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Congratulations!So you've finally purchased that used Alpha or VAX from one of the on-line auctions, or you've rescued one from the dumpster at your place of employment. Good for you! You've registered for and you've got your OpenVMS Hobbyist license, and you've installed OpenVMS, layered products, networking, etc. Excellent! Now you want to connect your new OpenVMS Hobbyist machine to the internet. "But how?", you ask. This page, and the links on it, will attempt to offer you several suggestions for low to moderate cost internet connectivity for your new OpenVMS Hobbyist machine (or machines). Some additional hardware may be required but all of the additional hardware should be well within the typical enthusiastic OpenVMS Hobbyist's budget constraints. In fact, if you shop around, you may find the same, or similar, items priced considerably less than what you see listed herein. For the OpenVMS Hobbyist, there are generally four moderate priced alternatives to connecting your machines to the internet.
Your choice of one or more of these options will depend upon several
factors.
Dial-up service is most likely the least expensive option for accessing the internet. It is also the most readily available option. The other technologies (ISDN, DSL, and Cable modem) are not available in many locations. Depending upon the provider, you will usually pay between $5.00 and $50.00 per month; the actual rate may also depend upon the options you chose with the service. Using this access option, the minimum equipment requirement is a modem. Dial-up service is not fast, but it is convenient and inexpensive for the OpenVMS Hobbyist. A good quality V.90/56K modem will run in the $50.00 to $150.00 range. Both external and internal modems options may be applicable. Internal modems may be used in newer equipment which can support ISA bus devices. If you intend to go with an internal modem in a newer AlphaStation (not an older Turbochannel model), be certain to check the modem page on this site. If you have an older Alpha or VAX, you will likely have to settle for an external modem. In either case, don't skimp and purchase some no-name economy brand. The little extra you pay up front will be well worth the price to spare you from the aggrivation you would experience with a cheap modem. The modem page on this site and the OpenVMS FAQ should provide most, if not all, of the information you will need to connect and use the modem with your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine. Dial-up service providers differ. In general, I'd suggest that you not consider the general cater-to-the-PeeCee crowd providers such as AOL or M$N. These providers use proprietary connection software and protocols which will not be available for your machine. Find yourself a local provider that will support standard SLIP or PPP dial-up connections. Newer versions of TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS (UCX), Multinet and TCPware all support these serial line IP protocols. Consult the appropriate documentation for details. Another consideration to be made in the selection of your service depends upon what you want to do with your machine once connected. If you only want to "surf the web" or peruse FTP sites, you will be well suited for the typical non-static DHCP assigned IP address. If, on the otherhand, you want to connect to your machine from a remote location on the internet or run a server for TELNET, FTP, or HTTP, you will need a static IP address. Discuss these issues with your selected service provider. Some offer static IP options; some do not. You may also want to start with a DHCP setup and later change over to a static IP. It is far easier to find out up front if this is an option with your service provider than it is to go service provider shopping in the future if you decide to change to static IP. Most providers will charge more for a static IP option but it is not an exhorbitant fee; if it is, look elsewhere. Using a conventional modem and SLIP or PPP for connectivity with OpenVMS to your service provider can be trying. You will find that the service provider will be of little or no assistance to you because you are running OpenVMS. Chances are they've never heard of OpenVMS or they have but they have no experience with OpenVMS to assist you in any capacity. Therefore, unless you really enjoy a good fight and you want to fiddle and diddle about to make your machine work with a simple dial-up modem and service, opt out now! All is not lost, however! There is still a great way to get your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine on the internet without a great deal of hassle. The solution lies with some relatively inexpensive hardware -- a LAN modem. Most OpenVMS machines come with an ethernet controller and interface. If this is the case, a LAN modem is far easier to install, configure and be made to work than a simple modem. These devices typically combine a repeater (a hub), software/firmware, and a modem. A good example (and one that I have used) of such a device is the 3com OfficeConnect 56K LAN Modem [see footnote]. Netopia also has a similar device called the R2020 Dual Analog Router which is far more robust and can provide a higher aggregate bandwidth with additional dial-up accounts. The LAN modem approach is probably your best bet in the dial-up arena. These devices typically provide HTTP based configuration, NAT (Network Address Translation), and a way to share your internet connection amongst several machines. (Yes, 56K is not alot of bandwidth to be sharing but it can be done.) The LAN modem does the authentication and handshaking to establish your internet connection and your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine comfortably communicates over its native ethernet interface. In addition, these devices provide some basic internet security and rudimentary firewall capabilities. Such devices are priced in the $150.00 to $350.00 range but are well worth their price. The afforementioned link should provide ample information on a device of this type. A LAN modem can be configured to dial your internet service provider "on demand". Thus, your connection will be