From: edgar@spectrx.saigon.com (Edgar W. Swank)
Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion
Subject: Re:Setting up home system for internet
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 92 03:58:17 PST
Organization: SPECTROX SYSTEMS (408)252-1005 Silicon Valley, Ca

I sent the following msg via E-Mail to Tom Droege on Nov 3. At the
request of Russ Schnall, another participant in this group, I'm
posting it for the whole group.  Sorry I can't offer to send to
everyone in the group the materials I offered to E-mail to Tom.  I
hope you all find the material useful anyway.  I don't pretend to be
the world's greatest expert here, so if anyone has any suggestions
they think are better, I'd like to see them.
 
Edgar Swank
======================================================================
 
Tom:
 
Saw your request for advice about setting up a home system for
access to Internet and the usenet newsgroups.
 
A "junk"  286 or 386/sx is quite adequate for terminal work. A hard
disk of at least 20 Meg is desireable for capturing messages &
holding messages to be uploaded.
 
Modem:
 
Your Watson modem is OK if it emulates a Hayes at the register level
at at least 2400 baud.  Otherwise, get the cheapest internal 2400 baud
modem you can find (around $50). With 2400's that cheap, there's no
reason to settle for 1200.  If the Watson is not compatible at the
register level, then it will only run with software written for it,
which is too restrictive.
 
2400 baud should be more than adequate for 100 msgs/month in and out.
a 9600 baud modem will cost at least $200 & in my opinion can only be
justified of you're doing a lot of work over long distance.
 
Software:
 
There is plenty of good software available as shareware, which you
pay for (if at all) only after a trial period. I recommend Telix.
You can download it off almost any BBS (perhaps with software which
came with your modem, or use your equipment & software at work).
You can use your existing (at work) Internet E-Mail connection
to order Telix from the SIMTEL20 Archive: just send
 
/PDGET  MAIL  PD:<MSDOS.TELIX>TLX315-1.ZIP
/PDGET  MAIL  PD:<MSDOS.TELIX>TLX315-2.ZIP
/PDGET  MAIL  PD:<MSDOS.TELIX>TLX315-3.ZIP
 
to
 
LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU  (ND State Univ - SIMTEL)
 
Probably best to send only one request per day.  The ListServ will
send you files in UUENCODED form. Hopefully, you will have a
UUDECODE utility at work somewhere.  If not, I can send you
a "bootstrap" UUDECODE expressed as a BASIC program.
 
[You can also get this from SIMTEL by sending
 
/PDGET  MAIL  PD:<MSDOS.STARTER>UUDECODE.BAS  TRANSLATE
 
]
 
The great thing about Telix is that it can be greatly automated
by "programs" in it's own SLT language, which greatly resembles
the C language.  This can be used to acheive your goal of
capturing messages for reading offline and for sending messages
prepared offline.  I would be glad to send you my SLT files
which I use to do just this very thing with Telix and this Spectrox
System. You would probably have to modify them for use on another
system.
 
You will also need a good fullscreen editor for reading captured
messages and preparing replies. There are lots of shareware choices.
You probably already have a favorite that you're used to.
 
You have a lot of choices about "what to join".  If I knew your
area code, I could send you a list of public access Unix systems
in your area.  You can order a nationwide (& worldwide) list
by sending
 
send nixpub long short
 
to
 
Widener Archive Server <archive-server@cs.widener.edu>
 
This list is not exhaustive. It does not include many small systems
which are often free access. For example, this Spectrox System at
(408)252-1005 offers E-mail & limited Usenet access and it's completely
free. You can sometimes find these systems listed in free "pulp"
computer magazines distributed at libraries and computer retailers.
 
Many of the systems in the NIXPUB list are also free. Others
charge in the neighborhood of $20/month.  The fees are specified
in the "long" list.
 
Hope this is helpful. Please send E-Mail if you have any questions
or want me to send you any of the files I mentioned.
 
Note my E-mail address
 
               Internet: edgar@spectrx.saigon.com
                   UUCP: szebra!spectrx!edgar
 
The return address in the net header may not work.

--
edgar@spectrx.saigon.com (Edgar W. Swank)
SPECTROX SYSTEMS +1.408.252.1005  Silicon Valley, Ca

Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion