Phoenix Rising BBS/phoenixrising.zip/phoenixrising/pac_bell/internet.txt

Text File | 1995-03-20 | 13KB | 416 lines

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Internet Access Notes


10/17/94



Pacific Bell
















Internet Access Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide high-level information on how
to access the Internet over the public network.  The reader is encouraged to
research all alternatives.


Legal Stuff

All product names and trademarks are the property of the respective
companies.  Pacific Bell does not endorse the products of other companies.
This document does not include all products that are suitable for Internet
access.


What Is The Internet?

The Internet is a worldwide collection of thousands of private and public
networks and computers linked by a common backbone network.
Historically, the backbone portion of the network has been funded by the
government and most of the users have been Universities and the scientific
community.  In the last few years the Internet has become increasingly
commercial.

One of the main uses of the Internet is for sending e-mail, particularly
across different systems.  For example, a Prodigy user can send e-mail
from Prodigy across the Internet to a CompuServe subscriber.  In this case
the Internet is used as a connector of networks.  But most Internet users
have a "direct" Internet connection which allows many more functions
beyond e-mail transmission.

With a direct Internet connection a user can use popular software
applications like FTP, Telnet, Gopher, and Mosaic (all described later) to
"surf" the Internet from their computer and access databases on any public
Internet computer.

For example, any Internet user can view pictures from the Smithsonian
collection, or do a virtual tour of the Louvre museum, or read news stories
about World War II aircraft, or see up-to-date satellite weather pictures --
all for no additional charge beyond the price of your Internet access.  Most
of the information on the Internet is either sponsored by non-profit
organizations or made available by companies and individuals who want
you to have it.

Online service companies like America Online and GEnie are building
more Internet functions into their services, but these are currently limited
compared to a direct Internet connection.


Company/Organizational Access to the Internet

Organizations generally buy a 56 kbps or 1.544 mbps dedicated line from
the local phone company to the regional Internet provider in their area.

The subscribing company or organization generally provides its own LAN
and uses a router (Cisco, Wellfleet, Newbridge, etc.) for the high speed
link to the Internet provider.

Individuals in the subscribing organization can access the Internet through
their local LAN connection or by dialing into their organization's LAN
from remote locations, either by modem or ISDN.  (Examples of remote
ISDN access to a LAN can be found on the Pacific Bell BBS (510-277-
1037) and the Pacific Bell Gopher Server.)

Call the service providers to find out about fees and availability in your
area.  They may also help you obtain the necessary software and hardware.

Pacific Bell does not endorse the services of other companies.  This list is
not comprehensive.

Internet Providers (alphabetic)

CERFnet
A Division of General Atomics
P. O. Box 85608
San Diego, CA  92186-9784
Information:  619-455-3900
Hotline:  800-876-CERF

InterNex
Includes ISDN access
415-473-3060

Netcom
ISDN access planned
408-554-UNIX

PSI
Includes ISDN access
800-PSI-3031

Scruz-Net
Santa Cruz County, San Jose, soon:  Monterey, Mountanview, etc.
Slip/PPP - ISDN - Frame Relay (throughout LATA 1)
http://www.scruz.net
[e-mail]
Phone: [phone]

WestREN Corporation
Operator of BARRNet(TM)
701 Welch Rd., Bldg. A, Rm. 3320
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: [phone]


Internet Access Speeds

High speed 14.4 kbps modems are sufficient for many Internet applications
like e-mail and simple file transfers.  But modems may be too slow for
high-end applications like Mosaic, unless the inline graphics feature of
Mosaic is turned off.  (Mosaic "pages" normally have both pictures and
text, but the pictures can be suppressed for greater performance.)

The minimum speed for "acceptable" Internet access for applications like
Mosaic is about 56 kbps if you want to get full inline graphics.  This
usually means getting an ISDN service from your local phone company and
finding an Internet access provider who supports ISDN (see list below).



Where to Get ISDN Hardware

The ISDN hardware you need depends on what the Internet access provider
supports.  Typically, the Internet provider would have hub products from
Ascend, Combinet or Network Express.  The remote user would need
compatible equipment from the same or different vendors.

Your Internet access provider can help you get the hardware and software
you need.  But for reference, more information on the equipment above
can be obtained from the manufacturers themselves:

IBM WaveRunner
(Internal PC card)
800-IBM-CALL

Combinet
John Scandalious, 408-522-9020

Network Express
Jim Hietala, 510-244-2080

Ascend
510-769-6001

California businesses can also contact their Pacific Bell account team for
help in selecting hardware.

All ISDN lines also need a device called an NT1 (unless it's built-in to
another piece of equipment, as with the Combinet CB160).  Companies that
provide NT1s are:

    AT&T
    Contact your Pacific Bell Account Team

    Northern Telecom
    800-992-2303

    Adtran
    Daphna Zipkin, 415-697-2848

    Tone Commander
    Steve Hill, 206-883-3600

    UDS Motorola
    Dan Majhor, 510-734-8820


Where to Get Internet Software

There are freeware and commercial versions of most Internet applications.
The Internet access providers can help you find what you need.

Bookstores are carrying Internet tutorial books that include a diskette with
some starter software.

The best bet is to copy the freeware software from somebody who already
has it.


