocaptain at paradise.net.nz)

Given this touches on access to Linux software on citylink's FTP servers, I 
don't think it's off-topic.  Posted to list.

HTH,
Gordon