Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think!paperboy!meissner From: meissner@osf.org (Michael Meissner) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: Re: Dial up access to Internet facilities Message-ID: Date: 31 May 90 23:14:45 GMT References: <9005301640.6.142@cup.portal.com> Sender: news@OSF.ORG Organization: Open Software Foundation Lines: 48 In-reply-to: jb.loom@uhasun.UUCP's message of 30 May 90 23:40:17 GMT In article <9005301640.6.142@cup.portal.com> jb.loom@uhasun.UUCP writes: | In article <57875@bu.edu.bu.edu>, kwe@bu-it.bu.edu (Kent England) writes: | > | > NEARnet is committed to broadening its base of support to include | > smaller sites at lower cost. We are chafing against technical issues in | > being able to offer high quality service at lower costs, since we balance | > hardware and people costs, and people costs are not really that bandwidth | > sensitive. We also have strict standards on quality of service, and we | > do not wish to compromise these standards in offering less costly access, | > since we know that later on our customers would regret the compromise as | > much as we. Then there is the issue of just what is part-time access; | > is it terminal dial-ups, SLIP/PPP (host or router?), uucp, what? We have | > to keep in mind what services we provide and we have to make sure that | > our clients understand what they can and can't do with new service offerings. | > | Speaking as one who is trying to figure out how to convince management that | $10k/yr would be well spent, I would be willing to accept service limitations | for a lower-cost net access. If the service truly is as useful to the | organization as I believe it would be, the demonstration of that usefulness | might just break loose the dollars for a higher quality ($10K) connection. So | providing low-cost, restricted service connections may well have the effect | of enhancing the number of sites getting full-service connections eventually. If all you currently want is SMTP and FTP initially, then uunet may be a way to start. They obviously will do mail, but another service they offer to paying customers is to do anonymous FTP's on request, and UUCP it to your machine. When I was at Data General, and the internet connection was extremely flakey (it did get better before I left), I begged, pleaded, and such to management to establish such a UUNET connection and buy the Telebit Trailblazer modem. I was able to get GCC releases and prereleases in a timely manner (though there was the time when I couldn't keep an internet connection or modem connection open long enough, thanks to the lousy GTE phone service in the RTP area of North Carolina or the lousy internal DG phone service). The last time I looked, the uunet charges where $35/month, $2/hour if you called their local number (using company WATTS lines if you have them), or $16/hour if you used their 800 number. A Telebit T2500 modem sells in the range of $1000. Obviously this is subject to change, as is their willingness to do anonymous FTP's for you (though they have most of the stuff people want directly on uunet). -- Michael Meissner email: meissner@osf.org phone: 617-621-8861 Open Software Foundation, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA Catproof is an oxymoron, Childproof is nearly so