[lug] ViaWest and passwords

[Ian Hall-Beyer]

I just got off the phone with ViaWest's support, regarding passwords on my
dialup account, and found out the following things - buyer beware.

1) The only way to change your password is to tell a tech support rep, who
then probably writes it down on its way over to the radius server.

2) The reason given for doing this was so they "can tell you your password
if you forget it", leading me to believe that it's stored in cleartext in
their servers.

This does not give me warm fuzzies. This, in conjunction with my numerous
problems with their billing department, makes me want to very seriously
rethink my business relationship with them.

Does anyone know of a good SDSL provider/ISP combo? My current line
provider is Jato, who are in severe financial straits right now, and I
hear Covad isn't doing much better, which basically leaves
Verio/Northpoint. Ideally, I'm looking for someone who has good security
practices, and a billing department with a clue. I'm alos looking at
Sprint ION.

Any feedback, good or bad?


-Ian

--

"The French language, which the French used to learn very well, did not
exist for the sake of conveying information, for communicating men's
common needs; it was indistinguishable from historical consciousness.
Frenchness is defined by participation in this language, its literature
and the entire range of effects it produces."

				-- Allan Bloom
				   The Closing of The American Mind