Sometimes a particularly resourceful tech support wonk gets an idea implemented. This is one such. If non-Windows PCs can't connect, they can say "we don't support your (wierd) box - only Windows".

The other cable Internet provider in Au did this trick by having a custom DHCP init and thus proprietary software. On, of course, Windows. It didn't take long for it to be reverse-engineered and a Linux client made.

The other favourite way to solve the "unsupported PC" problem is to offer a "business" service that you can connect what you like. But the sign-on process expects you to have A Knowledgable Person with you, which tends to stymie nost casual users with more money than sense.

Wade.