gcw20877@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (G. Wang) (09/01/89)
Recently, I think you said that you can actually "ftp" Compuserve with INTERNET .. I attend the University of Illinois which has internet access.... I am aware of how to communicate email with Compuserve but I am now interested in finding out how I can actually call up Compuserve with internet if that's possible... Didn't you say there was some method... Also would this save charges as opposed to dialing direct?? Thanks George [Moderator's Note: What I think I said was that *Telenet* interconnects with Compuserve. Compuserve has a four digit network address on Telenet; it works like an off-net connection to any other network would work on Telenet. On Telenet, addresses are usually of the form accxxyy where the area code is followed by three, four or five digits for the network address within that area. A typical Chicago network address would look like this: 31200456. The Telenet 'area codes' match the voice network area codes. 'Area code' 909 is Telenet's headquarters and associated addresses in Reston, VA. To make an off-net (in most instances, international) data call, a zero is first entered, to flag down the switch as to routing. Then the Network ID comes next, then the address on the network. So, an international (or otherwise non-Telenet network) data address would look something like this: 0510200031200456. The fully qualified address is required when going off your home, or default network. A lot of shorthand is permitted when staying on your own network. All the networks in the United States of this sort can interconnect off of Telenet, but exact protocol escapes me at the moment. This includes not only Compuserve, but Tymnet, Western Union and others. In fact, Telenet service in Alaska comes from Alaska Telecom, which in turn is brokered from Tymnet! Use of these interconnections requires a password and prior billing arrangements with Telenet. They are not for PC Pursuiters! My paper a couple years ago, 'Let Your Fingers Walk You on a Tour of the International Data Networks' did NOT win me any friends at Telenet! But I digress: It would probably be cheaper than dialup to Columbus, OH, but not very effecient. Compuserve has many, many local dialups of their own in communities all over the United States for the purpose you wish; and those are the least expensive way to go. I think the only group of Compuserve subscribers using Telenet are the folks in Canada. They were (still are?) calling their local Canada Datapak indial, getting passed to Telenet, then off to Compuserve somehow. But Internet? I do not know of any *interactive, real time* way to do it. PT]