[comp.dcom.telecom] Telex Access to Internet Needed

drn@pinet.aip.org (donald_newcomb) (03/10/91)

 
Pinet is a service of the American Institute of Physics to its members
and members of affiliated organizations (e.g. American Geophysical
Union, Acoustical Society of America, etc). It has Internet and Bitnet
access, Usenet, an 800 dialup, some scientific literature databases
and access to some non-Intermail message systems (e.g. FAX, EasyLink).
Signup is cheap ($15) and connection costs are a little less than
major mail systems with no byte count charges, except for
non-Intermail addresses.
 
I recently subscribed to this e-mail system primarily to insulate my
personal mail and political flames from having anything to do with my
employer (U.S. Navy). I also wanted to be able to send and receive
TELEX, because I travel overseas, often on ships equipped with
INMARSAT TELEX stations. An unintended salubrious effect is that
Usenet postings reflect The American Institute of Physics as my
Organization :-).
 
Access to TELEX, FAX, Dialcom and a few other message systems are
provided by a service called DASNET. I read the instructions on using
this service and it seems that all incomming TELEX traffic is routed
through a single TELEX II line with the recipient's (my) address
cryptically embedded in the second line of the incoming TELEX :-(.
Now, I know some TELEX users and telling them that they have to put
"DEST:(DE3AIP)DRN" as the first thing in the second line would be like
giving them a 20-hop uucp address. It will never work.
 
Can someone help me to understand the relationships between TELEX,
EasyLink, Dialcom, X.29 and what we Interneters normally think of as
e-mail? Does anyone know of a good, cheap way for an Internet user to
get something like a personal TELEX number?  I know that SprintMail
(Telemail) users can sign up for a personal number, but I don't need
that expense and I don't want to have yet another incompatible mailbox
to check every day.
 
Also, I have access to a VAX with a PSI (X.29 ?). Whenever, I am given
a "PSI number" for something, I record it and treat it as "magic". Is
there any rhyme or reason to these numbers?  Is there a way to figure
out why some work and some do not?  Should they have different
lengths? Thanks for your help.
 

Donald Newcomb             Telex II   - #910 380 3354
drn@pinet.aip.org          First line - "FROM:<your telex #>"
drn@pinet.bitnet           Second line- "DEST:(DE3AIP)DRN"
(601) 863-2235             Third line - "SUBJ:<brief subject>"


[Moderator's Note: Both MCI Mail and AT&T Mail offer standard telex
numbers as part of their service. To someone on a regular telex
machine, it will be transparent. Both of the above services are very
reasonably priced and both have full interconnectivity with the
Internet.  PAT]