If you're in the market for cheap DSL service, you might consider Qwest by MSN. And if you do consider that service, Qwest will offer you a free DSL modem, the Arescom NetDSL 800. And you might accept it.

If you're a chump.

Because unbeknownst to you, you would be buying a DSL modem with an unconfigurable internal firewall. That's right, kids. You won't find it in the documentation, and you'll have to pry the information out of a Qwest customer service representative, but sooner or later you'll discover the unconfigurable firewall.

Here's Arescom's official answer for a problem with the Arescom NetDSL 800 firewall (which you were never told existed, by the way):

The MSN NetDSL units are are pre-configured per stringent specifications from MSN. Because the units are pre-configured for MSN, we do not offer a software manager to the open public.

Why would MSN preconfigure these units to not work? Users trying to download files via BitTorrent (which has "substantial non-infringing uses") or play games over the Internet will find that they have either no connection or a connection at a greatly reduced speed. Is this some sort of punishment for taking a "free" modem? It's not like it's defective; MSN went the extra step to order defective modems! It's as though you went to a car dealer and had to choose between two cars which were exactly the same, except one was free but didn't go over 45 mph, and it was designed that way. But they didn't tell you about it.

And why wouldn't MSN tell you about an unconfigurable internal firewall? Obviously to hide it from you. Openness comes from openness. Someone keeps something secret if he wants to hide it.

There is a way to "fix" the modem, but it requires some electronics knowledge and some command-line voodoo to hack your way into the modem's firmware and alter the firewall. And it probably voids the warranty. So in the future, just pay the fifty bucks for a decent, non-busted modem.