[NCLUG] Broadband ISP options in Fort Collins

Frank Whiteley techzone at greeleynet.com
Tue Jan 18 08:15:13 MST 2005


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Queen" <svq at peakpeak.com>
To: "Northern Colorado Linux Users Group" <nclug at nclug.org>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 19:35
Subject: Re: [NCLUG] Broadband ISP options in Fort Collins


>
> > Things that an ISP provide are the infrastructure to enable internet
> > operations.  You get a mail box on their system.  You get DHCP to your
> > computer with DNS name resolution.  PPP.  You get spam filtering on
> > email.  You get web pages upon which you can place content.  You get a
> > firewall to protect you from the hostile 'net.  Many things.  I am
> > probably missing a few and have added a few that some don't enable.
> >
> > If you only have an IP address then you get none of the above.  You
> > only get a cord to the Internet.  That by itself is insufficient for
> > the above.  But the long time Internet user can provide their own
> > infrastructure.  GNU/Linux and *BSD are both platforms of choice for
> > the small operator.  Run a DNS master.  Find someone on a different
> > network to be your DNS slave.  Register with the top level .com (or
> > other) nameservers.  Set up your own MX records for mail.  Set up your
> > own mail transfer agent to receive mail.  Set up your own spam and
> > virus filtering to process the mail.  Set up your own web server for
> > publishing web content.  Attach to public NTP servers for time.  Try
> > to save the world, one internet packet at a time.
> >
> > In effect, you are complete master for your domain.  However that also
> > means debugging all problems yourself.  No one to escalate the problem
> > to as you are the senior admin and tech support, chief cook and bottle
> > washer.  Note my DSL problems for an example.  But you learn much and
> > gain much experience.  You are only a good candidate for this if you
> > can't be talked out of it regardless of the problems.
> >
> Thanks for the clarification. I think I will investigate
> this a little more. Sounds fun.
>
> Stephen Queen
> _______________________________________________
Although groups.google.com works okay, having a robust NNTP server and
newsfeed without an additional subscription is a big plus for me.

Frank Whiteley




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