Anyone on here start an ISP before?

[Nitemare]

I'm looking to start a local one and need hardware/software suggestions.

I was thinking about getting a rackmount and tossing it in a data center, but haven't really seen anything for dialup ISP.

I plan on making it a tiered approach
Basic Internet connectivity
Internet connectivity and/or email, webspace, newsgroup access.

Basically you pay for ever how many options. This will be to supplement a custom made computer company. The usergroup will be small initially, but I expect it to be able to handle 100-200 customers after a year.

 

[amdskip]

What would your customer base be? How large is it? Good luck really

 

[LordRaiden]

HAHAHA. Hope you got a lot of money. I've never actually started one, but I have worked for a startup ISP before. Owner thought he could pull it off on just $40k. We bombed after 3 months.

Advice. Pinch every penny, have lots of pennys to pinch. The rest you kinda have to do by the seat of your pants.

 

[DurocShark]

PRI lines + T1 + coupla Linux boxes + Modem rack= Too much $$$$

I worked a startup ISP years ago. Wasn't cheap. Lots of fun though!

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: amdskip
What would your customer base be? How large is it? Good luck really

Ideally I will be building 5-10 computers a week and am hoping I can get half to sign up to use the ISP. It will be a DUN connection and since I will be building the machines and installing the OS, I can idiot proof the installation and sign themp up on the spot.

Basically it will be an all in one computer solution. A computer built to specs and full internet customization based on what you want. I imagine this will work until I build up too large of a customer base, but with a T1 I think that can handle alot of dialup connections. The city has roughly 370,000 potential customers and another city less than an hour away has almost 600,000.

I'm just looking to escape corporate and get some stability

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: LordRaiden
HAHAHA. Hope you got a lot of money.

Quoted for truth. I worked for a startup ISP once. If it hadn't been for a guy who paid our T1 line fee for the first year (we helped him sell a ton of this particular program he wrote) we'd have tanked. Granted a T1 is a lot cheaper now, but you still need authentication/billing software plus equiptment. And you need good tech support, preferably 24x7. A market with little saturation by other ISP's helps.

It's a TON of work with little initial return. Hell, even after 4 years at my first job, we were only turning a slight profit (enough to pay the one other employee (me) with a little extra). For the amount of screwing around, I'd never start one personally.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: DurocShark
PRI lines + T1 + coupla Linux boxes + Modem rack= Too much $$$$

I worked a startup ISP years ago. Wasn't cheap. Lots of fun though!

I could get a fractional T1 until it becomes necessary for a full T1, Linux boxes would not be a problem either


Any PRI lines or modem rack suggestions?

 

[MrBond]

We used USR/3Com modem racks, still do actually. I forget the actual name, hyper something I think.

The ISP I worked for actually sold to a computer shop. He wanted to do what you're planning on doing (build pc's, sell internet with them). It's not really working, most people buying pc's either already are with us or have internet with someone else and won't switch beyond the free month.

 

[dangereuxjeux]

Worked as Systems and Network Tech (the head guy) of a local ISP. There's a market for it, I think, if you have a little luck and you don't do what my emplyoer did (i.e. gouge people's eyes out on the rates of everything from dial-up to DSL to hosting and then talk down to them when they ask why it's more expensive than SBC or Hostway, etc.). Plus, I was in high school when I had that job, which shows you the level of expertise that was going round.

 

[Trygve]

Starting up an ISP is probably not a great way to make money, but it can certainly be done. These days the hardware is dirt cheap (if not slightly cheaper than dirt) and it doesn't take much. You could build everything into a Linux or BSD box if you wanted to minimize rackspace requirements (mostly an issue if you're putting it at a colocation facility) or you can get all you need with just a couple of boxes. You could pack everything into a Total Control box if you wanted, but you'd probably be happier with at least a separate computer.

I've got one in my basement, which helps keeps costs down, but it's not making money, and it's not even a startup (it's getting towards fifteen years old at this point).

Hardware is the cheapest part. Labor is usually the most expensive, connectivity costs aren't cheap, and all the other stuff that makes a business a business (no matter what kind of business it is) can eat up plenty of money if you let it.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: dangereuxjeux
Worked as Systems and Network Tech (the head guy) of a local ISP. There's a market for it, I think, if you have a little luck and you don't do what my emplyoer did (i.e. gouge people's eyes out on the rates of everything from dial-up to DSL to hosting and then talk down to them when they ask why it's more expensive than SBC or Hostway, etc.). Plus, I was in high school when I had that job, which shows you the level of expertise that was going round.

I will be doing the tech support, OS will probably be bsd. I already have a quote for a T1 and a datacenter, just need to pick out a modem rack and the software for authentication, email, newsgroup and credit card billing. I don't anticipate even breaking even until I get a fairly large customer base built up. This is why I will supplement it with the computer sales.

All the modem racks that I have seen have 33.6/14.4 modems in it and most users have a 56k. Is this normal?

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

All the modem racks that I have seen have 33.6/14.4 modems in it and most users have a 56k. Is this normal?

It's "normal" if they're ten years old, but your life would be much easier if you go with something more modern. A used Portmaster 3 is cheap these days, simple and easy to use, and you can handle up to 48 dialup lines with a short 2u chassis. Four wires in, four wires out, and it weighs a couple of pounds and uses very little power. (I like Total Control systems, too, but those are much larger, heavier, power-hungry. and complex.)