made -- if you choose to do so -- only when you request a TCP/IP connection to some machine that is not on your private (local) LAN. This is a convenient feature if you need to share a phone line for other purposes. With a LAN modem, you can also have a static IP address on your OpenVMS Hobbyist system even if your provider only offers dynamic DHCP addressing. The internal LAN side of the modem can be addressed in any fashion you desire. The LAN modem will translate IP packet addresses between the dynamic WAN side and the static LAN side. A LAN modem will also allow more than one machine to access the internet. In addition, some of these devices allow you to forward specific external port requests to different machines on your local LAN. If you decide to go the dial-up route and you want to access your machine while you're away -- assuming you have a static IP -- you will want to insure that your connection stays active. With the dial on-demand feature of the LAN modem, this is easy. You simply need to make sure that there is traffic on your LAN that is always destined for a remote internet site. Some folks do this by writing a script that runs as a detached process and "pings" their favorite internet site or their ISP's gateway periodically. I find this to be a waste of the precious bandwidth you've got. If you want to keep your connection alive, run NTP. It will periodically send packets out to a time server and, in addition to keeping your connection alive, it will keep your system clock in tune to a time standard. If you have to use the bandwidth to maintain a perpetual connection, why not use it wisely?
ISDN service is readily available to areas that do not have other options such as DSL or Cable. It is, however, far more expensive that dial-up and, perhaps, DSL and Cable too. ISDN service entails an installation charge in most areas. This can range from $50.00 to about $300.00. In addition, there is usually a charge based upon usage of the service. The more you use it, the more you pay. Some ISDN service plans do exists for full-time use and range in the $100.00 to $300.00 per month range. This is not an option for the OpenVMS Hobbyist looking for internet connectivity on a budget. ISDN service can provide you with an aggregate bandwidth of about 128Kb. This may or may not be realisable depending upon your internet service provider. Some may only provide a single ISDN channel which will give you only 64Kb. For the price of ISDN, this is not a very suitable option for economical internet access. No OpenVMS Hobbyist machines will permit you to connect to an ISDN line directly. Yes, it is true that some older Alpha machines do have an ISDN port but this option was not supported for OpenVMS. If you are going to go for ISDN service, you will need to look into an ISDN LAN modem. This is a device very similar in nature to the dial-up LAN modem discussed in the prior section. An example of such a device is the 3com OfficeConnect ISDN LAN Modem [see footnote]. These devices are priced in the $200.00 to $400.00 range. There's no sense in repeating what was said for the dial-up LAN modem in the previous section. ISDN LAN modems offer the same features of the dial-up LAN modems. Some more sophisticated features or a more robust user interface may exists, but, in general, there are very few uniquely distinguishing differences between the dial-up LAN modems and the ISDN LAN modems.
DSL service can provide much higher bandwidth than either dial-up or ISDN, and it is priced comparable to that of some dial-up services. If you want or need greater bandwidth and DSL is available, it can't be beat. The only problem presently is that DSL suffers from distance limitations. If you are in a rural area and your telephone company's central office (CO) is more than 2 to 3 miles away, you can probably forget about DSL as an option. DSL presently has some very restrictive distance limitations. If your CO is physically 2 to 3 miles away, you can probably assume that the "wire distance" is even greater. You will need to contact a provider of DSL service to find out if it is available to you. The bandwidth available is affected by the distance from your CO. Also, there are different types of DSL service. Some offer the same bandwidth in both directions (upload and download) whereas other options have asymmetric channel bandwidths. In the latter case, the larger bandwidth is typically presented to the download channel. A special "modem" is required for DSL service. This is usually provided by the DSL provider. There may also be an installation fee associated with the installation. Typically, however, the monthly rate for a DSL service is between $50.00 and $150.00. The fee will likely be geared to the bandwidth that the provider can offer to you. Some DSL providers will install the service over an existing telephone connection; others will install a dedicated circuit for your DSL service. The typical DSL modem will provide an ethernet connection whereby you can connect your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine. Assuming that your VAX or Alpha already has an ethernet interface, there is little to do to use the DSL service other than configuring TCP/IP on your machine. Some DSL modems incorporate a router and (a hub) a repeater or switch. This will depend upon your service provider and the type of service you contract to have them provide. Netopia is one manufacturer providing a wide range of DSL modems and routers. With a DSL service, you do not need to be concerned with schemes to keep your connection alive. DSL is a full-time availability service. As such, it is ideally suited for the OpenVMS Hobbyist that wants to setup their own web site, FTP server, or run their own SMTP server for email. Many DSL providers will configure the DSL modem/router for you if you discuss how you intend to use the device. Many of these modems also provide NAT. I suggest that you configure your DSL modem/router using NAT address and assign each OpenVMS Hobbyist machine one of the NAT addresses. This make things easier on you should you need to move from one provider to another or update from a dynamically assigned IP address to a static IP address or a subnet of IP addresses.
