NetworkManager Drops WiMAX Support

[kigurai]

ADSL slower? Sure, in theorethical bandwidth, but it has no "shared line" problem where other users drop your speed, and it has several times better latency.

Slower obviously depends on your location. Looked quickly for the largest operator in my area. ADSL goes to 60Mbps, while LTE is up to 100Mbps. These are obviously best case numbers which are limited by the signal strength on your property (terrain, bad wires, distance to tower or tele station).
Prices are harder to judge since for ADSL you pay more depending on speed, and for LTE you pay more depending on what data caps you can live with.
E.g. a 30Mbps ADSL is a lot more expensive than a LTE connection with a 10GB data cap.

As for latency, the mean latency for LTE connections in my country is apparently 80 ms. Granted, this is worse than cable connections, but still good enough even for gaming.

To summarize my point: Yes, cable connections are obviously better in almost any aspect, but I wouldn't be so quick to rule out LTE as a viable option for lots of people.

[curaga]

ADSL slower? Sure, in theorethical bandwidth, but it has no "shared line" problem where other users drop your speed, and it has several times better latency.

[kigurai]

LTE******

* Nice speeds only for short bursts when there are no other users on the mast
** Capped to hell, enjoy that 500MB monthly cap
*** That means one youtube video at hd btw
**** Such latencies and battery drain

Wireless is simply unacceptable for any last mile connection.

Depends on where you are, and what plan you are using.
Lots of people use LTE as their only broadband connection, and those plans are usually between 10-100 GB/month.
Granted, everyone who are forced to use a wireless connections would probably want a fiber connection instead, but those are not easily installable (or cheap...).
And LTE beats the other common alternative, ADSL, which is slower and more expensive (although you don't have data caps).

[nanonyme]

That kind of attitude causes nothing but trouble. Expecting Linux users to simply accept whatever comes from upsteam is the attitude of Windows and I'm sorry to say the attitude of GNOME. This is why there are so many forks. Unless you can say that there will be no place on the whole planet where Wimax networks remain, you cannot say nobody uses it.

If it cannot be maintained, simply say so and advise anyone needing WiMAX to use the legacy version-and make sure that the URL's to download the legacy version do not disappear until someone else is offering it or forks it. If the service is shut down in ALL places on Earth, then and only then is nobody using it.If it hangs on in a few places, split out the support into a separate package (or the legacy version) and advise that someone else will have to maintain it.

Let's get real: those of us who are not rich are not going to buy new hardware (or change ISP') because our favorite Linux distro stops supporting older hardware. Instead we will stop updating or pin the offending packages. That's probably most of the planet. I really DO worry about what is next with this sort of thing. Will my old b/g adapters have their kernel drivers removed or support in Network Manager removed? If so, I have no use for those "updates" and will not install them.

Legacy versions of exactly what, NetworkManager? The source code has not and will not be removed from version control history. Everything necessary for fixing WiMAX and getting it actually used is a competent developer who is ready to allocate a lot of personal time in the development and maintenance of the feature for free

[curaga]

LTE******

* Nice speeds only for short bursts when there are no other users on the mast
** Capped to hell, enjoy that 500MB monthly cap
*** That means one youtube video at hd btw
**** Such latencies and battery drain

Wireless is simply unacceptable for any last mile connection.

[Detructor]

WiMax is my only hope for affordable-ish high-ish speed internet. Developed as a "last mile" internet connection and just becoming available out here. Was also used for phones, apparently, although I never quite understood why.

From what I can see WiMax support is usually combined with a router and accessed via either WiFi wired Ethernet, so it's likely that general support for WiMax is not needed.

I thought that was what LTE is for? Or at least some companies want it to be that way so they don't have to dig any more cables to remote villages.

Also in what country do you live? Or are you just so far out that there is nothing but the trees you mentioned around you?

[Candide]

What do you think?

Point is, if NetworkManager is going to drop WiMax support, that's an entire country of users desktop Linux can count on to NOT get adopted in any way.

Disclaimer: my knowledge of WiMAX usage in Taiwan is a bit dated; last visit was in 2011, and my co-workers (myself included) were all hooked up to WiMAX dongles. I have no idea if Taiwan is slowly wearing itself off WiMAX or not.

I live in Taiwan, and my understanding is that WiMAX is in the process of being axed. It was only last year that LTE 4G became available, but everyone is rapidly switching to it. Indeed, most of the carriers no longer offer WiMAX, but I can't say if it's 100% dead yet.

As for how Linux users in Taiwan access WiMAX, I'm sorry to say that Linux users are rather slim on the ground here, unless you count Android as being Linux. For desktop computers, Windows reigns supreme, followed by a small number of Mac users. For mobile devices, Android is dominant, but Apple iEverthing has a substantial market. Windows phones are nearly nonexistent, despite an effort by Nokia/Microsoft to push them.

The majority of Linux users in Taiwan seem to be expats, like myself. Yes, we exist, but aren't poised yet to take over the world.

[yourWife]

Big, big big mistake.

Taiwan uses WiMax heavily. That's an entire country they are dropping support for. I hope this gets reviewed thoroughly before being pushed through.

Actually, no. I'm living in Taiwan and they are using LTE just like the US and Japan, even though the government and the wireless industry had great investments on WiMAX.
Last year there was still WiMax broadcast signal in my place, albeit a weak one, and now it's gone, too. There just not so many people using the service (low adoption).

I think it's a shame because the newer WiMAX 2 standard has just the same speed.

[Luke]

That kind of attitude causes nothing but trouble

If you don't have a clue, you should shut up.

1. Removal has been discussed on the Networkmanager ML, nobody stepped up and said it is required, nobody is willing to maintain it.
2. Major network operators have dropped WIMAX in favor of LTE. More operators have announced they will shut down the service in near future.
3. The IEEE working group 802.16 (the one responsible for WIMAX) has dissolved itself.

That kind of attitude causes nothing but trouble. Expecting Linux users to simply accept whatever comes from upsteam is the attitude of Windows and I'm sorry to say the attitude of GNOME. This is why there are so many forks. Unless you can say that there will be no place on the whole planet where Wimax networks remain, you cannot say nobody uses it.

If it cannot be maintained, simply say so and advise anyone needing WiMAX to use the legacy version-and make sure that the URL's to download the legacy version do not disappear until someone else is offering it or forks it. If the service is shut down in ALL places on Earth, then and only then is nobody using it.If it hangs on in a few places, split out the support into a separate package (or the legacy version) and advise that someone else will have to maintain it.

Let's get real: those of us who are not rich are not going to buy new hardware (or change ISP') because our favorite Linux distro stops supporting older hardware. Instead we will stop updating or pin the offending packages. That's probably most of the planet. I really DO worry about what is next with this sort of thing. Will my old b/g adapters have their kernel drivers removed or support in Network Manager removed? If so, I have no use for those "updates" and will not install them.

[gens]

I guess I could try to recreate the Tunguska impact and clear enough trees to get line-of-sight to a satellite, but I *like* the trees...

there is a solution for everything

or just, you know, erect a big tower