 

[NetWareHead]

Why waste money in starting a Dialup ISP? Sure there are still lots of dialup people but broadband is slowly eroding them away.

 

[Spac3d]

I can't imagine how this would be profitable.

 

[cliftonite]

You should startup a WISP

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Trygve

Originally posted by: Nitemare

All the modem racks that I have seen have 33.6/14.4 modems in it and most users have a 56k. Is this normal?

It's "normal" if they're ten years old, but your life would be much easier if you go with something more modern. A used Portmaster 3 is cheap these days, simple and easy to use, and you can handle up to 48 dialup lines with a short 2u chassis. Four wires in, four wires out, and it weighs a couple of pounds and uses very little power. (I like Total Control systems, too, but those are much larger, heavier, power-hungry. and complex.)

Thanks for your suggestion. I found some great deals on fleabay?

Why waste money in starting a Dialup ISP? Sure there are still lots of dialup people but broadband is slowly eroding them away.

You have to start somewhere and I need to make some money so I can afford broadband myself

 

[Fritzo]

I was involved in the startup of the one I work at now. We blew through $120,000 in capital the first year (not including emplyee salaries) before we started making a profit. We went nationwide with reseller accounts and locally owned equipment though. Not sure what scale you're looking at.

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Trygve

A used Portmaster 3 is cheap these days, simple and easy to use, and you can handle up to 48 dialup lines with a short 2u chassis. Four wires in, four wires out, and it weighs a couple of pounds and uses very little power. (I like Total Control systems, too, but those are much larger, heavier, power-hungry. and complex.)

Thanks for your suggestion. I found a portmaster 3a-2t w/48 kflex v.90 modems refurbed for under a grand and a portmaster 4 refurb with 98 modems expandable to 800 with 4 T1 routers for under 2 grand. Good deal?

Sounds a little pricey these days, though I haven't priced the PM4 lately. The prices on these units have plummetted in the last two years. A year-and-a-half ago, I paid somewhere around $700 for a PM3a-2t w/ 50 modems, and about six months ago I bought two more for just over $200 apiece. The funny thing is that after I'd switched from my old non-HiPer Total Control racks to the PM3s, I then picked up a used 96-line HiPer TC rack in as-new condition for $50. I was tempted to put it into service, but decided against it because the TC unit didn't have the v.92 upgrade and everything was working, so why mess with it?

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Trygve

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Trygve

A used Portmaster 3 is cheap these days, simple and easy to use, and you can handle up to 48 dialup lines with a short 2u chassis. Four wires in, four wires out, and it weighs a couple of pounds and uses very little power. (I like Total Control systems, too, but those are much larger, heavier, power-hungry. and complex.)

Thanks for your suggestion. I found a portmaster 3a-2t w/48 kflex v.90 modems refurbed for under a grand and a portmaster 4 refurb with 98 modems expandable to 800 with 4 T1 routers for under 2 grand. Good deal?

Sounds a little pricey these days, though I haven't priced the PM4 lately. The prices on these units have plummetted in the last two years. A year-and-a-half ago, I paid somewhere around $700 for a PM3a-2t w/ 50 modems, and about six months ago I bought two more for just over $200 apiece. The funny thing is that after I'd switched from my old non-HiPer Total Control racks to the PM3s, I then picked up a used 96-line HiPer TC rack in as-new condition for $50. I was tempted to put it into service, but decided against it because the TC unit didn't have the v.92 upgrade and everything was working, so why mess with it?

Found some alot cheaper on ebay. Does any of the portmaster series come with v.92 expansion cards?

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: Nitemare


Found some alot cheaper on ebay. Does any of the portmaster series come with v.92 expansion cards?

Not that I know of. (If they do, let me know.) Lucent discontinued the Portmaster line before coming out with v.92 support. If you haven't been to Portmasters.Com, be sure to check it out. That's where you can find the latest manuals and software for free.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Trygve

Originally posted by: Nitemare


Found some alot cheaper on ebay. Does any of the portmaster series come with v.92 expansion cards?

Not that I know of. (If they do, let me know.) Lucent discontinued the Portmaster line before coming out with v.92 support. If you haven't been to Portmasters.Com, be sure to check it out. That's where you can find the latest manuals and software for free.

that is where I found the overpriced refurbs. So far this is definitely in the lead. Anything v.92 comparable?

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

that is where I found the overpriced refurbs. So far this is definitely in the lead. Anything v.92 comparable?

Ebay has an
auction for a TC v.92 unit with an opening bid of $699/buy-it-now for $999. Everything else that supports v.92 is much, much higher. That particular TC unit looks like it's had a bunch of cards pulled out of it and is being sold As-Is. Past auctions show similar units having sold for under $400, so if you're patient, another v.92 TC unit will certainly come up.

 

[Fritzo]

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[guyver01]

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wtf? holy necro batman... i was facepalming about the OP wanting to start a DIAL UP ISP... until i realized this was from 2003.


I hope you get 10,000 infractions for this.

:twisted:

 

[Canai]

wtf? holy necro batman... i was facepalming about the OP wanting to start a DIAL UP ISP... until i realized this was from 2003.


I hope you get 10,000 infractions for this.

:twisted:

yeah wtf