Cable modem service is becoming available in more and more places every day. Cable modem service offers a fairly respectable bandwidth for very reasonable pricing. In most cases, the price per month is below $50.00. Not bad for T1 like bandwidth (typically only for download)! Cable modem service, like DSL service, is a full-time, always-on service. It is provided over the same cable which provides cable television service in your community. Cable modem service installation varies from provider to provider. Many of the providers now offer a "self-installation" option meaning you sign up and they provide a modem that you simply connect to your existing cable televsion service. Others insist that they have to install the modem and software on your PeeCee. Hey, jokes on them when they sit down at your OpenVMS Hobbyist system to try to install their PeeCee only software. Don't fret. Most of the software is little more than a customized browser for the PeeCee that displays the provider's logo prior to your surfing the web. I really don't like the concept of my equipment being a billboard for a service I am already paying good money to obtain. The truth is that as long as your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine has TCP/IP, you can probably connect it to the cable modem without the need for any specialized software. Most of the cable modem service providers will give you an option to rent a cable modem or purchase one outright. I'd suggest, for starters, to rent a modem until you determine that you can configure your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine to work with their service. Then, if you intend to keep the service for a long period, invest in your own cable modem and return the rental. Nearly all cable modem providers will not provide you with a static IP address. They typically DHCP serve IP addresses to clients on their network. If this is the case, you need a TCP/IP stack which will handle DHCP. At the time of this writing, Compaq is reporting that TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS will have a DHCP client available in version V5.1 of the product. Multinet or TCPware, also available under the OpenVMS Hobbyist program from Process Software, are slated to have DHCP clients of their own in the not too distant future. If you are really adventurous, you could try your hand at developing your own DHCP client. For starters, you might want to have a look at some work which has already been done to provide a DHCP client for OpenVMS. Because of the incredible bandwidth available to you with a cable modem, you will likely wish to share it with other machines you may possess. Like the options mentioned for the other services -- Dial-up LAN modem, IDSN LAN modem and the DSL routers -- several manufacturers have started providing cable modem routers. These devices accept the DHCP assigned address of the cable modem service provider and use NAT to provide this service to one or more machines connected on an internal LAN. Therefore, if you do not wish to get one of the TCP/IP stacks which have the DHCP client capability, and you want to share your cable modem service, a cable modem router is just what the doctor ordered. One of the more popular cable modem routers is the LinkSys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router. This device can be purchased for $100.00 to $150.00. It has a simple web interface for configuration and some rudimentary security features. Other manufacturers of similar devices also provide equivalent features.
Obviously, at least I would hope so, you cannot consider one of the aforementioned options if it is not available in your area. The internet access business is becoming very competitive. If you look in your local newspaper you may find several ads for providers. Your local Yellow Pages is also another good source for finding yourself a provider. If you already have cable television and cable modem service seem like the method you'd like to use, call your cable provider to find out if cable modem service is available to you or your area. If you are serious about selecting a broadband (non-dialup) service, one of the better sources for information is www.dslreports.com. This site maintains a wealth of information regarding the various technologies available for greater bandwidth internet access. It also contains reports from many sources -- including customers -- about the service providers. The information presented at this site is, however, not complete nor accurate for every locale. Use it as a guideline and do research any provider before signing any service contract. Call and speak with any provider and their technical support group before signing up for service. Ask them about their "contingency" plans if they lose access to their upper tier provider or if your service should become an issue. A good support staff will make or break your relationship with your service provider. I hate to say it but it is generally true, most dial-up providers and the cable companies have some of the worst technical support departments. They tend to place the owness of the problem squarely on the sholders of the customer. They also assume the the world is a PeeCee. When in doubt about a particular type of service or a particular service provider's record, check out the usenet newsgroups. There are newsgroups in the comp.dcom hierarchy devoted to these internet access technologies. Ask questions there if you are unsure about some aspect of a service or service provider you wish to use.
