DPRG mailing list archives: DPRG: OFF TOPIC VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION

Thu Sep 3 14:54:39 CDT 1998

On Thu, 3 Sep 1998, Cyborg wrote:
> I believe that Jim brown shoul be able to answer me on this one.
> 
> I was thinking of getting my own server. I have nice 233 PII computer at
> home. From what I've been told, I would need AT least ISDN line to my
> house (no prob there I can get one)...then I would need a Windows NT
> Server or Windows NT Workstation installed on my system,and then I would
> need to buy my own domain (which on average costs about $50 for two
> years) ...

Very bad use of resources!

Think about it this way, a 386 (that's a small fraction of the power of a
PII) can serve 10 Mega-bit per second prettey easily.  The PII can serve
hundereds or thousands of mega-bits per second.  (1 Mb is about 1000 kb).
an ISDN line is 128kb per second.  The money you spend on a server is 99%
wasted, unless you have a very cheap computer or a really fast connection
(forget about the fast connection untill after 2010).

The solution is to find a professional ISP that will allow you to set up a
WWW page on their server.  Most places will charge less than $50 a month
for an average business's WWW page.  

Figure the cost of the PII ($1500), and $100 a month for ISDN leased-line
(differect from standard).  Next calculate the age of the last computer
you "upgraded from".  The cost per month for a small fraction of the
service an ISP would make available is many times greater.  Most ISPs
offer 2 plans, some offer 3: 
 1. personal / small plan: 10 megs of disk, 10 megs of bandwidth per
month, free with you account.
 2. business / large plan: 50 megs of disk, a gig of bandwidth per
month, $50 per month.  This might include setting up your domain name with
a 1-year contract, but be VERY, VERY, VERy sure you have it in WRITING
that you OWN the rights to the DOMAIN NAME if you LEAVE YOUR ISP!!!
Imagine the ransom they can charge for that kindof thing.  GET IT IN
WRITING!!!
If you register your own doamin name, It's $100 for the first 2 years and
$50 per year after that.
 3. they set up your page, this should only be considered if you need to
do on-line ordering, or put a catalogue that's updated bi-minnuitely for
pricing and availability.  this costs a lot of money, and will soon be
obsolete as OTS (off-the-shelf) software packages do the same thing.

*note: if called on it, I will deny having said the net thing:
Look to microsoft for s/w to put your invertory on the web, they have a
monopoly on everything, and can probably take your spread-sheet and
generate html from it.  Of course, it depends on how you keep inventory.
*note: if called on it, I will deny having said the previous thing.

If you happen to have 100-base-t ethernet in your office, directly onto
the backbone, then I'll give you tips on setting up a WWW server (I've
doen a few) but otherwise, forget it.  ISPs make little or no money in a
cut-throat business.  Do-it-yourselfers will definately loose money.

Andy			< Questions, Comments, Hate Mail
andy at uta.edu

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