[ILUG] Broadband querry

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Liam Bedford (lbedford at lbedford.org):

> If maybe you mean that random USB devices don't come with drivers,
> then cf Rick Moen's posts on drivers.. you need to be more careful
> about what you buy. It's your fault. All of it. All the pain you get..
> yours, all yours.. see..

The basic problem, as I understand it, is that USB doesn't define a
communications protocol, just an electical signaling standard over which
such protocols can operate.  So, support for any given component can be
and sometimes is a one-off problem.  

This situation is also exascerbated by the tendency of manufacturers in
highly price-competitive, low-cost markets to regard any details of
their hardware as a trade secret to guard from competitors' eyes.  So,
they'll be glad to help you write a driver for your OS -- but only if
you sign a hand-over-your-firstborn type NDA, first.  Which rather
stands in the way of cooperation with open source.

I'm amazed at how few problems there _are_ with Linux support for
most categories of USB devices, given all that.  But I'd steer very far
away from USB-type broadband adapters, just on instinct alone.  The
standalone NIC-based ones work fine, thanks.

-- 
Cheers,
Rick Moen                      Linux for Intel:  Party like it's 2037!
rick at linuxmafia.com