Everybody would like to have their own IP address to place their OpenVMS Hobbyist system on the internet. It just isn't feasible with some of the providers or the types of service. I've covered this in the sections discussing each of the available access technologies. In general, a DSL provider is the most likely to provide you with a static IP allocation. Then comes ISDN, dial-up and cable modem. Again, this is not a concrete rule; it is more a general observation. If you shop around, you can very likely find a provider who will set you up with a static IP if you need it. It is certainly far easier to setup your TCP/IP network software if you have a static IP address. Cable modem service, however, is usually provided by the cable company which has been awarded the franchise in your area. If this is your only option for high speed connectivity, you may be faced with dealing with DHCP. If you really want some way to access your machine remotely, you might consider backing up your high-speed service with a dial-up providing you a static IP.
Once you have decided to sign-on with a particular service provider -- independent of the technology -- they all have Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) or Terms and Conditions of use policies (T&Cs). Some of these policies may prohibit you from using your internet connection provided by the service provider to do some of the things you intended to do with the service. Many of the prohibitions in these policies stem from the ISP's fear that you might resell internet service or swamp their infrastructure with some service (in terms of a server) you provide on your OpenVMS Hobbyist system. All of the providers will have clauses about using the connection for illicit purposes. They will also prohibit you from feigning addresses and impersonating other users. Unlike those rogue PeeCee users running Micro$oft warez, all OpenVMS users (save for one slubberdegullion in Hoboken, NJ) are conscientious upstanding citizens; hence, this should not be an issue of concern. However, be forwarned that you could face termination of the service you worked so hard and diligently to find and setup if you violate any of the restrictions in these policies. In general, cable modem providers unanimously prohibit servers of any kind on their networks. Does this mean that if you startup the TELNET server your service will be terminated? Not likely. Many people do setup servers to access their own machine for personal use. These providers are generally looking to keep people from consuming all of the available bandwidth for themselves and by prohibiting servers they believe they can accomplish this goal. Am I saying that you can run a server? Absolutely not! I'm just stating what has been observed and reported by people in the various comp.dcom newsgroups. What I am saying is that if you had intended to run even a seldom accessed web server, your service provider might prohibit that activity. I'm an honest and upstanding citizen -- I even return money to people that make a mistake making change. I am only warning you that such restrictions do exist. Consider this while you are shopping for an internet access provider.
This page has discussed a number of options for connecting your OpenVMS Hobbyist system(s) to the internet. Some methods -- actually all of them -- require additional hardware to some degree. This hardware may or may not be provided by the ISP as a part of the internet service you select. If not provided by the ISP, you will have to obtain the necessary hardware yourself. Shop around! There are many mail-order houses which retail the necessary equipment. You can usually find the same or similar device for a few dollars less if you are willing to take the time. There is no shame in owning used equipment. In fact, your OpenVMS Hobbyist machine may very likely be used equipment. If you can find the necessary equipment used, go for it if you can get some sort of guarantee that it is functional. The on-line auction sites are also a great source for such equipment. Many of the items up for auction on these sites are pulled from service because newer equipment is replacing it.
The following table will sum up the key point presented on this page in an easy to visualize comaprison chart.
Several name brand components have been mentioned on this page. I do not endorse any equipment or software. I have merely presented the names of products that I have had the experience of using or testing. I make no claims that these are the best of products in their category. In addition, the lack of mention of any other brand of equipment should not be construed to mean that they are inferior in any way. I possess (or I have possessed) and I use (or have used) the 3Com, Netopia, and Linksys equipment discussed on this page. The Netopia equipment, in my humble opinion, is the most robust, well engineered and easiest to use of all of the manufacturer's equipment mentioned on this page. I no longer possess the Netopia R3100 DSL router. It was replaced with a Netopia R5300 T1 router when I upgraded from a DSL to T1 service.
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