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From: Ken Bigelow <kbigelow@www.play-hookey.com>
Newsgroups: demon.ip.support,demon.tech.unix,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Batch FTP and Web Pages
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 10:25:44 -0700
Organization: Erols Internet Services
Lines: 45
Message-ID: <31DAAD18.2813@www.play-hookey.com>
References: <31D4AA3A.BC0@www.play-hookey.com> <836073421snz@dsl.co.uk> <31D87436.7C7F@www.play-hookey.com> <836295557snz@dsl.co.uk> <Pine.3.91.960702173600.672C-100000@hammerhead.cs.odu.edu> <836393413snz@dsl.co.uk>
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Brian {Hamilton Kelly} wrote:
>
> In article <Pine.3.91.960702173600.672C-100000@hammerhead.cs.odu.edu>
> bowden@cs.odu.edu "Jamie Bowden" writes:
>
> > On Tue, 2 Jul 1996, Brian {Hamilton Kelly} wrote:
> >
> > > Ahem. Demon have installed a 45Mb/s transatlantic link, which is
> > > currently being tested, and scheduled to enter service within the next
> > > fortnight. Note that the capacity of this link, which costs Demon some
> > > hundreds of pounds *per hour* is the same as MCI's current
> > > transcontinental backbone. A very large number of Demon's customers use
> >
> > Sorry to disappoint, but MCI has 155mbit backbone from coast to coast
> > these days. I had losses in connectivity several times during the
> > upgrade process, but the end result was worth it.
> >
> > Jamie
> >
> > I have my finger on the pulse of the planet.
>
> You must indeed have it! I'd read that MCI were in the process of
> upgrading their backbone from 45 to 155; I hadn't realized that they'd
> done it already.
>
And here also is the whole reason for the bottleneck in communications between the
UK and the US. Even if we pretend there are no phone calls or other kinds of
users, and if we pretend that all users are running at 24,000 baud (a 28.8 modem
with a less than perfect connection -- common situation) for easy numbers, a 45
MB/s connection will handle 1875 users (45 / 0.024) before a loss of bandwidth ias
forced. 155 MB/s will contain about 6458 users. Since there are far more active
users, as well as other services in use on these lines, clearly *all* services
will be limited. If telephone conversations are guaranteed their appropriate
bandwidth no matter what, the other services suffer for it. No wonder connections
between the UK and the US slow down so much!
Instead of squawking about tariffs and costs, let's see if we can solve the
problem using existing conditions and current technology. One possibility: does
Demon (or other ISPs) limit the size of an attachment that can be sent with an
e-note? If not, here's a very practical way to get those large files. My nephew in
California (I'm in Maryland) sent me an 8 MB file that way, and it worked fine.
Would the method fly in the UK?
Ken