Providing reliable, easy-to-use Internet service is big business today. However, for the consumer, choosing the right provider can be a little like buying a new car; it may take a little legwork to figure out all the options and find the best buy. Some providers deal only in providing network access-that is, you work for a business or university and need to purchase an Internet connection. Other providers offer dial-up access that you can use from home and some supply both. As a follow-up to Geraldine MacDonald's article in the May/June '95 Educom Review, another set of commercial Internet access providers is included, along with what you might call a consumers' buying guide for purchasing an Internet connection for home use. As MacDonald mentioned, parents and alumni of students are getting online and staying involved. It's up to us in higher education to find the most effective means for them to keep in touch.
The three providers portrayed in this article (Performance Systems International, Inc., Netcom and UUNet Technologies, Inc.) may not be household names as familiar as America Online or Prodigy, but they are definitely worth investigating. Installation and registration are moderately easy and all billing is handled via credit card. Client software provided comes in two flavors; it's either commercially available (like InterNet Chameleon by NetManage, Inc. used by UUNet and PSI) or it's homegrown (like Netcom's NetCruiser interface).
Now for a more in-depth look at each company.
Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI)
510 Huntmar Park Drive, Herndon, VA 22070
Phone: 1-800-82PSI82, Fax: 1-800-FAXPSI1, Email: [email protected], [email protected], WWW: http://www.psi.net
Product: InterRamp
PSI, Inc. provides dial-up, ISDN or leased line access (including ATM switches and T3 circuits) to individuals and corporations alike. Serving the nation, they have a local phone number in more than 80 major metropolitan areas. Organized in 1989, PSI runs the PSINet, its backbone that includes all of the technologies mentioned above, in addition to frame relay. Over 40 percent of the U.S. Internet, PSI claims, is concentrated on PSINet. Corporate services are offered at a variety of levels, from InterFrame, the fully managed Internet access solution using frame relay that offers speeds from 56Kbps to full T1; InterMAN, which addresses more cost-effective and high-bandwidth needs with speeds of T1, 10Mbps and T3; InterPPP, a low-cost, 56Kbps Internet solution, to LAN On-Demand, which offers modem connections at 14.4/28.8Kbps and ISDN connections at 64/128Kbps.
The dial-up personal service tested for this article, InterRamp, provides TCP/IP access via V.32bis/V.34 modems or ISDN. Windows 3.1 users can try either NetManage Internet Chameleon or Frontier Technologies Corp. SuperHighway Access while Macintosh users can use InterCon TCP/Connect II Remote or Software Ventures MicroPhone LT. Unix software is also available as are beta versions of software for Windows NT and Windows 95. A free seven-day trial allows the client to test drive the system before buying. Once the trial account is established, you'll have PPP dial-up access to the Internet, including a POP3 e-mail box, a Usenet news account and access to WWW, FTP and Telnet sites.
Netcom
3031 Tisch Way, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: 1-800-353-6600, Fax: 1-408-241-9145, Email: [email protected], WWW: http://www.netcom.com
Product: NetCruiser
Like PSI, Inc., Netcom has a nationwide network available to individuals and businesses alike. Internet service is offered from the dial-up level to high-speed dedicated lines. Commercial subscribers can find frame relay access, 56Kbps digital network connections and T1 service readily available. Netcom's presence can be felt all over the U.S.; in late September, they opened their 200th local access point, known as a POP (Point of Presence). It's the POP that lets you dial into the Internet through a local phone call. Currently, the company is upgrading local access points to 28.8Kbps and is introducing an ATM backbone into its network.
The most outstanding and fun part of Netcom is their NetCruiser Internet access software. Through one Winsock-compliant, Windows-based software package, clients can access a World Wide Web browser, Telnet, use a gopher program, do e-mail, participate in Usenet news, do FTP and use Internet Relay Chat. When you start up NetCruiser, you're brought to Netcom's Web home page, which is divided into about a dozen categories, such as Weather, Sports, News and Career Choices, to name a few. One nice touch about their Pocket Guide to Getting Started, that comes with the NetCruiser software, is a listing of more than 80 popular/unusual WWW sites, just right for the novice getting started. A Macintosh-compatible version of NetCruiser is planned for release in the first quarter of 1996.
UUNet Technologies, Inc.
3060 Williams Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22031-4648
Phone: 1-703-206-5440, Fax: 1-703-206-5601, Email: [email protected], WWW: http://www.uu.net
Product: AlterDial
Founded in May 1987, UUNet offered the first commercial-quality service for Usenet and UUCP connectivity. UUNet is a leading supplier of Internet access options, applications and consulting services to businesses and online service providers. UUNet's infrastructure is a fully-redundant 45-Mbps ATM backbone that will offer dial-up access to more than 150 U.S. and overseas cities by year end. The company offers AlterNet and AlterDial, its dedicated and dial-up Internet access, respectively. UUNet also offers LanGuardian, a data encryption device that provides enterprise-wide security Internet communication and is a reseller of the Gauntlet� Firewall System, a hardware and software firewall solution that protects a company's resources from unauthorized access.
