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In some areas, packet data services and commercial data transportation services
may help keep costs down. However, in most parts of the world, accessing
through the Internet access providers is usually the cheapest
solution.
 This chapter is about reducing
your costs of using the web, mailing lists, and the Internet and online services
in general.
Connecting
Long distance calls may be preferable for some applications. One example:
A Norwegian Internet provider has a very lousy connection to the rest of
the country's network. Anything but reading web pages on their server
is too slow for my taste. The same web pages are normally received two to
three times faster by calling long distance to an access provider in Oslo.
Therefore, this is my favorite when working under time-pressure.
Where long-distance communication
is unreliable, the ability to link a local call with an international online
network may also be liberating.
Others investigate alternative
routings for their data. One option is the packet data networks. Several
countries have Public Data Networks (PDNs) operated by local telecommunications
authorities. These services mey be cheaper than direct calls for some
applications, but more expensive than using other options mentioned in this
chapter.
Another option is to use
traditional commercial online services like
CompuServe and American
Online.
"CompuServe!" you protest.
"I just want Internet." The interesting thing is that CompuServe,
American Online, and others like them, let you connect to the Internet through
their network. You can even use your web and Internet mail program. In some
countries, it may be cheaper to use CompuServe and AOL as your Internet provider.
For years, it was an exciting
experience to retrieve web pages from the United States through CompuServe.
No local Norwegian Internet providers could provide the pages you're reading
now from
http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/
at the same blitzing speed.
Having an extra route may also
be important that day when your local access providors let you down. This
regularly happens to me. Late one evening, called a journalist doing a story
for the next morning edition. I provided an important web address in the
US, but the journalist said access was unavailable. I checked with two local
internet providers, and indeed, access to any US web address was impossible
at the moment. Only by going through CompuServe, could I provide the desired
information.
There are also other global
networks worthy of investigation. Include The IBM Global Network, and The
Microsoft Network (MSN). (See Appendix 1 for links.)
Reducing the cost of using the Web
There are so many things that you can do to reduce your Web payments, and
pointers to them are given throughout the handbook:
-
Use the web at times when traffic is low. See
the Internet Traffic
Report for hints about when that might be.
-
Retrieve Web pages by electronic mail (see "The World Wide Web by email"
in Chapter 12).
-
Leave the graphics behind and travel the Web at much higher speeds. To set
it: In Netscape, click on Options, Autoload Image, and Save Options.
-
If you're using DOS, use Lynx from your provider's Unix prompt to read Web
pages where graphics don't matter. (See Appendix 6.)
Then there's the issue of offline preparation. What else would you
expect here than a plug for having the handbook on your hard disk? Registered
readers can retrieve
the html version
after each update as one compressed file.
Decompress the transportation
file, and store it in a directory of choice on your hard disk. Netscape users
can click on File, and then Open File... Open the location of the handbook's
index file (index.html), and add it to your browser's Bookmarks for easy
access.
Retrieve a copy of the free
AltaVista Discovery program (see Chapter 14)
for Windows 95/98, or the Lookfor shareware program for MS-DOS from the page
referenced above. Use either of these programs to locate interesting Web
pages.
Quick capture, read offline.
Netscape uses a special cache directory for temporary storage of files. It
is set by clicking on Options, Preferences, Cache and Network. I use a 600
KB Memory Cache, and a 1500 KB Disk cache.
Whatever files are received
from the Internet are stored in this cache. They will probably remain there
until specifically removed (deleted), -- even after leaving Windows. Therefore,
unless you use the "Clear Disk Cache now" option on the Setup menu regularly,
you can read them offline.
Everything is there. This
means that you can go online, get the pages, log out, and read the pages
as local files off your cache directory.
Reducing the cost of using mailing lists
The problem of using mailing lists is that all discussion items come to you
in individual messages. Each message comes with its own mailer header, and
this information is generally completely useless. (Read "Returned mail" in
Chapter 7 for details.)
