Does this seem realistic? (Startup ISP)

WhiteKnight

Platinum Member
May 21, 2001
2,952
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link

The link is to a forum so you'll have to read a number of posts for the full story.

Here's the main idea:

Ok here is the deal, I have started an ISP for the JHU, Loyola area. Basically what we are doing is providing a Resnet like service (but a lot better, faster, no filtering, port blocking etc.) to people living in apartment buildings in this area. We wire every apartment in the building for service (for free) and then you can plug your computer into the jack that we provide. The cost of this service is cheaper than what you currently pay for DSL or dial up (see http://www.lumennetworks.com/tenants.html) and our speeds are several times faster than DSL offerings (4Mbps standard). The only problem is getting the apartment building managers to sign up/ agree to have the service installed. So we are offering $200 (after 3 months of continuous service) to anybody who gets their apartment building manager to sign up.
There is no cost to the apartment building manager at all. Look around the website for complete details.

The website is not complete so if your apartment building manager wants to sign up, just email me with their contact info. I should have the website finished by the end of this week.

I think that is everything, please contact me if you have any questions. Go to www.lumennetworks.com and click on contact.

Seems too good to be true. The guy is a former engineering student from Hopkins. He apparently plans to use dark fiber for a lot of this project, but I still am a little skeptical about the sheer volume of equipment he'll need in each building.
 

T3C

Diamond Member
Jun 3, 2003
5,324
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i work for an ISP, and i really doubt that this is legit, it might be an idea he had, but i dont see it happening
 

Saltin

Platinum Member
Jul 21, 2001
2,175
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You'd assume that a fella running an ISP would own the IP his web-site is running on.

Here's who owns the IP that www.lumennetworks.com is running on

OrgName: Net Depot, Inc.
OrgID: DEPO
Address: 55 Marietta St NW
Address: Suite 1720
City: Atlanta
StateProv: GA
PostalCode: 30303
Country: US


If that's not him, then he's a total poser, likely redistributing his bandwidth to others by setting up a router/NAT.
 

chiwawa626

Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
12,013
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There was a company who was doing a resnet style service for hotels in our area. Basicly it was the same thing, hotels would pay nothing, and there would be free installation and customers would pay a small fee when using the broadband...They installed their stuff in a few hotels, got way in over their heads and spent tooo much money on equipment...went bankrupt...and then i have no clue what happen.
 

Rallispec

Lifer
Jul 26, 2001
12,375
10
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why not save the cost of wiring and set up a wireless network. Shouldnt effect speeds to much as long as its set up well. they could even provide customers with WiFi cards for free when they sign up.
 

Soybomb

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2000
9,506
2
81
Shoulda' posted in networking :)

Anyway sounds like big dreams to me. He's very vague on details such as how he's going to connect the buildings to (presumably) one central location. Getting some fiber isn't cheap, dark or not. Once they are all connection to one location you still need an actual backbone connection to the internet. Offering a customer 4Mbps up and down for $34 a month would sure make me feel very uncomfortable. I'd be shocked if it gets started, even if it did it sounds like a huge financial sinkhole.