dc@max.berkeley.edu (Dave Cottingham) (01/16/91)
It sure would be great if my PC at home were on the internet. I'm sure this must be possible, since there are plenty of smallish businesses on the internet. However, a perusal of the documents at nic.ddn.mil shows only how to launch a new network, which requires divine intervention from a government agency, and is definitely of a grander scale than what I have in mind. I'm hoping that someone out there who's done this can tell me how to go about getting assigned an internet address, and what kind of physical connection they use and to where, and just how massive a financial outlay is required. (Software is another issue, but I was going to worry about that later.) If this turns out to be impossible, I figure I'll settle for news and mail via uucp. I know one way to do this, which is to get in contact with one of the sites on the NIXPUB list. If anybody knows a better way, I'd like to hear about it. And finally, if there is a more appropriate place to post this, please let me know. (Intensive scrutiny of the list of active newgorups turned up none which really seemed right, but these seemed slightly plausible.) Please mail replies to me, if there's interest I'll summarize. Somewhere. Thanks, Dave Cottingham dc@max.berkeley.edu
glen@sungate.UUCP (Glen) (01/16/91)
Dave Writes... > From: dc@max.berkeley.edu (Dave Cottingham) > Message-ID: <00942BD0.3790B740@max.berkeley.edu> > It sure would be great if my PC at home were on the internet. I'm > sure this must be possible, since there are plenty of smallish > businesses on the internet. However, a perusal of the documents at > nic.ddn.mil shows only how to launch a new network, which requires > divine intervention from a government agency, and is definitely of a > grander scale than what I have in mind. Depending on what type of PC you have, you can definitely get hooked up to the net. SCO produces a short version of UNIX (called Xenix) which should satisfy your needs - a version is even available for an 8088-XT based machine. > I'm hoping that someone out there who's done this can tell me how to > go about getting assigned an internet address, and what kind of > physical connection they use and to where, and just how massive a > financial outlay is required. (Software is another issue, but I was > going to worry about that later.) Now, getting a true internet registration cannot be done under Xenix, because it lacks some of the communications systems needed to perform true internet connections. From my experience, you need a minimum 386-based PC, with 2M RAM, at LEAST a 40MB hard drive, and SCO UNIX. If you don't mind being in another domain, instead of having your own, you don't need UNIX. I, for example, have a machine called "sungate", but I'm "in" the UUNET domain. So, instead of being glen@sungate.ORG, I am glen%sungate@uunet.UU.NET... makes no difference to me, but I'm running Xenix, and that's just me. Being in the UUNET domain as I am, I still have full access to news and mail, and 24-hour support from them for changes and problems. Getting news and mail requires a minimum 286-PC, and SCO-Xenix with a minimum of 20MB hard drive and 1M RAM. If you want to store news for a while, you should probably have more space. I have 25 newsgroups coming in here, and they require 10MB for two weeks storage. If you just want mail access, you can do it on an 86-XT machine with 640K and as little as 10MB of hard drive space. SCO's Xenix-86 will do that job nicely. If you have the hardware, the software reatils for about $400 from SCO. Send a message to info@sco.COM for up-to-date pricing, and a sales referral. > If this turns out to be impossible, I figure I'll settle for news and > mail via uucp. I know one way to do this, which is to get in contact > with one of the sites on the NIXPUB list. If anybody knows a better > way, I'd like to hear about it. In any event, many people choose to hook up to a number of networks. The most popular of these is probably UUNET Communications in Fairfax, VA. They offer a full news feed, mail service, FTP's and other services. You can reach them at postmaster@uunet.UU.NET for info; however, I can tell you that, to become a uunet member costs $35/month plus $2/hour connect. There is no setup charge. UUNET can help you register a domain with all the proper people. This is provided free to members, and costs $35 for non members. The uunet postmaster can provide you with more info. For me, I started out not knowing what "uucp" was, and learned everything I know from SCO and UUNET. I recommend you contact them; however, feel free to re-contact me. I'd be happy to help you get set up and, since I'm in the uunet domain, I can get assistance from them for you very quickly. You can reach me again at glen%sungate@uunet.UU.NET . Hope this helps! -- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- --*-- Glen / sungate! 301-330-4700 It'll take time, but we're going far... BangPath: uunet!sungate!glen you and me, I know we are... In time, InterNet: glen%sungate@uunet.UU.NET we'll be dancing in the streets all night
nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (01/17/91)
In article <196@sungate.UUCP> glen@sungate.UUCP (Glen) writes:
Now, getting a true internet registration cannot be done under Xenix,
because it lacks some of the communications systems needed to perform
true internet connections. From my experience, you need a minimum
386-based PC, with 2M RAM, at LEAST a 40MB hard drive, and SCO UNIX.
