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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!uunet!in1.uu.net!199.94.215.18!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.bc.net!info.ucla.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news.dfci.harvard.edu!camelot.ccs.neu.edu!nntp.neu.edu!johnson From: Poly Resin Wizard Frog <poly@resin.wizard.frog> Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.admin,alt.unix.wizards,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd,linux.dev.ppp,linux.dev.newbie,linux.dev.linuxbsd,linux.dev.admin,alt.internet.services,alt.business.misc,misc.entrepreneurs,misc.business Subject: Re: Linux and dedicated ISDN Internet Service Date: Sun, 02 Feb 1997 15:40:06 -0500 Organization: Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 02115, USA Lines: 105 Message-ID: <32F4FBA6.2EAF@resin.wizard.frog> References: <5ck32f$lf9@newslink.runet.edu> <5clpih$uaq@portal.gmu.edu> Reply-To: poly@resin.wizard.frog NNTP-Posting-Host: 155.33.67.150 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01 (WinNT; I) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:154741 comp.os.linux.advocacy:81449 comp.os.linux.development.system:39300 comp.os.linux.x:52451 comp.os.linux.networking:66421 comp.os.linux.setup:94304 comp.os.linux.hardware:63606 comp.unix.questions:94679 comp.unix.admin:53761 alt.unix.wizards:6222 comp.unix.misc:27698 comp.unix.bsd:16865 linux.dev.ppp:3607 alt.internet.services:69550 alt.business.misc:217547 misc.entrepreneurs:198827 > : Hello. I am thinking about setting up a Linux server and running a > : commercial ISP with a friend. I have never ran or configured a Linux Good for You, I advise you check out the linux faq's they will have recomendations for hard ware, what is and isn't supported, etc check out the linux documentation project. > : computer so I have a few questions. What is the best hardware for Linux? > : What is the best motherboard? Does it matter what backup drive, CD-ROM > : drive, or video card I get? What distribution to get? How do I allocate sort of if your get stuff that is too new it may not be wholly supported for god's sake check out the FAQ's to avoid mucho headaches. > : virtual memory, i.e. the size of the HD part used for swapping? How much > : RAM do I need? Can Linux function as well as other, commercial Unixes? YOu probably will want at least 64M if not 128M physial (u are letting others run shells on your machine so u will need a godd amount .. make your swap generous too > : (Digital Unix, Solaris, etc) Are there any problems with sendmail, BUgs are documented at several places, sunsite is a good source of info.... I assume u are going to be running this on an X86 machine .. Linux can and does perform and I have seen some damn good machines running FreeBSD but if want a commercial unix port you could go to Solaris x86 some of my friends are big fans of it.... but it ain't free, (unless you can find somebody to give it too you heh heh) but then you wouldn't be eligible for support from them which you will obviously need. > : Xwindows, et cetera? We will get a dedicated digital ISDN line, probably If you get a supported video card you shouldn't have much of a prob with this one ... Redhat linux has a nice xserverand also an I'm stupid, what do I do now packaging system as well as a lot of automated administrator tasks , big fluffy icons, you'll like it, but buy the cd dont download it ... save yourself some hassel. I also like the common desktop environment. > : a less expensive 128Kbps one and lease some phone lines. I now have an > : opportunity to invest money in a commercial ISP and some of the questions > : I have are: How much will it cost to set up a good Linux server and run a > : commercial ISP? How many users does one need to break even? I am > : thinking $15 per month would be a reasonable charge. How many phone > : lines? What is the best ratio of users to phone lines? I heard that it You should send some mail to some isps and ask them this one.. > : should be 10 to 1. I want to get the least expensive setup possible. I > : know that DEC hardware is very expensive that is why I want to set up > : Linux. I would really appreciate input from those who have experience > : with Linux servers or ISP in general. How much money should we be prepared > : to spend to survive? > > : I understand that I will have to get a server, modems, lease an ISDN line > : and phone lines, a fax machine, an extra phone line, rent an office > : because I don't think I could run a business from my apartment in the > : commonwealth of Virginia. I will have to get a business license. Do we > : need insurance? How much should we spend on advertising and how should we > : advertise? If this works out I will consider leasing a high speed T1 > : line, which is expensive - $1500+/month in our area. What services should > : we provide? Email, WWW, dynamic and static PPP/SLIP, Unix shell, usenet, That stuff is up to you > : IRC, anonymous FTP are the basic ones, anything else? How do we support > : users dialing in on different platforms? What software do we need to let > : users on all basic platforms (Mac, Windows NT, 95, 3.1, OS2, Unix, etc) if you provide ppp your mac clients will need macPPP (it is free ware so use it), NT and win 95 clients will have PPP software built right in to the os u just need to configure it, win 3.1 users will need trumpet winsock with a script configured to your site, os 2 ???????, unix people will probably handle themselves but who knows nobody can know everthing ... but most unix's come with a PPP package. And every one (unix people should be able to take care of them self in this area) will want netscape, telnet ( ncsa for the mac, maybe crt for the pc people), ftp (fetch for the mac, wsftp 16&32 bit versions for the pc people), let 'em get their own irc clients (ircle or homer for the mac, pc ???), will you allow them to run x at their homes??? if so they will need exodus for the mac people and exceed for the PC types. > : dial in? I assume that once I test this with just a few users the system > : should not be much harder to set up for many users. How exactly do I get > : a domain name for our machine and how much will it cost? I expect to lose domain names arent too expensive contact internic > : money initially, and maybe break even after a year. Our primary goal is > : not to make money, but just to survive. My knowledge of networking is not > : advanced but I hope to learn in the process. I understand that Linux is oh yoou will learn > : more popular than FreeBSD, but should I consider getting FreeBSD instead? > : Are there any good books, magazines or www sites on ISP, Linux? Please > : email your ideas/suggestions/comments. Thank you for your time. ANd for god sake cram anything you can about computers and networking into your brain, you will need it. Hey anyone with a dream shouldn't be put down ... Poly Resin Wizard Frog