[PLUG] Victor is going through the book Linux System Administration

[Victor Soich]

Hi all,

I am going through the book Linux System Administration published by
Oreilly.  It basically holds your hand as you set up DNS, LAMP, et.
al.  The book assumes you have a static IP address.  ( I've already
made use of dynamic DNS option, but I've had to RTFM the internet too
much to try to get it working, so I want to go through the hand
holding Oreilly book.  )

I currently have a residential account with Comcast which comes with a
Dynamic IP address.  They will not sell me, or give me a static IP
address, unless I get a business account.  I can't get DSL in S.E.
Portland where I live.  Comcast, seems to me, my only option.

To get a business account they want to charge me about 50 bucks a
month to get the static ip address, and I have to sign a one year
contract.  I don't know if I will be able to understand this linuxy
stuff, so I don't want to commit to a one year contract, so they said
I would not have to be under contract if I paid 150 bucks a month.
That's bogus, but that's not my main issue.

My high spped internet connection through my residential account with
Comcast works with a D-link cable modem that a friend gave me.  A
technical support guy from the business side of Comcast said I needed
a special modem, a SMC Gateway.  Is that true?  I thought I could just
use my existing modem, get a business account from Comcast, get a
static IP address, modify the appropriate file in Debian, and be on my
way.

Also, the business salesperson from Comcast said that there is a 250
dollar installation fee.  I have sticker shock at that.  Again, is
that bogus?  Can't I just use my existing hardware, i.e. my cable
modem and computer that currently work with Comcast residental, and
just transfer to Comcast business, and just have them tell my what my
Static IP address is, or do I really need to go through a 250
installation hassle, and get a SMC Gateway modem from Comcast?

Essentially, what the cheapest way for me to get and play with a
static IP address?

Sincerely,
Victor Soich