Status quo:
- A mobile phone with O2′s Genion contract
- A WLAN-based internet access, provided by Transkom. I have to bridge approximately 500m and a railroad line, so I need a big antenna:
OK, this setup has definitely a very low WAF.
Problem
Since WLAN has never been designed as a backbone technology, the uplink’s reliability is poor. Bandwidth is fine, but since I frequently use SSH, this is not enough. VOIP? No way… Check out my smokeping stats for the last year:
Alternatives
- Ask for DSL. The guy at the local T-Punkt needed 5 Minutes to figure out that I have fiber glass lines – but there’s a 95 percent chance they will manage to provide DSL for me. What I need to determine whether it’s feasible? An analog telephone line! So please pay 60 + 15 Euro so that we can tell you we can’t do it. Next provider please.
- Arcor has started a WiMAX testbed in Kaiserslautern. When I applied for it, I received an email stating “Sorry, you’re not in range. [...] If you move to Kaiserslautern in the close future, please notify us.” Hello? I am living there, at least that’s what I call this town for several years now.
- Kabel Deutschland provides cable broadband access, with very nice conditions. But they ask me to get something installed in the basement, and they do not allow me to have satellite dish in parallel – which I already have. Rumors are around that the reliability is not that good anyway.
- I even tried to get an offer for a glass fiber to rent, but the local company didn’t even manage to send me the offer.
Alternatives?!?
Lacking additional alternatives, I am now going for the DSL solution. I actually don’t want a telephone line, but there’s no way around. Welcome to Kaiserslautern, home of future-oriented research institutes.
