Lannig

any dsl through an ethernet cable should work. You do not need the driver as most modern linux distros have enough stuff on board to cope with this.

wireless is another story, but today also works on most computers.

most config is done in browser right?

I am also installing (vector)linux on my laptop. but I keep my xp running on it also until all is working. vector does not even see my ethernet card... but i know it can work... Good luck

Uh... beware, there are different kind of DSLs using Ethernet cables. Some do NAT on the ADSL router (like TOT) and in this case there's nothing to do on the Linux side. PPPoE is another story. It does require significant tweaking on the Linux side.

It's quite feasible and many people use it, but it's not plug and play. Google for "PPPoE Linux DSL" and you'll find many Howto pages.

--Lannig

Lannig, could you please provide a link? This is headline news indeed, if true.

Sorry, I was unclear. The fact that Shingapore Sat is selling iPSTAR service to the burmese was in the newspapers, not that they're most probably to drop the home Internet user market (or maybe keep it a niche offer for the hilltribe Internet users). So I don't have any link. Just take my word for this (or do not ).

--Lannig

It really seems to me that you've been ripped off by a very indelicate technician.

Celerons are very significantly slower, although this may not be that much noticeable when doing ordinary office work.

It does show up in e.g. games though.

One of my former notebooks had a 2.6Ghz Celeron desktop CPU. I've replaced it by a 2.4 Ghz P4 and all benchmarks as well as my observation revealed a significant performance gain.

Unfortunately I don't think there's any way to find out when the CPU switch has taken place from the Windows event log.

Switching CPUs between P4 and Celeron requires no Windows tweaking or even less reinstallation.

The HAL layer is the same for all single-core CPUs AFAIK.

Note about the 'M' processors: few people know that the Pentium M chips have a core that is an evolution of the Pentium III core! The Intel folks found out that the PIII design was a much better base to develop a low-power chip for notebooks than the P4. It's been improved to the point that it delivers almost the same performance as P4s at a lower clock speed, with a much lower power consumption and with a dice that resists temperatures almost up to 100C!

--Lannig

I've had quite bad experience with two Acers too. But I tend to play rough with my notebooks, carry them a lot, use them in non airconditioned places for long times etc.

Thinkpads and Toshibas are far more robust, even if they give much less bang for the bucks.

It really depends on whether it's pretty much a desktop replacement or a real mobile computer you want, and how long you expect to keep it.

FWIW

--Lannig

Forget iPSTAR, folks. Yes, it's a dead duck. I have contacts there and I've been told that they've realized that they won't make any money on the Internet home user market with this. This service has never been profitable, they're still fighting with serious technical glitches in the very core functions (like routing IP over a satellite link). Now that ADSL is getting more and more common they're to withdraw from the Internet home user market and focus on corporate private networks (like e.g. the 7/11 shops). Also trying hard to sell it to countries which don't have easy access to western high-tech stuff. You see who I'm talking about. It's no mystery, it's been in the newspapers.

--Lannig

ICMP destination unreachable (type=3) is absolutely necessary to the proper operation of TCP connections.

Blocking it (incoming) breaks an essential mechanism called path MTU discovery. In most cases, the effect is the

apparent 'hanging' of TCP connections (half-loaded web page or blank browser with logo spinning forever)

with some sites or even some parts of a site.

It may just cause TCP connections to slow down (because the computer will fallback to a smaller MTU).

Blocking all ICMPs is a very common newbie network administrator mistake and unfortunately some of

the folks working at TOT/CAT etc. haven't figured it yet.

Note: this has nothing to do with blocking PINGs. They use a different ICMP type.

A sample page with the gory details:

http://www.netheaven.com/pmtu.html

Googling for "icmp filtering path mtu discovery" will give a gadzillion hits.

--Lannig

I definitely wouldn't recommend Acer, especially for a youngster who might use it a bit roughly. I've had two Acers and they've both quickly exhibited mechanical weaknesses: keyboard, lid hindge etc.

Acers have a good specs/price ratio, fancy and fashionable features like e.g. the glossy screen, but they're built cheaply. Maybe still OK for a quiet, caring 40+ yo who won't carry it around a lot, but not for a youngster IMHO.

Same goes for the Compaqs/HPs these days (sad, they used to be solid stuff).

I'd look at the Thinkpads or the Fujitsus, or if you can affort it (they're more expensive) the Toshibas.

I remember chatting with a doctor from a NGO in Notebook PC shop a couple of years ago, he was here to choose his computer to take for his upcoming missions, and the word was that only the Toshibas resisted the rough life.

This is just my personal experience and opinion obviously, but I've owned or used (when provided by my employer) 12 notebooks since ca. 1988.

--Lannig