North American Network Operators Group
Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical

Re: windows update cache

  • From: Warren Kumari
  • Date: Fri Sep 28 14:22:18 2007


On Sep 28, 2007, at 1:05 PM, Steve Gibbard wrote:


On Fri, 28 Sep 2007, Seth Mattinen wrote:


Adrian Chadd wrote:
On Fri, Sep 28, 2007, Joe Johnson wrote:
Windows Software Update Services doesn't require the end-user to be part
of a domain to get updates. You just need to define the WSUS server as
the source for updates by changing a few registry entries and make sure
the server is available via HTTP or HTTPS to your customers. You can
read more at Microsoft's site.
Also, WSUS is free to run on any Windows server.
Great if you're running a windows IT type LAN; crap if you're running an
ISP!

Why? It talks TCP/IP.

This seems like a question of how much control ISPs have over customers' PCs at this point. In my day (when we had to push packets up hill through 28.8 kbps modems, both ways...), we used to send out CDs to all our customers that would install web browsers and mail clients, and change the computers' dial-up networking settings to match our network. Changing some registry strings for Windows Update would have been trivial.

The ISPs I've dealt with recently as an end user tend to just send out a cable or DSL to ethernet bridge and let DHCP do the rest. This is progress, as it means devices can move from place to place and just work, but I don't think it provides a way to change registry settings.

And, even if it did, once the customer leaves and goes to another ISP they would likely still be pointing at your server -- this means that:
a: their windows updates would break or
b: you would carry on servicing them and paying for BW, etc

W

(Yes, yes, unless the new ISP gives them a CD that changes the registry settings too...)


-Steve


--
Hope is not a strategy.
      --  Ben Treynor, Google