Comcast blocks port 25 incoming, yet again

[Coleman Kane]

Hi all,

I just had to deal with the Comcast tech support today to resolve their
unannounced block of my tcp port 25. The first level of tech support
listened to my explanation that I owned some domains and have the email
coming in locally through port 25. The guy explained that an "abuse
ticket" was filed for the action which said that a single spam email
"supposedly originating" from my system was responsible for the block.
He was nice enough to unblock my cable modem, and I asked if I could get
the content of the abuse ticket, so that I could look at it and resolve
anything that I might have missed on my end. 

I got passed to their "abuse" department to get this resolved and the
"abuse representative" explains that I am not allowed to get the content
of the report because it is "proprietary". What sort of crap is that ?!?
In the "real world" if someone leverages a lawful complaint against me I
have a right to the complaint as well as confronting my accuser.
However, in the "comcast world" neither of these rights are granted to
me. I highly doubt that the email cited in the issue was actually
sourced from my system. I was recently the victim of some spammer
putting my email address in the From: header of a large spam bomb and
now I receive all of the failure notices in my inbox (which are pared
down handily by about 90% by my spamfilter).

Furthermore, I do host my own "websites" and "email" on my local
connection but none of it is used for commercial or business use. The
comcast representative then proceeded to inform me that my hosting
violates their terms and that I can get another provider, or I can use
their "business class" service. He warned me that they'll be
specifically monitoring my traffic for the next 30 days and if I don't
"stop it" they will turn off my access.

As much as this may seem commonplace to you, I have never had an issue
with this setup from any provider of mine in the past (TW Cincinnati,
Cincinnati Bell/Zoomtown, TW El Paso, TW San Jose). Most of the time the
only usage that is strictly barred on a residential line is "commercial
activity", which has typically been described in terms of monetary
exchange...

Anyhow, I did speak to FairPoint who informed me that I can get DSL
service (at the same speed) for a fraction of the rate that I pay to
Comcast right now (I don't have a TV for their 99% mind-numbing cable
programming racket, so I pay their higher net fee). I can also have
unlimited usage and the sales person tells me that they don't block
access. They also provide month-to-month service, instead of locking me
into a contract. Additionally, I can provide my own DSL equipment if I
have it.

So I am now curious if anyone else has moved to FairPoint, and how they
have been doing with it.

-- 
Coleman Kane
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