[471] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Cost of Internet Access
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Thu Jun 11 12:00:27 1992
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1992 10:49:30 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
2 Messages, 156 Lines
*-----
From: Dan Lester <ALILESTE@IDBSU>
Subject: Costs of Internet Access
The costs of network access are a moving and fuzzy target, but I can offer
some comments based on my own experience. Your mileage, of course, WILL vary.
BSU is a member of Westnet. Northern Idaho is a part of Northwestnet. The
costs are quite different between the two regional networks, with Westnet's
appearing to be lower. Those in library circles are familiar with the
varying costs charged for OCLC cataloging, for example, between various
OCLC Networks such as Solinet, Amigos, BCR, etc. And, of course, the
services they offer will vary between Internet providers, just as they do
between OCLC providers, or local Bell Operating Companies.
In our operation here, the university Computing Center provides free access
to all faculty who request it, and to most students who request it (maybe
all, but I am not sure of their policies). I happen to send mail from
this IBM VM/XA machine, as well as occasionally from one of the many
Unix boxes on campus, which I use to read Usenet Newsgroups on occasion.
No charge backs are made, in either real money or funnymoney. Other campuses
may charge in various ways. I know that some other Idaho campuses charge,
as my daughter was told that she could get Internet access at her campus
for "only" $1200 per hour! Obviously, they were NOT interested in some
lowly architecture student having network access. That university is quite
paranoid about security.
None of the above is intended as criticism, simply an explanation of some of
the varying policies. Again, it is similar to various libraries' varying
policies on circulation, ILL, due dates, fining faculty, and so forth.
BSU is the local Internet node and through BSU several other agencies have
connected to the network, or will be soon. For example, we expect that
with the assistance of LSCA funds from the State Library that the Boise
Public Library and the Ada County Library will be connected to the Internet
later this year. The costs will be: $3,000 for membership in Westnet (rates
are higher for profitmaking companies, etc.) and $110-130 per month (depending
on the library's distance from BSU) for a dedicated 56k line to BSU,
payable to the phone company. Obviously costs will be higher for those
further away, but these libraries are only 1 and 8 miles away, respectively.
BSU pays an annual fee to Westnet as well, plus there is the cost of a
56k line from Boise to Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, some 200
air miles to the East. From INEL there is a 56k line going to Salt Lake,
and that is supposed to be upgraded to T1 in the near future.
As another correspondent suggested, these things can be thought of as "costs"
or as "opportunities", depending on the point of view. The view here is
that the sooner we can overload the 56k line the better, because we will
then be able to upgrade it to T1 (the money will be found somewhere, I am
sure, if there are enough users getting slow service), or to a partial-T1
if a newly proposed rate structure for sharing T1 lines is approved by the
Idaho PUC and USWest gets the new line installed.
If this all sounds complicated and confusing, its only because it is. BUT,
the point is to illustrate that there is NO simple answer to "the cost of
sending a message" either across campus, or around the world. Our current
costs are fixed, but there may be a future cost with upgrading. The more
traffic everybody sends, the more that everybody will need to invest in
upgrading communications lines, hardware, and so forth. I continue to
see these as opportunities, just as a growing campus and student enrollment
is an opportunity to improve collections and services. I know full well that
some of my colleagues have a different point of view on that issue, as well.
My intent in writing this message is NOT to suggest that "the BSU way is
right" or that our situtation is very similar to anyone elses, but to
simply indicate that there are no simple or precise answers to the question
about costs. Although my transmission of a message to a friend in Australia
adds traffic to various telecommunications lines, I personally believe that
the incremental cost is so close to zero for all involved that it can be
ignored.
dan
* Dan Lester Bitnet: alileste@idbsu *
* Associate University Librarian Internet: alileste@idbsu.idbsu.edu *
* Boise State University *
* Boise, Idaho 83725 BSU and I have a deal: I don't speak *
* 208-385-1234 for them and they don't speak for me. *
*-----
From: MAYEJOH@minna.iit.edu
Subject: Internet Connetc Cost - One Case Study
We recently purchased and installed out own connection to the Internet
and I think that the process would be similar for many other institutions
with exceptions noted where I could think of them. We are a law school
in Chicago with over 1000 students. We are affiliated with the Illinois
Institute of Technology, but we are working on several projects that
required "direct" Internet access versus dialup. (It's a long story)
Anyhow, that background information is important as I will explains below.
The one time costs included $10,000 to CICnet which is the local
(meaning Midwestern) subnet carrier of the NSFnet. The $10,000 bought
us a cisco router, DSU and 2400 baud modem (for diagnostics) and
basically a guarantee of 24 hours a day/7 days a week network monitoring
and management. CICnet configured the equipment and shipped it to us
ready to plug in.
Then next one time cost was the installation of a 56 kbps leased line
to the nearest CICnet site. This cost about $900 to install from
Illinois Bell.
The recurring costs include $3000 per year paid to CICnet. This is
based on an algorithm depending on on the number of FTE students at
your institution. The more students you have, the less per student
you have to pay.
The leased line costs around $300 per month to the phone company and
the diagnopstic phone line costs pcoket change (just a plain old
telephone line).
This got us a connect to the Internet from our ethernet backbone. We
also installed an SMTP TO MHS mail gateway so that we could continue
to use our local area network mail package to send/receive Internet
mail. We chose a product from Computer Mail Services called S-Bridge
that cost around $1700 (educational discount) and required us to
provide a 286 computer to run it. (figure $1000). The MHS software
(which is sold by Novell) cost about $50 to upgrade and it needed a
different 286 computer to act as an MHS server (another $1000).
There are shareware/freeware/public domain packages available
all over the place that would preclude the S-Bridge/MHS connection
if you are on a budget. (Charon, Pegasus mail, POP, Ugate, etc.)
We had to register for an IP number and a domain name with the
folks at hostmaster@ssn.nic.mil which took about a week and was
completely painless.
It's worth it to point out that it used to be much cheaper
to connect to the Internet. Your local network guru would quaff
a few beverages with the nearest Internet POP (Point of Presense) and
plug another line into the router or some such magic. This is
commonly called a "back door" connection. The local subnet providers
are in the process of phasing out back doors and making them real
members. This gives them the revenue to provide excellent service
and provide some level of a guarantee of service and reliability.
The folks at CICnet have been wonderfully helpful and willing
to answer all of my bonehead questions. The Internet connection
requires that someone at the local institution get smart about
domains name services, gateways et al so as to handle any problems
that the node may be causing (broadcast storms, link problems, etc)
This "professionalization" of the network is very good news for
all users. It's like moving from an all volunteer fire department
to full time firemen (perhaps a very appropriate comparison), but
we have to pay to get this and I think its totally worth it.
John Mayer (312) 906-5302
Director of Computing Services (312) 906-5165-fax
Chicago-Kent College of Law MAYEJOH@IITVAX.EDU
Illinois Institute of Technology