Newer versions of the LISTSERV
software provide settings that solve this problem, notably the DIGEST and
the INDEX options. You can set these options by email to the server, or (easier)
using the mailing list's web interface.
The DIGEST option
makes all daily messages come to you in one, single message. This is a big
help on systems with limits on the number of messages that can be received.
It will help manage the flow of message. Also, it makes the messages
easier to retrieve, print, and deliver as individual messages.
The INDEX option
gives you a daily list of messages as in this abridged example
from Net-Happenings:
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 10:15:25 -0600
Reply-To: NET-HAPPENINGS-Search-request@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU
Sender: Net-Happenings <NET-HAPPENINGS@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU>
From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU>
Subject: NET-HAPPENINGS Index - 3 Feb 2000 to 4 Feb 2000 - Special issue
(#2000-61)
Index Date Size Poster and subject
----- ---- ---- ------------------
018502 02/04 55 From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@rrnet.com>
Subject: K12> [ClassWeb] Technology, Learning & Children
Symposia call for presenters
018503 02/04 20 From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@rrnet.com>
Subject: UPDATED> TURTLE TRACKS Native American Newsletter
for Children
018504 02/04 20 From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@rrnet.com>
Subject: K12> The School Teacher Mailing List/ Web Site
018505 02/04 55 From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@rrnet.com>
Subject: MISC> [DUC] HUMOR AND WISDOM: How to Deal With All
of the Complaints That theVet-Pet List is TOO USEFUL
018506 02/04 54 From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@rrnet.com>
Subject: K12> S.O.S. -- Help for Busy Teachers 2/4/00
The sizes shown are the number of lines in the messages, not counting mail
headers.
To order the messages you are interested in, simply reply to this message and
include the original text, just as when you are replying to a normal message
and want to quote what your correspondent said. Before sending the message,
delete the lines corresponding to the items you are not interested in, and make
sure your reply is going to
"NET-HAPPENINGS-Search-request@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU", NOT to
"NET-HAPPENINGS@HYPATIA.CS.WISC.EDU".
Many Listservs have this as an undocumented feature.
In some mail programs, like
Eudora Pro 4.2, this is very easy:
-
Mark off the index number you want to retrieve
-
Click on the "Reply" button, and a mail is automatically prepared with just
the marked text in place
-
Hit the "Queue" or "Send" button to send.
Click here to
see how users of the
Kidlink mailing
lists do it.
Using Packet Data Networks
Before you can use a packet data network, you must get a "Network User
Identification" (NUI) from the PDN carrier. You must also know the Network
User Address (NUA) of the hosts you want to access.
In Scandinavia, the local
PDNs are called Datapak. In China, it is called CNPAC (or CHINAPAC). PDNs
can be accessed by direct local calls or through leased lines. To personal
users, direct calls are least expensive. A leased line may be cost efficient
when the daily volume is high, like in a company.
When you communicate with
online services through a PDN, the latter will split your data and bundle
it in standard envelopes or 'packets'.
Each packet is marked with
a code and sent out into the data stream. Based on this code, the packet
is routed from computer center to computer center until it reaches its final
destination. There, the information will be reassembled into its original
form before being handed over to a user or online service.
It is almost like traveling
by train. The price per packet or traveler is lower than what it costs to
rent the whole train for your trip.
National telecommunications
monopolies were the first to offer packet data services. Their rates were
moderately lower than for long distance calls, but it was hard to find the
relationship between real costs and prices. This is still the situation in
several countries.
Throughout the world, efforts
to privatize nationwide phone networks continue. In many countries, this
has given us some interesting competitors offering attractive rates for similar
services.
Rates differ considerably
from country to country, as does the quality of transmissions. The advantage
of using packet data also varies considerably, by application and by country.
The best routing for retrieval of online news may be impossibly expensive
for chats or complex online jobs.
We can offer no hard rules
of thumb, except this:
Compare rates regularly!
What is cheapest?
