People who work for ISPs (setup hardware etc)

[Invictus]

I'm sure there are several people who regularly post in these BBs that work for ISPs and whatnot.

This is NOT a techncial questions, and I don't need any help trouble shooting- its just an easy questions, so please read on

I play computer games, and Valve (a game maker) is trying to start this "industry wide initiative" called PowerPlay. It would allow for better pings for regular modem users over phone lines. Its not just a software thing though; Cisco systems and a bunch of other hardware people are collaborating on it.

So my question: Have any of you who work for ISPs actually HEARD anything about PowerPlay?

 

[CTR]

Never heard of it, but I work for a company that sells bandwidth and leases modems to ISP's, so I'm a little further up the chain.

 

[Ben98SentraSE]

I do 56k dialup tech support. Never heard of it. I don't know how this technology will work, but bandwidth is bandwidth. Unless they come out with a standard above 56k, I don't really see how it can happen. DSL is so cheap now ($39.95 from GTE for 768k download 128k upload and free DSL modem!) I don't see why people would stick with 56k dialups. Unless you get your dialup for free like some of us...

 

[Supergax]

I work for an isp, and also have never heard of it. Of course, I have no bandwidth problem, I don't even go through us and use road runner instead @ 40/month (our dsl blows).

 

[R0b0tN1k]

Hey, it's Invic!!

I dunno what's up with powerplay...it hasn't been mentioned very much lately. Maybe they're having trouble getting people to hop on the bandwagon?

 

[LordOfAll]

[l]http://www.speedguide.net/editorials/cisco_powerplay.shtml[/l]

Speedguide editorial.

 

[pcmark]

I just started at an ISP, I've never heard it mentioned. It's nice to see some more ISP'ers here. I might need to tap into your knowledge sometime Do you guys use CRT?

 

[GT1999]

I work for the leading ISP in the area (head tech), and I just had a quick talk with the guy above me (system admin) and he said he's never heard of it either. Our dialup chassis consists of many hundreds of modems via HiPer DSPs with the 3Com Total Control software and chassis setup. So, it's basically top notch for dialup. ISDN compatable.

Right now, in my area, we're not exactly happy at the moment with Ameritech [telco] because they don't seem to care about implementing DSL. Whether it be manpower/labor, or money, it's really getting on customer's, other co-workers, and my nerves that the cities in our area have DSL/Cable and we have the this <sarcasm> revolutionary technology known as ISDN</sarcasm>.

While I can practically get ISDN from free (modem, setup, everything) I'm passing it up simply because I am protesting Ameritech.

Well, I guess my first paragraph answers your question, but I just had to explain to you guys the situation here in corn country on broadband.

 

[Invictus]

Thanks very much for the info. Its a shame to see that Powerplay seems to have stopped dead in its tracks
Ah well!

 

[Erasmus-X]

Ben98SentraSE

Yes, DSL/cable is starting to get very affordable. But you're forgetting that money is NOT the problem. Remember, not everyone can get broadband net connections for a number of different reasons. DSL is especially distance-limited to where only residents within an acceptable radius of the CO. That $39/month is only half the answer.

 

[convex]

bi directional sattelite..1.5down, 128-1.5 up.... shweet

 

[Homerboy]

PowerPlay was an inititive between Valve, Cisco and ISPs. ISPs were to get &quot;certified&quot; by Cisco and Valve as PowerPlay ISPs to use in marketing schwag etc.

I think the basic way PowerPlay was to work was that the gaming packets would have a priority over other &quot;normal&quot; HTTP, etc packets and those provide wuicker through put etc. Not to mention playing PowerPlay to PowerPlay ISP would be even faster as the 2 ISPs woudl have a virtual &quot;direct connection&quot; to eacother.

It basically blew up and NOTHING has become of it from what I heard.

Me? I worked for an ISP, and now work for a... umm.. pretty major backbone lets say.

 

[Damaged]

Hmm, well seeing as how our core routers are Junipers, that would be a no.

 

[Homerboy]

Huh?
No to what? your confusing me...

Waukesha hey? Milwaukee here my freind. Where about in Waukesha? I know that palce all too well.

 

[Damaged]

No to the PowerPlay thing.

Since you're a Milwaukeean, I work for the ISP formerly known as ExecPC. You'll certainly know that.

You know Waukesha all too well eh? Okay, here's one for you: I live across from the old Totem Bowl.

 

[Homerboy]

Yeah I know the ole Totem Bowl... I went to CMH upon College Ave. for 4 illustrious HighSchool years a ways back.

I knwo ExecPC too of course, your actually a customer of ours (Genuity/BBN). You guys gouged me for an ISDN line for a while... still even have the email forwarding up (homerboy@execpc.com)

Small, small world.

 

[CTR]

Homerboy:

So you are with Genuity, eh? I have a 3pm Engineering conf. call with you guys EVERY SINGLE DAY.

 

[Homerboy]

Hmmm.. and where are you from?
This world is getting smaller and smaller. Getting to be I can't even hide anymore...

 

[CTR]

Allegiance Telecom. Can't talk about the project though. But we only have a couple going with you so maybe you can figure it out.

 

[Homerboy]

WEll now you have peeked my interest quit a bit... I need to know. Email me!

 

[CTR]

Okay, YGM.

 

[barebottoms]

Hey, what about the engineers that design the gear to sell to ISP's? I only write the bugs.

Oh back to the subject, I have my BBN shirt on today. Which office? Cambridge or Maryland?

 

[barebottoms]

Okay, So I made a serious attempt to read the article linked above. I'm not going to discredit this person but after reading:

&quot;*Oh boy! QoS! Well! That will just make everything peachy keen! Oh waitaminute, no it bloody well won't, and here's why:

QoS is a primary Cisco marketing tool. Which will work on certain Cisco routers, everyone else can go blow. QoS comes out of Voice over IP, which is very INTOLERANT of delay, packets arriving out of order. This is also known as latency, or ...lag. Sound familiar? &quot;

I from my opinion, will not bother reading what they have to say. From that statement, that person has never worked with ATM to know that QoS is not just a marketing tool. If it was just that, then why can I measure a difference between CBR and VBR? Even on non Cisco gear? Also when building my PVC's I apply QoS to them, saturate my test network, and again on my non Cisco Gear measure differences.