PETE'S HOME PAGE ARTICLE #2, How To Access The Internet

INTERNET COLUMN   #2

by Peter DeWolf	


In the last column I examined what the Internet is, and touched on some of the practical
things you can do once you have access. The next big question is how to get access.

There are a three basic ways to access the Net. One is through a local BBS (bulletin
board) which has a connection to the Net. This provides very limited access, usually
consisting of  e-mail (electronic mail), and perhaps a few newsgroups (discussion
groups). In this scheme, the BBS goes and gets the information you require, and in turn
passes it back to you. You are not truly "on-line". The Ottawa Freenet is a good example
of such a system. Usually the access is free, or requires a small donation to help support
the system.

The second way is through a commercial on-line service such as Compuserve, Prodigy,
America On-Line, and a few others. These provide easy software to help you get to where
you want to go, and also have many other proprietary services, such as shop at home,
weather service, reservations, and so on. Only recently did these services begin to provide
full Internet access, and some still only give you limited access. It is best to check first,
before opening an account, as to whether they offer the services and access you require.
Be forewarned, while these service providers are very professional, and give you easy
access, they can be expensive. However, these systems are popular, as they often come
bundled with new computers, giving you a free trial. 

The third method is to get full, direct access to the World-wide Web. This is known as full
"Slip" access, and allows you to truly surf the Net, with no go-between. The control
programs, and navigation software are on your computer, so you are truly free to go
wherever you want. To get this type of access, you must contract with a local Net Server,
whom, for a small fee, gives you an Internet Protocol Number, and allows you to use his
system to get on the Net directly. In most cases this Server will also provide you with all
the main programs you will need to make use of the Net. Otherwise, the programs may be
purchased at a computer software retail store. 

At the moment, there is no Server in Arnprior, but using an Ottawa telephone access
provider such as Distributel or STN, you can have very reasonable access to a number of
Ottawa-based Servers. There is now a local Server in Renfrew, a couple in Pembroke, and
my sources tell me one is coming to Arnprior in the near future. Rates for use of a server
vary, but I get 20 hours on-line for $14.95 per month, and 70 cents an hour if I exceed my
20 hours. Hook-up charges usually run 20 dollars or so, and that often includes the
programs you will need.

Several questions should be asked when you are shopping for a provider, beyond the
price. One of the most important is the ratio of subscribers to modems. This is critical as
there is no point in having an access which is always busy during the hours you wish to
use the system. A 1 to 10 ratio is acceptable, lower is better. Another critical question is
limitations. Are you restricted in the hours per day you are allowed? This is often the case
with servers who do not have sufficient modems available. Am I allowed to access
anytime, or just during certain hours? This is important if you need 24 hour access. The
answers to these questions will help you choose the right server for you, and your
pocketbook.

The last item I will cover this week is hardware. Will my computer be capable of getting
on the Internet? The answer is probably yes.  A 286 computer or even less will get you
there, but it can be difficult to navigate, and very slow. A modem, or telephone connection
to your computer is a must, and while some providers still have 9600 baud and lower
speeds available, it will take forever to retrieve anything. 

Ideally, you should have a 486/33 computer, capable of running Windows 3.1, a minimum
of 25 megabytes of memory available, 4MB of RAM, and a 14.4kbs modem. Anything
more is even better. Again, before I incur the ire of all the people out there doing it with
much less hardware, let me say again, this column is not intended for those of you who
know what you are doing, but for those of us who want easy, uncomplicated, and trouble-
free access to the Internet. Remember, I have trouble finding the enter key, and didn't 
know what scandisk was until my harddrive crashed. 

Your comments, suggestions, and Internet stories are welcome. In the next column I will
take a look at Netscape, a program which is made to allow you to navigate through the
thousands of places you can go on the Net.

Peter DeWolf is a freelance journalist and former broadcaster, who recently has been
spotted surfing the Internet.
He may be reached concerning this column through this paper, or by e-mail at
whisper@igs.net


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