Some networks and access providers charge by the year, month or hour, while
others charge by volume (number of characters transferred per minute).
A reasonable fixed rate per
year is always your best option, but you may not be able to find such offerings
in your area.
When your transmitted volume
of data is low, as is the case with chats, your best bet is to use services
with a low price per minute and high prices for volume. However, it usually
makes a lot of sense to avoid services charging for volume!
When volume is high, your
best bet is to use services charging by the minute.
To estimate costs reliably,
you need statistics. Since your usage is likely to differ from what others
do, start gather experience data now. Like this:
On services only charging for connect time
Capture trip information to a log file. Register the following information:
* number of minutes connected * modem speed * number of characters sent.
Some communication programs can do this automatically for you.
On services charging for time and volume
Log the following information: * number of minutes connected * modem speed
* number of segments or packets (measurements of volume) You need these numbers
to estimate the average volume of data transferred by minute. Here are some
general experiences and hints:
Long streams of data without
stops are cheaper through services that only charge by the minute. Retrieving
software is a typical high volume application.
Trips that include navigation
from conference to conference, with a little bit of up- and downloading here
and there, make the average transfer speed fall dramatically. Surfing the
World Wide Web is usually in the same class. It's like driving through a
big city at 150 kilometers per hour. Red lights will considerably reduce
your average speed.
The actual transferred volume
of text per minute will differ from place to place (geographically), and
often also from call to call. It depends on factors like:
-
How fast you can enter commands and how much time you spend staring at the
display before pressing keys,
-
How long it takes for an online service to react to your commands. For example,
the response time on CompuServe at 04:00 GMT on a Friday morning (it is evening
in the U.S.) is much worse than at 10:30 GMT on a Sunday morning. By now,
most North American users are asleep.
-
The load on your packet data network while you use the service (or the amount
of noise and retransmission, when calling direct),
-
The type of modem you are using (speed, compression level),
-
The number of commands you (or your scripts) have to enter during your online
visit. An increase in the number of commands reduces the average transfer
speed.
-
The amount of transfer overhead for color and screen handling (like, VT-100
or html codes) that is transferred with your text.
-
Your use of menus and help texts while online, or whether you come as "expert"
with a minimum of prompts.
-
Whether your browser is set to capture all pictures and sound files that
it comes across, or just the text.
It is impossible to calculate the practical effects of these items. You will
just have to bear them in mind when estimating typical jobs, measuring speeds,
calculating costs, and comparing networks.
Finding the optimal network
for your needs will take time, but it is well worth the effort. Expect the
figures to surprise you.
The network services in this
chapter will often give you better quality transfers than a direct call.
On the other hand, calling direct may give more characters transferred per
minute. The average speed may drop dramatically when using packet data services.
The cost of using PDN services
Most commercial online services can be reached through national PDNs, but
you may have problems finding the correct NUA (Network User Address) to get
there. Your PDN may not have a directory of available "electronic telephone
numbers" for you to consult.
The Norwegian PDN, Datapak,
used to be my only alternative for access to foreign online services. At
the time, I thought the cost was acceptable. Not so any more.
My applications require that
data be pumped back and forth at maximum speed. On network services charging
by a combination of volume and time, 80 percent of my costs are typically
for volume, while 20 percent is for connect time.
When I logged out after a
successful visit to CompuServe through Datapak,
the two services gave similar reports:
Thank you for using CompuServe!
Off at 10:11 EST 24-Nov-87
Connect time = 0:15
CLR PAD (00) 00:00:14:55 537 75
The last line were from Datapak. It tells that I had received 537 segments
and sent 75.
The "Segment" is Datapak's
volume measure. Their segments contained up to sixty-four characters and/or
carriage returns. The price is calculated accordingly.
At today's prices, Datapak
is no longer my cheapest alternative even when calling CompuServe for chats.
It is much cheaper to use the Internet telnet command through a local access
provider. Then, the lack of speed matters less as I do not have to pay for
volume.
