Getting Internet access for our graduates is one of the primary goals of 2008. One of the major setbacks encountered this year was the closing of the “CIN” network which gave our graduates one free year of Internet access.

Since the closing of CIN, our students have had little success finding reasonable plans and an easy way to connect their computers to the Internet. Dial-up Internet options are limited, so Internet access usually means DSL or cable, and Byteworks is no longer able to offer a bundled package.

The problem is for those students who are looking at getting NEW Internet access. Setting up DSL or cable is not as straightforward as was connecting to the CIN network. AT&T is the prominent provider for Byteworks customers in the South St. Louis area.

However, it is not possible for Byteworks to set up DSL/Cable access for students at the shop, like we did for the CIN network. DSL or Cable connections need to be registered from the customer's house.

• AT&T is a major provider of high speed Internet access.
• Many families do not have an AT&T phone line, and AT&T favors “bundled” plans that give you a phone line, an Internet connection, and other services that AT&T offers.
• There are $10 plans offered by AT&T for “naked” DSL.
  • See dsl
  • The $10 is not well supported, according to several reports.
    • AT&T requires sign up for these plans via the Internet. How can I apply to get Internet access using the Internet?
    • See Also the STL Today Article
    • See Also http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20070619/att-hidden-dsl/
    • See Also http://www.cnet.com/8301-13739_1-9822662-46.html
• DSL Installation is fairly complex. Customers must hook up an external modem, and configure it using software on a CD that AT&T sends with the modem.
  • AT&T offers to send the modem and CD for no cost
  • AT&T also offers to send a technical person to perform the installation for $150.
  • This is not an option for many of our graduates.
• AT&T requires that customers' computers run Microsoft Windows or Macintosh OS9 or OSX in order to perform the setup. Our youth program's computers run Debian Linux, which is not officially supported by AT&T.

Possible solutions could be:

• Byteworks Volunteers could perform a house call, and attempt the installation using these instructions:
  • dsl

• If the above tactic is not successful, volunteers could bring along a laptop that has Microsoft Windows or Macintosh OSX installed. Once the modem is configured, the student's Linux machine would be able to connect to the Internet.

Byteworks could purchase Microsoft Windows licenses, and begin installing Windows on student machines.

• Licensing issues would have to be addressed. The cost of a copy of Windows (for non-profit) fluctuates, and it's difficult to determine or pre-order a steady stream of licenses. In other words, Microsoft could cut Byteworks off at some point in the future, and we'd be back to square one.
• Loading Windows would require changes to the procedures currently used to refurbish computers.
• Some portions of the Earn-A-Computer classes would have to be changed to accommodate the usage of Windows.
• The cost of repairing systems that are infected with viruses and spyware should be included in the decision to switch to Windows.
  • Byteworks performs virus and spyware removal services. The vast majority of the machines which are infected by viruses are Windows-based computers.

Scenario: computer goes home with kid. Parent wants to get AT&T. First road-block, can't get it by phone but only online, which is frustrating because if they were online, they wouldn't need it. So, parent does this at the library, or at work, or at a friend's house. Parent orders service, waits for confirmation email, then for package to arrive with modem, phone line filters, cables, and instructions.

Second hurdle: AT&T does not claim to support Linux. Their install CD is for Windows OS. There is a manual method of doing the install; however, it involves a number of steps. In truth, though, so does the setup under Windows. AT&T offers installation/setup, for a fee of $150-$200. And they still won't do Linux, so it wouldn't help our students.

2008 Goals

Internet Access