4.0397 Network Access for Colleges and Individuals (4/156)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 21 Aug 90 17:43:06 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0397. Tuesday, 21 Aug 1990.


(1) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 90 23:07:01 EDT (12 lines)
From: Frank Dane <FDANE@UGA>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...

(2) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 90 23:23:17 EDT (37 lines)
From: David Sewell <dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: Hooking into Bitnet

(3) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 90 09:02:01 EDT (39 lines)
From: "Adam C. Engst" <PV9Y@CORNELLA>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...

(4) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 1990 09:47:05 EDT (68 lines)
From: "James H. Coombs" <JAZBO@BROWNVM>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 90 23:07:01 EDT
From: Frank Dane <FDANE@UGA>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...

The University of Georgia has graciously opened its computing doors to a
number of state and private institutions. I do not know what the
institutional costs are, but there are no costs to the individual user.
There are several local access numbers through which users outside the
Athens, GA local calling area can dial in without paying long-distance
rates. There must be other institutions equally gracious.

Frank Dane, Mercer University (fdane@uga)
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------49----
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 90 23:23:17 EDT
From: David Sewell <dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: Hooking into Bitnet

Recently I was skimming through John Quarterman's massive book
_The Matrix : Computer Networks and Conferencing Systems Worldwide_
(Bedford, Mass. : Digital Press, 1990), a book that every serious user
of the Bitnet or Internet should look into (it answers, for now, all
those questions about "is there a net connection in Cameroon," etc.),
and was hoping to find information about public-access connections of
the sort Bob Kraft asks about in order to answer a question from a
friend-of-a-friend about getting onto Humanist.

There's surprisingly little directly relevant information.
Corporations can subscribe to services that provide connections not
only to the Internet but also to MCI Mail and other business-oriented
electronic nets. The most promising route for individuals in the U.S.
to take to get public access to the major networks and mainframe
systems, so far as I could see, would be to contact WELL, the Whole
Earth 'Lectronic Link, of San Francisco, at 1-415-332-4335 (yes,
originated by Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Foundation). Quarterman says
this is one of the few services to offer such access to individual
users using credit-card charges.

In USENET postings I've seen return addresses referring to a Denver
Public Access Unix (which obviously must have network connections), but
I know nothing about it.

For what it's worth, you can receive not only mail from the Internet on
a CompuServe account but also send BITNET ListServe commands and get
responses (I've tried it just to see). Only problem is that CompuServe
can't handle mail of over 1000 lines or 50,000 characters. Of course,
e-mail to Internet and Bitnet takes forever, and you cannot take
advantage of any interactive resources (e.g., the "telnet" command that
allows you to log on to library catalogs).

David Sewell, U. of Rochester (dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu)
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------47----
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 90 09:02:01 EDT
From: "Adam C. Engst" <PV9Y@CORNELLA>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...

One option for anyone who owns a Mac is the Email package from CE
Software, QuickMail 2.2, along with a fourth-party add-on, Information
Electronics UMCP Bridge. The combination of those two products along
with a modem allows anyone to transfer files via the Unic uucp
protocols, which includes mail and Usenet news (though the news reader I
and another person am working on is just being started). It would
certainly suffice just to read Humanist though.

There are two catches. First you have to have access to a Unix machine
at a local campus or business. They will give you a uucp account, which
means that only your machine can log on so they can be assured you won't
be using their resources unduly. It can be hard to find a local Unix
machine that just hands out accounts. The solution to the first catch
which is also the second one, is a machine (and organization) called
UUNET, which will give anyone a uucp mail feed via their 800 number.
However, they charge for transfer time by the hour, which wouldn't be
too bad if you have a fast modem and only want mail, but which could get
expensive if you want to transfer larger files more frequently. Thus,
getting a feed is either unlikely or potentially expensive. Sorry.

With that done, I must say the the QuickMail link seems to work pretty
well for the people around here who are using it. I don't have my copy
yet, so I haven't had a chance to really test it, but the developer of
the UMCP Bridge is in Ithaca and swears by it. (and occasionally at it
when he's developing for it :-)).

I don't have the information on how to get a feed from UUNET now, but it
should be available via FTP from uunet.uu.net (anonymously, of course).
If there is demand, I'll look around for it and post to Humanist.

Adam Engst

Adam C. Engst pv9y@cornella.cit.cornell.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor of TidBITS, the weekly electronic journal for the Macintosh.
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------73----
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 1990 09:47:05 EDT
From: "James H. Coombs" <JAZBO@BROWNVM>
Subject: Re: 4.0396 Network Access for Small Colleges & ...


There has been some discussion in other lists. Here is a copy of a
fragment, reporting access for some on the west coast and a possible
precedent. --Jim

>> In article <68@nic.cerf.net> of comp.dcom.modems I, pushp@nic.cerf.net
> (Pushpendra Mohta) wrote:
>> >If you wish to consider dial up access for internet connectivity
>> >I believe CERFNet can provide all of what you want at sites
>> >at UCLA, CALTECH, UCI , San Diego and Oakland.
>> >
>> >
>> >--pushpendra
>> >CERFNet
>
>In article <1990Jul14.154305.14154@uu.psi.com>of comp.dcom.modems ,
>schoff@uu.psi.com (Martin Schoffstall) writes:
>> Pushpendra:
>> Could you describe the permission procedure that CERFNET goes through
>> to provide Internet access to individuals?
>> Could you describe contract requirements
>> (if any) for those individuals, especially in the area of NSFNet limitations,
>> etc... Could you describe the costs?
>> Just Curious.
>> Marty
>> ---------------
>
>CERFNet has an approval procedure consistent with it's
>Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) . This policy is the same as the
>NSFNet AUP.
>
>All applications are reviewed by the Chairperson
>or his/her designees on a case-by-case. All accepted
>applicants are bound by the contract to abide by the
>AUP.
>
>Quotes and Negotiations are unique to each individual/organization
>All interested in the dial up offering : DIAL n' CERF
>should contact CERFNet at help@cerf.net or at (619) 534-5087
>
>A complete description of costs and requirements will soon appear
>in comp.newprod .
>
>Mean while those curious may obtain a copy of the
>DIAL n' CERF user agreement (contract) by anonymous ftp from
>
>nic.cerf.net:cerfnet/cerfnet_info/dial-n-cerf-agreement.txt.
>
>This document includes a copy of the CERFNet AUP.
>
>--pushpendra
>CERFNet
>(619) 534-5056