The slower your modem speed,
the more attractive is Datapak compared with direct calls.
To get access to a national
PDN, you must have a user identification and a password. Getting temporary
access to PDN services while traveling abroad is often hard and expensive.
You're better off using some of the other global networks as your "roaming"
service.
Note: If you have access to a national PDN, but need information
about PDNs in other countries, try Hostess, the Global Network Service's
information service from British Telecom in England. The NUA is 02342 1920101013
(02342 is the Data Network Identifier Code section of the address.) User
name or password is not required to use this service.
Outdial services
SprintNet used to let American users call bulletin boards in North America
at lower rates through their PC Pursuit service. For a modest subscription
rate they could call a local access number. Once connected, they entered
an electronic phone-number to connect to a so-called 'outdial modem' in another
city. Once connected to the outdial modem, they could enter dialing commands
and have it call any local number. They could use PC Pursuit to call an online
service in the area, or the private modem of a friend.
We call such services for
Outdial service. They normally offer lower rates for access to remote bulletin
boards than what it costs to call by long distance. Besides, they reduce
the chances for noise on the line.
With the start of the Internet,
outdial services have lost most of their appeal. PC Pursuit is no longer
available. Most others are also dead.
Cheaper access to CompuServe
Wherever CompuServe has local access points, you
will probably be better off using these. No special agreement is required.
Your CompuServe ID is all you need. The cost of using these services will
appear on your CompuServe bill.
If you have access to Internet's
telnet command, then this is an option well worth checking out.
CompuServe has special deals with a list of network
services, like InfoNet, Istel, FALNET, FENICS, CompuPass, LATA Networks,
Tymnet/Sprintnet. Enter the command GO PHONES on
CompuServe for access information, and GO RATES
for rates.
I have used CompuPass from
Japan, CompuServe's own network in Brazil, Europe
and the United States, Istel, InfoNet, and PDN services throughout Europe.
Most of the time my application is Internet mail.
You can forward your Internet mail to CompuServe by entering the following
command at your access provider's Unix prompt:
echo "70000.0000@compuserve.com" >~/.forward
Make sure you're in your home directory when entering the command, and
replace the fake CompuServe address above with your own.
When you return home, use this command to cancel the forward
instruction:
rm ~/.forward
You can also use this trick to forward your mail to other Internet
hosts.
When at home, I usually use CompuServe's 28,800 bps node in Oslo, Norway.
Datapak is never considered. It is too expensive. CompuServe's nodes in Stockholm
and Copenhagen are my backups.
Whenever CompuServe opens a new node in your vicinity, or upgrades the
modem speed on one of their nodes, look at the effects on your total costs.
Use software for automatic
access and navigation. They give higher volume per minute and make your accesses
even more cost efficient.
Before leaving for a business trip, visit CompuServe to find local access
numbers in your destination cities. The list of countries includes Australia,
Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Holland, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
England, and many more.
FidoNet - grassroots playground
FidoNet is an amateur network consisting of tens of thousands of bulletin
boards all over the world. The network is "loosely coupled," meaning that
most of the participating boards are not always connected. They call each
others at regular intervals to exchange mail, often in the middle of the
night when the rates are low. (See Appendix 1)
Other grassroots networks
It doesn't take much to set up a bulletin board service, and it is as easy
to connect BBS systems to each other in a dial-up network for regular exchanges
of email, files and conferences.
All over the world, grassroots
networks keep popping up with names like ILINK, AmNet, Suedd MB-Verbund,
Starmail, MagicNet, A-NET, MausNet, Zerberus-Netz, SMBX-NET, BASA-NETZ, you
name it.
Many boards offer access to
more than one grassroots network, and also to the Internet. Thus, the ability
to send global email is extended to new users every day.
RelayNet is one of these global
network of bulletin boards. It offers exchange of email between systems.
Messages and conference items entered on one system will automatically be
copied to other participating boards. Your costs for "talking" with others
in other parts of the world are very small. |
