* How fast you can enter commands and how much time you spend
staring at the display before pressing keys,
* How long it takes for an online service to react to your
commands. For example, the response time on CompuServe at
04:00 GMT on a Friday morning (it is evening in the U.S.) is
much worse than at 10:30 GMT on a Sunday morning. Then, most
users are asleep.
* The load on your packet data network while you use the
service (or the amount of noise and retransmission, when
calling direct),
* The type of modem you are using (speed, level of MNP),
* The number of commands you (or your scripts) have to enter
during your online visit. An increase in the number of
commands, reduces the average transfer speed.
* The amount of transfer overhead for color and screen handling
(like, VT-100 codes) that is transferred with your text.
* Your use of menus and help texts while online, or whether
you come as "expert" with a minimum of prompts.
It's impossible to calculate the practical effects of these items. You will just have to bear them in mind when estimating typical jobs, measuring speeds, calculating costs, and comparing networks. Finding the optimal network for our needs, will take time, but is well worth the effort. I think the figures may surprise you. The network services in this chapter will often give you better quality transfers than a direct call. On the other hand, calling direct may give more characters transferred per minute. The average speed tends to drop dramatically when using a packet data service.
Using national packet data services —————————————————- Most commercial online services can be reached through national PDNs, but you may have problems finding the correct NUA (Network User Address) to get there. Few PDNs have a directory of available "electronic telephone numbers" for you to consult. The Norwegian PDN, Datapak, used to be my only alternative for access to foreign online services, and I thought that the cost was acceptable. Not so anymore. My applications require that data be pumped back and forth at maximum speed. On network services charging by a combination of volume and time, 80 percent of my costs are typically for volume, while 20 percent is for connect time. When I log out after a successful visit to CompuServe through Datapak, the two services give me similar reports:
Thank you for using CompuServe!
Off at 10:11 EST 24-Nov-87
Connect time = 0:15
CLR PAD (00) 00:00:14:55 537 75
The last line comes from Datapak. It tells that I have received 537 segments and sent 75. The "Segment" is Datapak's volume measure. A segment contains up to sixty-four characters and/or carriage returns. The price is calculated accordingly. At today's prices, Datapak is still my cheapest alternative calling CompuServe for chats. I use Datapak when connecting to TWICS in Tokyo, as the only alternative today is direct calls at a prohibitive cost. Once i-Com (see below) starts offering outdial to Japan, I expect this service to be substantially cheaper. The slower your modem speed, the more attractive is Datapak compared with direct calls. To get access to a national PDN, you must have a user identification and a password. (Getting temporary access to PDN services while traveling abroad is often hard and expensive.)
| Note: If you have access to a national PDN, but need | | information about PDNs in other countries, try Hostess, the | | Global Network Service's information service from British | | Telecom in England. The NUA is 02342 1920101013 (02342 is | | the Data Network Identifier Code section of the address.) | | Username or password is not required to use this service. |
Outdial through PC Pursuit ————————————— Sprintnet (formerly GTE Telenet) lets American users call bulletin boards in North America at lower rates through their PC Pursuit service. They pay a modest subscription to call a local number for access to PC Pursuit. Once connected, they can enter an electronic phone-number to connect to a so-called 'outdial modem' in another city. Once connected to the outdial modem, they can give it dialing commands and have it call any local number. This way, they can use PC Pursuit to call an online service in the area, or the private modem of a friend. We call PC Pursuit an Outdial service. Such services normally offer lower rates for access to remote bulletin boards than what it costs to call by long distance. Besides, they reduce the chances for noise on the line.
Outdial through i-Com ——————————- i-Com offers outdial to North American online services by reselling capacity from Tymnet's network (owned by British Telecommunications PLC). In the United States, Galaxy Telecomm Corp. offers a similar service under the name Starlink. Outdial to numbers in Japan and Europe is planned. i-Com markets its services to users in Europe and Japan, and have local access in Brussels, Paris, Lyon, Milano, the Hague, Eindhoven, Zurich, Geneva, London, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Madrid, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and more. The basic fee for access to the service is US$25.00 per hour (1992). You don't pay volume charges. The monthly subscription fee is US$8.00. You can pay using VISA or MasterCard/Eurocard. In Norway, I have used i-Com to connect to The Well in San Francisco, MetaNet in Virginia, EXEC-PC in Wisconsin, and SciLink in Toronto, Canada. At the time, i-Com was cheaper than direct calls and Datapak for access to these services. While an ID on your local PDN is only valid in your area or country, your i-Com ID can be used all over the world including several cities in North America. Once your plane has landed in Milano, you can dial the local i-Com node to connect to your favorite service. i-Com also has a bulletin board (US$13.00/hour). These are some of its services: