[43] in resnet
How to join a net through NET
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Joe Harrington)
Thu May 27 14:44:29 1993
Date: Thu, 27 May 1993 14:40:03 -0400
From: jh@flolab.mit.edu (Joe Harrington)
To: ninjo@Athena.MIT.EDU
Cc: resnet@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: ninjo@Athena.MIT.EDU's message of Thu, 27 May 93 13:06:38 EDT <9305271706.AA24118@alfredo>
Cc: jh@MIT.EDU
Reply-To: jh@MIT.EDU
My house is permanently hooked up via SLIP, the Serial Line Internet
Protocol, at 14.4/38.4kbps compressed. We do this via a pair of
ordinary modems on a normal phone line, the other end of which is in a
roommate's lab at Harvard. We considered ISDN, and its higher,
digital data rate. Unfortunately, the rate schedule for ISDN data
lines is the same as for voice lines, *plus a penny a minute*.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of minutes in a month. The nice lady
from NET explained that legally, you're not allowed to put data on the
voice line, which means they can put digital noise on it to mess you
up if they want, as long as they do it so that it doesn't interfere
with voice communication. They might also be able to declare you a
data customer retroactively, and back-bill you. If you hear
differently, get it in writing, because the no-data rule is in writing
in at least one of their publications.
Let's assume for a moment that we could get a digital connection.
Then we still have to get a router (two?), and we still have to get a
connection to the net. I suspect that DCNS isn't quite ready to offer
a net connection, or even space for equipment you buy, to every MIT
student who has an apartment. It would be great if they could, but
think of the logistics on their part. On the other hand, if you or a
roommate are associated with a lab on the net, you could possibly
arrange something.
--jh--