FTP to grape.ecs.clarkson.edu, and you'll find that you're wrong. It
runs SCO xenix, and it's truly on the Internet... Of course, you shouldn't
buy SCO Xenix nowadays unless you have to. We had to at the time, and
now it's too costly ($1,000) to "upgrade" to SCO Unix.
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) FAX 315-268-7600
It's better to get mugged than to live a life of fear -- Freeman Dyson
I joined the League for Programming Freedom, and I hope you'll join too.ghelmer@dsuvax.uucp (Guy Helmer) (01/20/91)
In <155838@felix.UUCP> asylvain@felix.UUCP (Alvin "the Chipmunk" Sylvain) writes: >In article <00942BD0.3790B740@max.berkeley.edu> dc@max.berkeley.edu (Dave Cottingham) writes: >> It sure would be great if my PC at home were on the internet. I'm >> sure this must be possible, since there are plenty of smallish >> businesses on the internet. However, a perusal of the documents at >> nic.ddn.mil shows only how to launch a new network, which requires >> divine intervention from a government agency, and is definitely of a >> grander scale than what I have in mind. >There is interest. [...] Sites attached to the internet such that they send may send packets across NSFnet or other parts of the federally funded internet must have some relation to institutions or groups that are doing research under federal funding or are educational institutions. It's hard to find out exactly where the line is drawn, but this could rule out home ip sites unless one is involved with federal research or a university. If you are involved like this, it shouldn't be too hard to talk to your network administration and find out details of how to connect remotely to your IP net, if they will allow it. Otherwise, you will have to either be rich or have a real good reason to be on an IP net. Two commercial internet providers are UUNET Communications, which runs AlterNET, and PSI, which runs PSInet. These two providers give services which range from 9600 baud dialup to T1 (1.544Mbaud) dedicated IP service. You can't send packets from AlterNET or PSInet across NSFnet or the DDN unless you, once again, are doing federal research or are involved with a university. This makes the AlterNET and PSInet services good for connecting geographically separated portions of a company's network, but poor for your average Joe at home that wants to FTP stuff from NSFnet sites. AlterNET and PSInet people will help take care of the site setup and administration details, but they get paid well to do that. If we could just get the feds to change their restrictions on the use of the NSF & other backbones... 1/2 :-) Followups should probably go to email, since there isn't a usenet group that discusses this subject. -- More information that you couldn't have existed another day without, from: Guy Helmer helmer@sdnet.bitnet, uunet!dsuvax!ghelmer work: DSU Computing Services (605) 256-5315 play: MidIX System Support Services - Crufty Hacks 'R' Us (605) 256-2788
mpd@anomaly.SBS.COM (Michael P. Deignan) (01/20/91)
glen@sungate.UUCP (Glen) writes: >Now, getting a true internet registration cannot be done under Xenix, >because it lacks some of the communications systems needed to perform >true internet connections. From my experience, you need a minimum >386-based PC, with 2M RAM, at LEAST a 40MB hard drive, and SCO UNIX. Err, excuse me? I guess I better put a stop on the $12k Alternet startup charge we sent to UUNET... TCP/IP is available for XENIX. It has its problems, but it is workable. MD -- -- Michael P. Deignan / Sex is hereditary. If your -- Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com / parents never had it, chances -- UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd / are you won't either... -- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347 /