AlterDial access offers PPP support to your home at speeds up to 28.8Kbps. NetManage Chameleon and Spry Internet-in-a-Box are supported for Windows 3.1. Macintosh users can use InterCon's TCP/Connect II software and Unix users can use Morning Star PPP.
Commercial services include dedicated direct IP connectivity from 56Kbps leased lines or 56Kbps frame relay up to tiered T3. Dial-up direct IP offers up to 28.8Kbps modem or ISDN connectivity.
Summary
Ease of installation and registration was about equal with all three providers. Sometimes you enter your credit card number with spaces; sometimes you don't. Netcom and PSI set up your accounts within 15 minutes of registration; UUNet's account was ready by 8 a.m. the following morning. The UUNet package as delivered offered the fewest phone numbers to connect for access. One wasn't available at the time of testing for our area (Hartford, CT).
Each provider offers full Internet services, including e-mail, Telnet, FTP, Usenet news, WWW access and Internet Relay Chat. Using a 14.4Kbps modem, we found all connections to be quick and reliable. As you can see from the matrix, fees vary widely.
In closing, you can't go wrong choosing any of the providers tested. Be a good consumer; kick the tires, take a drive and check out that sticker price. Then plunk your money down and jump on the highway!
Authors' Note: An additional provider, Shecora Associates, Inc. (P.O. Box 778, Brookline, NH 03033-0778, Phone: 603-672-0736) was contacted for this article. Shecora distributes the NetCruiser product for their Internet service provider, Netcom, and therefore, wasn't individually evaluated.
Consumer Comparison Guide
Access Provider: Performance Systems International, Inc.
Services Offered: Dial-up modem and ISDN, leased line up to T3 speeds
National Provider: Yes
Name of Service Tested: InterRamp Dial-up PPP access
Mac version available? Yes, InterCon TCP/Connect II Remote or Software Ventures MicroPhone LT
Windows version available? NetManage Internet Chameleon or Frontier Technologies Corp. SuperHighway Access
Dial-up speeds: V.32 bis - Yes, V.34 - Yes, ISDN - Yes
Tools available: e-mail, news (Usenet), Gopher, Archie, Telnet, FTP, Chat - Yes
Other Tools: Ping, Finger, Whois
Personalize own Email account name? Yes, one-time fee of $19
Trial Period available? Yes, 7-day free trial
Subscription Rates, Package A: $50 one-time software fee, $9 one-time registration fee, $9/month for 9 hours, $1.50/hour for each add. hour.
Subscription Rates, Package B: $50 one-time software fee, $9 one-time registration fee, $29/month for 29 hours, $1.50/hour for each add. hour
Access Provider: Netcom
Services Offered: Dial-up modem and ISDN, Frame Relay, speeds up to T1
National Provider: Yes
Name of Service Tested: Netcom's NetCruiser Dial-up PPP access
Mac version available? Available in first quarter of 1996
Windows version available? Netcom's NetCruiser v2.0
Dial-up speeds: V.32 bis - Some available, V.34 - Yes, ISDN - Yes
Tools available: e-mail, news (Usenet), Gopher, Archie, Telnet, FTP, Chat - Yes
Other Tools: None
Personalize own Email account name? Yes, standard
Trial Period available? No
Subscription Rates, Package A: $25 registration fee, (may be waived). $19.95/month, includes 40 hours/month of prime time access (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - midnight) or 320 hours off peak. $2/hour for each add. hour over 40 hours/month.
Subscription Rates, Package B: Same
Access Provider: UUNet Technologies, Inc.
Services Offered
Dial-up modem, 56K leased line, 56K Frame Relay, T1, T3
National Provider: Yes
Name of Service Tested:AlterDial Dial-up PPP access
Mac version available? Yes, InterCon TCP/Connect II Remote
Windows version available? NetManage Internet Chameleon or Spry Internet-in-a-Box
Dial-up speeds: V.32 bis - Yes, V.34 - Yes, ISDN - Yes
Tools available: e-mail, news (Usenet), Gopher, Archie, Telnet, FTP, Chat - Yes
Other Tools: Ping, Finger, Whois
Personalize own Email account name? Yes, additional fee
Trial Period available? No
Subscription Rates, Package A: $25 registration fee. $30/month service fee includes 25 hours/month of local usage. $2/hour connection cost to local hub (after first 25 hours), $6/hour surcharge to 800 number at all times, $10/month optional charge for each additional POP e-mail account.
Subscription Rates, Package B: Same
Allyn B. Chase is director of information technology operations at Wesleyan University. Paul A. Zocco is microcomputing specialist at Wesleyan University.