response 1 of 51:

Oct 27 04:48 UTC 1995

  Below is some info from a message from Jared Mauch, which I asked about
in regard to some comments in M-Net's policy conference.  M-Net is also
planning on upgrading to ISDN, and MSEN, their current ISP has offered
an at-cost connection (M-Net pays for two Terminal Adapters (TAs) and two
Ameritech ISDN lines; Internet fees are waived).  Jared runs a system
which already uses ISDN, so it's nice to hear from someone who's taken
the plunge!
 
> From: Jared Mauch <jared@nether.net>, Sun, 8 Oct 1995 21:20:41 -0400 (EDT)
>
> Detailed notes on ISDN:
>
>         1) Per minute charges apply ONLY, when a business is involved, and
> the call is placed as a data call.
>         2) Individuals get unlimited local usage, per their standard
> calling plan, either 50 call, or 400 call, whichever you have.
>         3) You can make the call as a VOICE call as a business, and avoid
> per minute charges.  Advantages of making the call as a voice call:
>         a) Not all switches are 64k clean, making the call as a voice call
> allows you to make the call as a 56k call instead, losing less than 1k of
> bandwidth, but insuring that the call can be placed in it's entirety.
>         b) Ameritech is currently going to the state legislature,
> trying to modify the laws on telecommunications.  See the info at
> http://www.state.mi.gov/ if I recall correctly.  Bill #722 is the number,
> you can download the file in Microsoft Word rtf, or Wordperfect format.
>
> Charges:
>         $149 line install
>         $33/mo

response 3 of 51:

Nov 2 16:20 UTC 1995

        The rates shown above is not bad..

response 5 of 51:

Nov 3 06:33 UTC 1995

Probably closer to $700 for a quality terminal adapter and NT1 terminator.
Though some are under $500 now.  Selection may be swayed by what the ISP
recommends.

response 7 of 51:

Nov 8 21:30 UTC 1995

  Each end would need a $700ish (+/- $300) Terminal Adapter and Network
Terminator ("NT1" - some TAs have integrated NT1s now).  Whether Grex
would pay for one end, or both ends, depends on the deal struck with an
ISP.  In M-Net's case, for example, MSEN offered free Internet access,
but M-Net had to pay for the equipment and line on both ends.  But I
think if they were paying the $500/month Internet charge, they'd only
pay for equipment on one end.

response 9 of 51:

Dec 5 20:51 UTC 1995

I, for one, don't see the need for ISDN or, really, even the Sun 4.  With
all the net surfers out there, a bigger, faster system will quickly be 
bogged down to the point where useres find it too slow.  After a while
the users won't know that your running a faster system and have a faster
connection.

response 11 of 51:

Dec 6 01:11 UTC 1995

Speaking of slowness, over the past two or three days Grex' Internet
connection has been entombed in molasses!  It used to be usable with
lynx, but recently it takes forever to even reach Yahoo.
        What gives?

response 13 of 51:

Dec 6 02:29 UTC 1995

Re 11 - David, you're one of the few people who can lighten
our load average.  GET M-NET WORKING AGAIN!!!  >8)

response 15 of 51:

Dec 6 04:01 UTC 1995

Re 8: We are planning to get an ISDN connection, if we can find something
affordable.  I've got quotes right now from several different Internet
providers.  All are higher than what we had budgeted for this, but some seem
reachable.

response 17 of 51:

Dec 6 14:05 UTC 1995

They are confidential: several quotes are listed as "this is a special price
for Grex, offered on condition that you not reveal the price to the public."

response 19 of 51:

Dec 6 19:35 UTC 1995

   Christopher, without having yet seen Valerie's list of offers
from people, I can tell you that from the talking I've done to
verious ISP's, mostly via email, when they've offered deals to
an organization that "deserves" discounts, a 128K ISDN connection
ranges from $100/mo to $500/mo.  Thats pretty weird, but the whole
system of BIG.ISP-feeds-little.ISP is odd.  For one thing, they
often times make the receipiant sign something that says they
won't reveal the price, becuase the little ISP was told this by
the big one.  All in all, odd.

response 21 of 51:

Dec 7 08:22 UTC 1995

Compared to the size of grex, there is, out in the internet, an infinite
supply of customers.  Therefore, the regulating factor on the speed of
the system is the patience of people, and a faster system merely means
more users.  However that is, indeed, no reason not to push for a faster
system; indeed I think more users is a perfectly reasonable goal.  Some
peole think more users inevitably leads to a lower quality of system; I
don't believe that's true.  I do think more people can lead to a richer
system, because it's easier to find people who are interested in more
esoteric interests.

response 23 of 51:

Dec 8 14:50 UTC 1995

Ya can't save your cake and eat it too.  There are hundreds in the bleachers,
mud pies in hand, should you "tweek" their perceived definition of this open
system.  It would, however, be nice and I too agree with #21.