response 25 of 55:

Dec 18 23:00 UTC 1994

What are what?  Those (potential) costs could be divided as
follows:
        hardware link charges (the phone line) [monthly]
        hardware per-link costs (the modems) [once only]
        router slice costs (the pc-route box, the nas)
                [on our end, once only, but generally
                priced on a monthly basis by most
                internet service providers.]
        indirect network charges - the costs of
                being connected to everything else.
                (ie, "our share" of the other routers
                on the path to the other end.)
                [usually priced monthly on the basis
                of potential bandwidth used.]

response 27 of 55:

Dec 18 23:30 UTC 1994

We also have 6 regular dial-in lines, at about $15 a month, electricity
at something like $90 a month, and rent for the dungeon at $25 a month.

response 29 of 55:

Jan 19 05:36 UTC 1995

I'm quite new to this discussion, but it seems that you've got an awfully good
deal going with ICNet, a connection I use and rarely have ANY trouble with, 
and the Merit deal, while *perhaps* leading to greater Michigan access, will
be losing a great deal of its value when free public access is cut. (IMHO)

response 31 of 55:

Jan 19 14:42 UTC 1995

Re 29: If I understand it right, the reason for using the Merit deal is
precicely because people will still be able to use Merit to reach Grex
even after free public access is cut.

response 33 of 55:

Jan 26 19:53 UTC 1995

        Valerie, how?

response 35 of 55:

Jan 26 21:22 UTC 1995

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but if Merit eliminates free public access (as is
planned, if I recall) then is it not true that significantly fewer ppl will
be able to access Grex through Merit?  If I'm still OK here, then all I am 
saying is that the Merit hookup loses a great deal of its value and appeal at
that point.

response 37 of 55:

Jan 26 23:42 UTC 1995

It all depends on how you measure "significantly" -- and it also depends
on how it's implemented.  It won't affect Mark's access, for instance,
'cause he's coming in from out of state.  Primarily, it will affect
people who are in michigan, but not local to A^2/ypsi - or something
like 5-10% of our user population (?).  Even there, it's a bit hard to
analyze, because many of those people are students (so will continue to
have access).  An additional factor is that it's entirely possible
libraries, freenets, or other organizations might fill in part of the
gap there, and grant access to some or all of those users.

If a "grex" login meant an "authorized account" to the Merit NAS, then
it's not very likely the Merit people will be at all thrilled by
"newuser".

response 39 of 55:

Jan 27 07:11 UTC 1995

Re #38, the people coming in from those routes will be affected, but some 
will just be inconvenienced (they have other free routes), while some will
probably lose free access altogether. 

response 41 of 55:

Jan 27 15:19 UTC 1995

Yeah, it's been discussed a lot in the "system problems" item in agora.

response 43 of 55:

Feb 28 23:23 UTC 1995

Actually, what sidhe is talking about seems to be amazingly consistant
with my experience. In attempting to get a newuser here, we went
through NAS. It was the most direct route.
  
However, the last thing that would appear on the screen was the
ICNet line - - -then BLANKNESS -total, complete and unremitting.
  
We tried a couple of times on a couple of days. 
  
However, by going through an intermediary machine from NAS to here,
everything worked just nifty!
  
Color us confused.

response 45 of 55:

Mar 2 06:29 UTC 1995

staff??

response 47 of 55:

Mar 3 08:39 UTC 1995

Ummmmm, it the problem is because of some protocol that Merit is
implementing incorrectly, why is the fix Grex's burden? (or ICNet's?)

response 49 of 55:

Mar 3 17:39 UTC 1995

Tell Merit "Thpppbt!" and to fix THEIR machine !!  Bleah.