Ordering ISDN

California businesses can contact their Pacific Bell account team.

If you don't have a Pacific Bell account team, check the "Customer Guide"
section near the front of your SMART Yellow Pages and look for the local
phone number in the "Business Customers" heading.  Or call the ISDN
Service Center at 800-4PB-ISDN

A Pacific Bell residential version of ISDN is expected in 1994.


Costs

Analog Modem Internet Access:  From $17/month.  Check with the
provider.

ISDN Internet Access:  Check with the access provider.  Prices will
vary depending on whether you want one or two B channel (56 kbps or
112 kbps) access.

ISDN Line Costs:  About $30/month plus normal business phone usage
rates per minute.  Installation charges of $220, of which $150 can be
waived for a two year commitment.

ISDN Equipment Costs:  From $700 to $1,300 for the remote user,
including NT1, but not including your computer.  Some equipment (such as
the Combinets) may require you to add an ethernet card to your PC, at an
additional cost of $80 to $120.

Software Costs:  All Internet software is available as freeware or
shareware.  Commercial versions can cost up to $400 for a full suite of
applications.



Applications Explained

For any Internet application you need TCP/IP driver software.  The driver
handles the arrangement and flow of the data bits (i.e. the protocol) for all
of your Internet applications.

There are a variety of common software applications that the user needs on
their computer to access the Internet.  These packages usually have DOS
and Macintosh version.  All of the major applications are available as
freeware or shareware.  But commercial versions may be easier to use or
more reliable (but not necessarily).

The most popular Internet applications are explained below:


Eudora:

The most widely used e-mail package for the Internet.  The user needs an
account on a server to use Eudora.


News Reader:

Allows you to "subscribe" to any of the many topics being discussed on the
Internet in "news groups."  Users ask questions and post responses on
hundreds of topics.  The user needs an account on a server to use this
function.


Telnet:

Allows you to log on to a remote computer and execute programs on that
computer as though you were locally attached.  You may need a password
for authorization.


FTP:

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.  FTP is the most widely used
application for moving files from one computer on the Internet to another.
Most FTP software packages have relatively primitive user interfaces.  The
user needs to know the address of the computer where the file resides and
must deduce the purpose of the file from its file name or by reading a text
file.




Gopher:

An improvement over FTP, Gopher provides long menu descriptions for
files and a menu structure for finding things without knowing the machine
addresses.  You can point and click on files to view them real-time (if you
have the appropriate viewer applications -- explained below).  You can also
search for a topic across all Gopher servers on the Internet by using an
application called Veronica, which is accessed from many Gopher servers.


Mosaic:

Mosaic is an improvement over Gopher, and the hottest application on the
Internet.  The Mosaic interface looks like an encyclopedia page on your
monitor.  Click on any highlighted object to move to the related page for
more information.  Mosaic is highly visual and can incorporate sound and
pictures with the interface.  You also need to add viewer applications
(explained below) to see graphics or video clips or sound.  (New
commercial versions of Mosaic may have viewer applications built-in.)
Many Gopher and FTP databases can also be accessed from within the
Mosaic application.

The downside of Mosaic is that it is not well indexed yet so you need to
know where information is in advance.  And Mosaic servers can often get
bogged down with traffic, so response times may be unacceptably slow in
many cases.


Viewer Applications:

Information on the Internet is stored in a variety of graphic, video and
sound formats.  You need the appropriate application software on your
computer in order to view or hear those images.  Without the viewer
applications, Gopher and Mosaic are largely limited to text.

The viewer applications are available in freeware and shareware on the
Internet.  Some common ones for PCs can be found by using an FTP
application and connecting to the following server:

      address:  ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu
      subdirectory:  /PC/Mosaic/Viewers
      User name:  ftp
      Password:  your e-mail address


Some commonly used viewer programs for IBM compatibles are:

      Gif files (graphics):     wingif.exe (or jview386.exe)
      JPEG files (graphics):    jview386.exe
      MPEG files (video):       mpegplay.exe
      Sound files:              wham.exe

Equivalent Macintosh applications and viewers are also available on
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu server.


Commercial TCP/IP Software for Internet Access

The following companies make commercial Internet software.  Their list of
features changes rapidly, so contact them for information.  You may still
need to get additional software such as Gopher, Mosaic and the viewer
applications.

    Wollongong
    TCP/IP for Windows
    800-872-8649

    Netmanage Inc.
    Internet Chameleon 4.0 for Windows
    408-973-7171
    [e-mail]

    Super TCP/NFS for Windows
    Frontier Technologies Corp.

    VersaTerm
    Synergy Software (for Macintosh)

    Spry Inc.
    Internet in a Box

    Microphone Pro
    Will include a MacSLIP driver (for Mac)

    Quarterdeck Office Systems - for Windows
    with Mosaic included


Mosaic Software

Mosaic software may be difficult to find in commercial packages because
it's relatively new.  The freeware version along with the viewer
applications it requires can be found -- after you get access to the Internet
-- by using your FTP application to download the appropriate files from
this Internet address:

Address:  ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu


Gopher Software

Gopher software can be obtained by using your FTP application and
connecting to the following address:


Address:  boombox.micro.umn.edu
directory:  /pub/gopher