🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1hn1stINNii2@uwm.edu> rick@ee.uwm.edu (Rick Miller, Linux Device Registrar) writes:

>jtk@studsys.mscs.mu.edu (Joe Klein) writes:
>[...]
>>This subject keeps comming up now and then, wish we could come up with
>>a workable answer. 

There *are* ways to connect to the Internet in Milwaukee.
The options available today require you to have an IP link
to your computer. No BBS (that I know about) is providing 
real-time Internet service at this time.
You just have to be able to pay the price for your own IP link,
as well as have the knowledge to install it and maintain it.
Two options available today: SprintLink, WiscNet

The *real* question is, what do you want to pay?

I've spoken with two commercial organizations, one in Milwaukee 
and one in Michigan. Both are looking at providing 14.4K SLIP/PPP
service in Milwaukee. The estimated cost would be about $200/month.
This would be for a dedicated telephone number and a std. voice
grade line.

56K service through anybody, even a WiscNet back door, jumps to
about $1000/month for tele line alone.

I do not know of anyone planning to provide on-demand, dial-up,
shared line service. If a dedicated port costs $200/month,
a shared port could be provided at about $30/month for about
3 hours per day on-line time.

Getting a real-time link to the Internet is only part of the puzzle.
You will need an official IP address.
If your computer will not be online 100% of the time, you will
need another organization's computer to serve as a mail server.
If you want Usenet data, you will need to contract for that (there
may or maynot be a fee).

The last word I have about WiscNet is that WiscNet is allowing
member organizations to provide low speed links (a "back door").
The price I was given is about $2700 annually.

I don't understand all of the terminology in the SprintLink info
that was emailed to me. If I am guessing correctly, a 14.4K link
costs about $1100 a month. A T1 is over $3K.

There are other dial-up IP options, but all that I know about require
a long distance call. Therefore I won't discuss those.

If one is willing to share access via a BBS, service 
may be available starting sometime in March. This would not be
IP service to your computer, but a BBS account.

Dean