Eric Bender (John Abbott College) ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
: At the present time, we are planning a migration to an MPE/ix
: environment, probably on a 928. Though we've tied down most loose
: ends, we're still unsure 1) whether to use the 928 (or Micro3000)
: to connect thru to the Internet and 2) if so, what hardware, software
: etc. to put in place to optimize performance.
 
Well, you are in luck!  MPE/iX 5.0 (which just came out) has all
of the networking software that you need to connect to the internet
bundled- so you're all set from that point of view.
 
It sounds like you probably don't have an internet connection yet,
is that correct?  What you'll need to do is figure out how much
internet usage your site needs, how much money per month you wish
to spend, and then contact one of the many internet service providers
in your area.  One of the best sources to find internet service
providers is http://www.cix.org/.  CIX is the "Commercial Information
Exchange".  They are a group of internet service providers and there
should be several which can help you in your area.  Since you are a
university, you should also be eligible to connect to the internet
with NSF (National Science Foundation).
 
You should be able to contact any of the service providers and they
will virtually walk you through all the possibilities available to
you.
 
The cheapest internet connections are SLIP connections, which run over
modems and are only available as long as you are dialed in.  The more
expensive connections are dedicated links.  Dedicated links vary in
bandwidth- costing more as the bandwidth goes up.  About the smallest
dedicated line you can get is 56Kbps- and they generally cost between
$600-$1000 per month.  Contact the service providers for more info.
 
Unfortunately, SLIP is not available on the HP3000, so it won't be
available to you at this time.
 
: Currently, users (like me) connect to the Internet via separate
: dial-up facilities from PC's (supported by a nearby university).
: Ideally, in future users would employ an E-Mail package on the 3K
: which would support in-house mail, etc. and connectivity to the
: Internet. I know this can be accomplished quite effectively in a
: VAX environment but I'd like to hear from folks out there in HP
: land who've successfully linked their HP3000's to the net. Any
: other suggestions would be welcome as eventually we may wish to
: extend Internet access capabilities to students (i.e., up to 5,000)
: as well as staff & faculty (status quo situation).
 
Email is available, 3k associates sells a very nice, inexpensive package
called NetMail which runs on the HP3000.  You'll also enjoy FTP and
telnet with MPE 5.0.  Finally, if you are interested in getting onto
the world wide web, a server is available for that too.  You can check
out http://jazz.external.hp.com for more information on that.  Jazz,
by the way, is an HP3000 on the net.
 
Hope this helps.  Let us know if we're missing anything you need!
 
Mike
 
---
Mike Belshe
[log in to unmask]
HP CSY Networking Lab