Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!umich!vela!w8sdz
From: w8sdz@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Keith Petersen)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Downloading
Summary: A call for action on the network overload problem
Keywords: ftp,archives,simtel20,uwasa,wustl,network,email
Message-ID: <3737@vela.acs.oakland.edu>
Date: 7 Nov 90 20:47:59 GMT
References: <1990Nov7.025027.18746@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Reply-To: w8sdz@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Keith Petersen)
Organization: The SIMTEL20 Archives
Lines: 38

rb9a@watt.acc.Virginia.EDU (Raul Baragiola) writes:
>I normally get speeds around 7 kb/sec when downloading from 
>anonymous ftp sites in the US.  However, the last half-dozen 
>times I tried to access simtel the connection was closed with
>the message "too many anonymous ftp, try later" or something
>of the sort.

If you are on a host that runs BSD Unix you can use AutoFTP or
BatchFTP to get files from SIMTEL20.  They both can be run as
background processes while you do other work.  They attempt to log in
at pseudo-random times.  Being persistant is the key here.  You CAN
get files from SIMTEL20.  Just keep trying like you would for a busy
phone line.

>I tried to get files from the large library at chyde.uwasa.fi
>Here I can get in, but the connection is terribly slow.  I managed
>to get a file at 0.030 kB/s (Thats 30 bytes per second !!!), one
>somewhat (not much) faster than this but, in most cases, the
>remote system hang the connection.

I've been very concerned about Timo encouraging everyone to get files
from uwasa.fi instead of telling users in North America to avoid the
overseas path by using one of the many other archives in the USA such
as SIMTEL20 and wuarchive.wustl.edu.  The overseas network connections
should not be clogged with such ftp connections.  It has a drastic
effect on delivery of email.

Now that uwasa.fi has an email server this will only get worse.  I
hope they will alter the server to filter addresses, serving only
Europe and the Far East.  Users in the USA should be limited to email
servers in the USA.  Timo's programs and most of the other msdos files
on uwasa are available from SIMTEL20 and wuarchive.

If we don't take some action on this now, I expect the network
management people will do it for us.  The network cannot stand the
overload.

Keith