MindSpring's Internet Services

MindSpring offers Dial-Up and Web Hosting accounts. Dial-Up accounts provide a direct TCP/IP connection using the PPP protocol. MindSpring carries a full Usenet feed with access to over 20,000 newsgroups.

An updated list of the types of accounts we offer and pricing is maintained on our web page at http://www.mindspring.com/ .

Dial-Up Accounts

Dial-Up accounts provide modem access at speeds up to 33.6 kbps. In certain areas, dialup ISDN is available at speeds up to 128 kbps. Bandwidth usage varies depending on your service plan. Most service plans include space on our server to put up your own web page or FTP files. You have access to a summary report showing monthly total web page "hits" and bandwidth used on our web site at http://help.mindspring.com/ . The service includes use of "mailto" form and image maps on your web pages. Your web page Uniform Resource Locator (URL), or address, will be http://www.mindspring.com/~username/.

If you need a URL with your own domain name, multiple IP addresses (a subnet), more detailed reports, custom CGI scripts, secure server transactions or more bandwidth, please call our Sales Department about web hosting services. For pricing information, please check our web page at http://www.mindspring.com/ .

Dial-Up Plan Options

Extra Mailbox, Alias, or Vanity E-mail on the Same Account.

Mailboxes are used for e-mail only, and cannot be used to dial in to MindSpring by themselves.

Auto-response Mailbox.

Domain Name Registration and Mail Forwarding.

Domain name registration does not include the use of your domain name in your web page address. Domain name web page addresses are available only for Hosting Service customers. Current customers can register for a domain name online at http://www.mindspring.com/ .

800 Number Service.

MindSpring's 800 Number Service is for use with Dial-Up Plans only - not for Dial-Up ISDN. This service is billed in one second increments, with a 30 second minimum and includes 20 seconds for connect time. This applies to ALL the time spent connecting via the 800 number, regardless of your billing plan. The 800 number is accessible from the United States (including Hawaii), but not from foreign countries.

Web Hosting Services

Today, the Internet has an estimated 35 million users and is growing. The World Wide Web is clearly one of the most popular Internet resources. With new browser technology being developed almost daily the future looks limitless. Many MindSpring customers have discovered that by using the bandwidth available with their particular Internet access account to develop personal Web pages, they can reach out to a larger audience than they ever imagined. However, many have felt limited by the disk space as well as establishing a name for themselves on the Web.

Many businesses and organizations want and need a "virtual" domain "http://www.yourdomain.com/", detailed statistics, secure transactions, more disk space and bandwidth as well as the ability to use custom CGI scripts. In addition, these same businesses and organizations cannot justify the high cost of running their own Web server.

MindSpring Web Services provide a reliable, cost effective solution for individuals and organizations wishing to have a "virtual" Web presence (http://www.yourdomain.com/).

MindSpring can provide reliable server disk space and ample bandwidth to put you on the World Wide Web. MindSpring has a dedicated World Wide Web staff to ensure a high level of performance and service needed to serve your Web pages to the World.

MindSpring's network stability is the base to providing a reliable Web presence. To provide the best possible platform for Web Hosting, MindSpring has a dedicated engineering staff that maintains the robust network. Furthermore, to ensure MindSpring stays abreast of any potential problem, MindSpring has a network monitoring team. This team's focus is to monitor the Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), and our backbone to the Internet.

Local Area Network (LAN) Stability

MindSpring's network is housed in a state-of-the-art telephony, climate controlled environment, with full 24-hour Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). The Network's backbone to the Internet is a T-3 (which provides bandwidth up to 45 Mbps) with backup redundant T-1s (each provides bandwidth up to 1.5 Mbps). All Web Hosting customers are housed on multiple dedicated Web Servers.

MindSpring's network features:

  • Multiple dedicated Web servers - Sun Sparc servers running Solaris
  • Excellent server performance - server up-time 99+%
  • Local Area Network (LAN) stability and security
  • MindSpring handles all System Administration of the LAN
  • Engineering expertise - Dedicated to building and maintaining MindSpring's LAN
  • Remote network monitoring
  • Daily file backup
  • Multiple dedicated Domain Name Servers (DNS)
  • Services Included in MindSpring Web Hosting

    MindSpring provides many services to Web Hosting customers at no additional charge. These services allow the customer to have a robust Web presence. Web pages are becoming more dynamic with multimedia add-ons. The following services are provided to our customers as part of their Web Hosting account:

  • "Virtual" Domain name - The URL appears as http://www.yourdomain.com/.
  • Domain name registration with InterNIC
  • Detailed Web statistics - Number of "hits" on page, broken down by directories
  • RealAudio - Progressive Networks' RealAudio client-server software system enables Internet and online users equipped with conventional multimedia personal computers and voice-grade telephone lines to browse, select, and play back audio or audio-based multimedia content on demand, in real time. This is a breakthrough compared to typical audio download times encountered over conventional online methods, whereby audio is downloaded at a rate that is five times longer than the actual program and the listener must wait 25 minutes before listening to just five minutes of audio.
  • Secure transactions using Netscapes Commerce secure server - Data is encrypted from end user's browser to Server.
  • Plug-and-play CGI scripts - Image maps, E-mail forms, guestbook, and counters
  • The ability for Web designers to write custom CGI scripts - Supported languages; Perl 4, Perl 5, C and C++. Please contact the MindSpring webmasters for C++ use.
  • Online Web Help Desk - Dedicated Web Page support for MindSpring specific features http://webhelp.mindspring.com/
  • High level of customer service and maintenance
  • Customer has 24-hour access to web pages via FTP for maintenance/changes.
  • You are responsible for creating and updating all information on your web pages or in the FTP directory. Access to the files is via FTP (not Telnet). Web space may be resold to other individuals. However, if the individuals want an address such as http://www.theirdomain.com, they must purchase a separate hosting service directly from MindSpring.

    For pricing and additional information about MindSpring's Web Hosting Services, please check our web page, http://web.mindspring.com/ .