rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Randall Knowles Smith) (09/05/90)
My uncle runs a railroad-booking firm out of Atlanta. You call him, tell him what you want sent (cars, grain, large stuff), where to pick it up, and he'll arrange to get it there via train. Of course, the train companies have gone to computers (in the last 5 years, only!), and so the main branch of the booking firm in Chicago is directly connected to all the major train company computers. What he'd like to do is get connected to the main branch in Chicago. Ideally, he'd like a leased-line arrangement to Chicago from Atlanta. However, the cost is prohibitive. IBM has offered to hook him into something called IINET (or something close to that spelling), but at a cost of $1000 a month. At that cost, he'll continue to use a modem and just dial them up once a day. However, he'd really like to be able to cheaply get access to Chicago whenever he wants. So what are his options? Whatever he can arrange, Chicago will support the other end if possible. Is it possible to hook into the net easily? Whom do you ask? What are the normal charges? Is there a telecom company to sells leased lines cheaply, or a way he could get lower changes from somebody? He only wants to transfer a fairly small amount of data daily (maybe 25-50 K) but would like to be able to do it intermittently. This sounded to me like a TELNET capability would be useful, but perhaps hooking Chicago into TELENET, and allowing dial-ups through them would work. Any ideas out there? Randy Smith rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu RSMITH@STARS.GSFC.NASA.GOV ...!harvard!andrew.cmu.edu!rs5o [Moderator's Note: Telenet does have service to Chicago using PC Pursuit, and there is a business version of that service he could use involving a local call in Atlanta. Maybe Dave Purks or someone at Telenet will write to explain it. I think the name is "Business Call". ?? It would be far less expensive than the service quoted to him by Bell. PAT]
Roger Fajman <RAF@cu.nih.gov> (09/08/90)
An alternative to Telenet is BT Tymnet, another public data network. They also have outdial service. But for only 25-50 KB of data per day, it might make more sense just to get higher speed dial modems, such as the many V.32 9600 bps models on the market. With the MNP 5 or V.42bis compression capability that most such modems have now, the effective data rate for text can be up to 2-3 times 9600 bps.
BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F. Bruce) (09/09/90)
It depends on what sort of connections are supported at the Chicago computer. Does he want SYNC or ASYNC? Does Chicago support x.25 access? And if Chicago has x.25, is it for cpu to cpu, or does it support remote terminals dialing into a PAD? Does he have a terminal or a PC? Regardless of how many characters he needs to send, what upper and lower speed limits are imposed by each end? How many seperate times each day? Not knowing any of the above, I will toss out various things to consider. Renting a line will get you digital on the long haul even if you ask for analog local loops. Just get DDS II (NOT the old rip off DDS I) tail ckts and get fractional T1 (a DS0) bandwidth. The long haul part of that from AT&T bought as (Acunet Spectrum of Digital Service) for > 101 miles, the fixed charge is $248, and the variable is $0.32/mile. You then have local loops. If ordered 'right' you may even be able to do 64kb, but certainly at least 56kb. I have NO idea what the local loops are there, but, for example, NYC's DDS II prices are $72.13 per end (in each city you need 2, one at your end and one at the long haul carrier's POP). If the POP is in the same CO, all you pay is 2 x $72. If different COs, you pay a fixed charge of $29.41, plus $4.73 per mile. That is for ANY speed: 2.4,4.8,9.6,19.2,56kb. A 9.6 permanent Telenet x.25 line probably will cost $800/mo and packets on top of that! BUT many RBOCs are doing x.25 just for this sort of application. Here in MA it is $40/mo for a NET&T 9.6 x.25 port, and then you have to pay for a channel to that port. The channel could be leased 4 wire '3002' and you rent a v.29 modem from them for $95/mo (and supply yours at your end), DDS II, DOV using any CO voice line you have, or even over ISDN. You then also pay packets. He could get a Telenet account and dial their pad. He can simply dial up as needed, using all the usual games to keep DDD costs down. An auto dialing high speed modem helps, as does some comm program on a PC. It is probably too early, but you might just ask about ISDN. BTW, everyone else will be less than the AT&T prices above, some by a LOT. Some have 'deals' on now where they pay all installation (theirs and the LEC's) or give you a couple of free months backbone free. They want your long term business. Try C&W, Williams, MCI, SPRINT, and DEFINITELY ask AT&T, too. Some of those may not go where you want, and there wil be others that do. Check for BYPASS carriers in your terminal cities. The IXCs will know if they are available. Long term contracts can get you much lower prices.