RE>study up on network architecture< republic.net
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Take a look at the above to pick up some terms.
If you are interested in seeing the real deal follow the link below.
Then when someone tries to tell you that their provider has, this, that, or chickenfat, you will be able to defend your position.
AT Republic.Net, we are connected with the FASTEST and the BEST provider bar none .. boardwatch.com
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Or if you get lost try this you will find it interesting: boardwatch.com
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here is a picture of the MCI backbone
boardwatch.com
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> From: +David Lawrence
> Feb 4 1997 2:11PM EST
> Reply #10187 of 10234
> James, you need to study up on network architecture, because it's obvious that you
> don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. ]
> AOL is an ISP, period. As a matter
> of fact, they are the biggest ISP in the world. What separates them is the fact that they provide content and access, versus pure ISPs who provide access only.
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David AOL is a PROXY, a sort of intranet, that to the best of my knowledge
takes a person from a POP..to one of two servers they have, and then
passes them into the internet..a simple request from a user can go from
the POP, to the server out to the Pop on the other end, the request is
answered goes back to the server and back to the first POP, then back
to the user. IT makes AOL the HOG of all Hogs when it comes to choking
the internet..as each internet request takes up 4 times as much bandwidth
before it's answered, as one I may make.
As for their content, what they don't get off the internet is inbreed,
and suited for nubile, and privet pervert cables.
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You say:
> All Internet providers use a pipe/gateway/proxy or whatever you want to call it to access the Internet backbone. Repeat, all. The Internet works the same from AOL as it does from any other ISP, if you know what you are doing. Their gateway is slow simply because they are adding users faster than they are adding bandwidth, which is the same problem facing other growing ISPs. <
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Wrong again, or part way wrong, AOL is not like a regular ISP, the internet is not transparent to AOL users, much of the software I have would not work on AOL, have you ever used their browser, or down loaded any large graphic files,
true they maintain an archive, and if you come from that it's not to bad,
and they try to update the archive weather maps etc..but they don't generally
have the last minute stuff, and if you go outside the system to get it,
it will likly be old by the time it finishes downloading, ( if at all).<GO>
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I call my provider, ( and I have four ) but use republic.net most,
and when I'm on line with any of them I can hit a key and see just
who all else is on, what ports they are using and how many modems are
tied up. Something few surfers know how to do. I have both PPP, and shell
accounts, and can still answere my mail in pine if I want to..and sometimes,
it's faster.
Any way generally I go out a T1 line to Dallas, and dumb on the MC I OC3
backbone which is fast..I bypass Houston, if you look at the map
you don't see the line I go out on..now depending on the request I make
as to how fast I get data, as if my request goes to a POP on uunet or any of the
old DS3 lines, and if traffic is heavy I'm as slow as the next guy, except
AOL..because they are hamstrung, any request I would make via them would
have to take 4 times as long under the same conditions, just because of
the way they handle packets, pass it POP to server , then to POP. then
, back to server , then back to POP who made the request,
If I request from a pop that's tied to the MCI OC3 or OC12, backbone,
then I'm flying..and it's to much to put in here but I have a map,
of every DNS in the world, and which backbone they tie to.
Of the 14 internet back bones you will not see a mention of AOL as being
one of them, AOLs intranet would not make a pimple on the rear end of the smallest one, but what they do is jam up a lot of bandwidth on the internet,
with what would be a simple job if they didn't insist on forcing all their
users to get routed to their main servers for validation.
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Another thing AOL has to rent bandwidth, and though they likely get a discount,
with long term lease agreements, they still have to rent just about twice
as much bandwidth for each person on line, as a regular ISP has to rent
per person, not that AOL always does that but to give the same service
and maintain they'r inner loop; when they don't then the customer is
getting ripped off ( time wise ). If your time is not worth any thing use
AOL, that is if you can get on line.
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Bottom line for the so called big boys, MCI, AT&T, & Sprint, are just lurking.
To get your long distance business they can run POPs at cost, AOL does not
have that going for them, AOL is a far cry from the biggest , like I said,
it's not even a pimple on the rear end of any of the 14 backbones, and if any of the Big boys decide to drop the other shoe, AOL would be history, I think they are lurking just to see what all mistakes AOL can
make..don't get the idea they will buy her out..it's to easy for them to
smash her if they want to. She is just living by the grace of the powers
that be..and they don't want to get into it to deep untilled they feel certain, they wont get tangled up and cause a lot of ill will like AOL has.
In time they will make their move, for now they just have a toe in the
water, but if they decide to go for it..goodby AOL.
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Then we have the profit margin side of it to look at, with AOL expense
she can't make it on the flat rate.."unlimited usage"..and her promise of
that is recorded so If I sign on and catch them running a robot to limit
on line time, I could bust their you know what. But I won't likely go to
that trouble..as far as not knowing about the internet..well it's so vast
now that I doubt any one can claim to be an expert, except maybe over
a small part of it, like you have your IRC freaks, and your Usenet gurus
and each has a lot of expertise in that area that he or her likes the most, me I'm more generic..a little of this and that..build a few homemade boxes on the side line, do some end-user service and set up work, have some personal friends who are full blown hackers, and I can pick up enough info from them at any given time; were I to choose to I could likely go directly to your POP..and change your pass word..< G >
But I have never done any thing like that, and think of it as kinda
mean, I just mention it as I feel most people would be surprised at how little real security is on the internet, most fire walls are easily by-passed, unless you have a call back system, or are real disciplined in switching your pass word every few days, don't take for granted that SSL encryption, will protect any money accounts or your credit card number if you put it on the internet. I'v never tested it but from what some of my hacker friends tell
me AOLs security is about as sloppy as it gets.
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AS far as buying into the so called rosy out look tooted by some of the brokers , and financiers..what do they know about this business, heck I'v been to some of their homes, and had to set up their computers..they got hardly no idea of what is really going on, most of them can't even plug in their own gateway to the TCP/IP even if you give them written instructions, you have to incorporated in the software, or hold their hand, in most cases both. <G>
They every one told me I was nuts last summer for buying up AMD,
stock..then when she went up they strated buying some, when I sold
mine again they told me I was nuts, hell I tried to buy puts on her
yesterday and the puts were going up so fast I couldn't catch them
at what I though would be a bargin, so she sliped buy. Same thing
with USDL..I put in my order for puts but there was such a rush on
at the counter that I was way out bid before mine could be exicuted.
I'm not going to talk bout AOL any more on this thread, I just hated
not to answer your nice letter..but from here out will keep it in
one of the AOL threads. This all got started some how, by someone
shouting that AOLs problems were going to be real big for USRX, all I
wanted to say was that is a big "Maybe"..as AOL talks a good show,
but I don't see them loaded with cash, and see some doubt as to if
they will even have the money to pay for all this stuff they are
talking about, they even admitt to this in a round about way.
And any way USRX does not depend on AOL, it's more the other way
around..USRX will likly sell just as much stuff, maybe more without
AOL..the only fly in the soup is if AOL gets into dept with them,
and finds it can't pay for the stuff, that's as likley to happen,
as the other, and I put no slant on it going either way, as I have
no idea of how much credit USRX extends to them, but that would be
nice to know.
JIM |
