PPP Service from Home and Work (Phone Dialin Access)

International Association of Boards
of Examiners in Optometry

PPP Service from Home and Work

(Phone Dialin Access)

How Can I Use Netscape at Home?

So you've tried Netscape or Explorer and decide that you want to avail yourself of this amazing technology at home. One way to get around these problems is to use a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), a program which provides you with full graphical access to on-line resources through a modem connection.

PPP versus Traditional Connections

PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) is a package that allows you to make a direct connection to the Internet via a modem, thereby enabling you to use any Internet applications you have on your own computer. This is vastly different from a traditional indirect connection using a modem, which restricts you to using the software on the host computer to which you are connecting. Another advantage of a direct connection like the one PPP provides is the ability to download files directly to your home machine using applications such as Fetch and WSFTP.

What is the Difference Between PPP and SLIP?

Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) are two different protocols that allow your home computer to use a regular telephone line to establish a direct link to the Internet. SLIP is a simple protocol for transmitting IP data across a network. It is older and less sophisticated than PPP, and while it is easier to implement in software, it is more difficult to configure and use. PPP is the newer protocol and offers features which are not available in SLIP.

PPP: What are My Options?

You must choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who for a fee will provide you access to the internet using local phone access or other means depending on how much access to the internet you need and who much you are willing to spend. Both individuals and businesses can have full time access to the internet by paying for a dedicated connection between their office and their ISP. Since direct connection cost are usually significant, most individuals and businesses choose dial-up access over local phone lines for accessing the internet. Most ISP will provide both individuals and businesses storage space on the ISP's server to store home page information so that other users on the net will have access to their home page. In addition most ISP's provide for an addtional fee storage space for "commerical" home pages and you should contact your ISP for information on rates and procedures.

A major consideration when selecting an ISP is that if you travel significantly you should choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who has local access from most cities around the country.

Internet Access Provider Information

All of the venders provide E-mail, Telnet, FTP, and Gopher services unless otherwise noted. Be aware, however, that not all offer PPP connections and they are not all local services. For some, you will need to use a number outside your local calling zone. Others give you the option of paying a charge for use of an 800 number. These are indicated by an asterisk after the number; the related charges are indicated in the Rates information for that provider. If you are interested in local acce ss for an area not listed below, go to the url: PCWorld also offers a Web site which allows you to enter an area code and will return a listing of Internet Access Providers in that area:
http://www.pcworld.com/july96/isp.html
Please note that rates and services change regularly. Contact the service providers or visit their web sites for the most up-to-date information about their respective offerings.

COMPANY NAME      PPP/SLIP    			CONTACT INFORMATION

America Online No (800) 827-6364 info@aol.com URL: http://www.aol.com/
Delphi No (800) 695-4005 service@delphi.com askdelphi@delphi.com URL: http://www.delphi.com
GEnie No (800) 638-9636 info@genie.geis.com URL: http://www.genie.net/
Internet Express Yes (800) 592-1240 service@usa.net URL: http://www.usa.net/home/inxinfo.html
MindSpring Yes (800) 719-4332 sales@mindspring.com URL: http://www.mindspring.com/
Netcom Yes (800) NETCOM1 info@netcom.com URL: http://www.netcom.com/
Prodigy No (800) 776-3449 URL: http://www.prodigy.com/

The IAB Data Collection thanks the University of North Carolina for provding the basic layout for these web pages. The original document was a web page from the The Office of Information Technology at The University of North Carolina that has been modified/updated for general use. The information contained in these pages is intended to help beginning internet users to use the World Wide Web (WWW). It is written to help IAB members, State Board Members, and others find and use information on the internet. Please send any comments/suggestions to Ernie_Patterson@unc.edu.