From: greg@ideath.goldenbear.com (Greg Broiles)
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 93 21:53:38 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: UUNET connections
Message-ID: <8qZ61B1w164w@ideath.goldenbear.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



My previous message re my UUCP connection to UUNET has generated several 
questions in E-mail, as well as a recently posted question about "the $50 
connections to UUNET", so I feel like I oughta answer the question(s) 
apparently created by my quick summary of my use of UUNET's services.

UUNET will allow you to make a UUCP connection to their machines for an 
"administrative fee" of $36 per month, plus hourly connect rates. These 
rates are (as of my booklet rcvd from them in 1/93) $2.60/hr if you call 
their local dialup (NPA 703), and $5.60/hr if you dial in via the Compuserve 
packet network. Their local dialups support the PEP protocol as well as v.32 
connections; I average around 700 cps when I dial in directly with v.32, and 
around 450 cps when I dial in via Compuserve.

The $50 figure I quoted is my average monthly cost for a slow but steady 
trickle of mail (roughly 7K per day) and approximately 20 newsgroups, none 
of which are binary-oriented and none of which are super-high traffic.  This 
includes my hourly cost for both direct-dial and Compuserve connections; I 
prefer to dial in directly, but have my Systems file set up to use 
Compuserve as a backup means of connection when the direct lines are busy 
(which happens with some frequency.)

UUNET will register a domain name for you for free if you are a subscriber; 
if you do not subscribe to their service, the cost is $50.  (I incorrectly 
quoted $25 for this to someone via E-mail.)

UUNET sends a free copy of O'Reilly & Associates' _Managing uucp & Usenet_ 
when you sign up with them; great book, nice touch, probably saves them 
money for all of the questions it answers.

To get in touch with UUNET:

info@uunet.uu.net
or
800-488-6384

I think you could also probably find some information files if you FTP'd to 
ftp.uu.net; I'm unsure about that and offer no guarantees.

UUNET also offers a "low-volume" agreement that I don't know much about 
since I don't subscribe to it. I know that PSI offers similar service; my 
recollection is that they want $75/3mos for mail, and $225/3mos for news, 
flat-rate. PSI can be reached at 'info@psi.com' or 703-620-6651.

I have no connection with UUNET beyond being a happy & satisfied customer; 
I've found them to be friendly & helpful and generally good to work with. 
The folks at PSI seem nice too but their prices for what I want right now 
are higher. UUNET and PSI both offer realtime IP connections, in addition to 
UUCP links like the one I use; call them for more information.


--
Greg Broiles                            greg@goldenbear.com
Golden Bear Consulting                  +1 503 465 0325
Box 12005 Eugene OR 97440               BBS: +1 503 687 7764