Linux 版 (精华区)
发信人: netiscpu (说不如做), 信区: Linux
标 题: Linux Internet Site Config (Chapter 46)
发信站: 紫 丁 香 (Thu Jul 23 09:18:39 1998), 转信
o Connecting to the Internet
# Services You Need
# Direct Connection Through a Gateway
# Connecting Through Another Gateway
# Using a Service Provider
o Summary
_________________________________________________________________
46
Setting Up an Internet Site
Linux is well suited for connecting to the Internet and for using many
of the Internet services. This chapter looks at the ways you can
connect to the Internet. The following chapters in this section show
you how to set up your Linux system as a server for four popular
services.
If you only want to use your Linux system to access other servers, you
don't have to worry about any of the material in the next four
chapters (although you might want to read this chapter to find out how
to connect to the Net). On the other hand, sharing your system's
resources with others, whether in a local area network, a small circle
of friends, or the worldwide Internet community, can be most of the
fun.
If you intend to use your Linux system to offer some of the Internet
services (such as FTP, WWW, or Gopher) but you don't want to let
everyone gain access (maybe just a few friends), you might not need to
worry about connecting to the Internet. You still have to set up the
server software, though.
Connecting to the Internet
There are many different ways to connect to the Internet. Your choice
of method depends primarily on your usage habits and the services you
want access to. It may seem as though an overwhelming number of
companies offer Internet access or services. Luckily, there are really
only four ways to connect to the Internet.
Briefly, your options for connecting to the Internet are as follows:
* A direct connection to the Internet—This method uses a
dedicated machine (a gateway) to connect into the Internet
backbone. This method gives you full access to all services but is
expensive to set up and maintain.
* Connecting through someone else's gateway—This usually
involves getting permission to use someone else's machine for full
access to all Internet services.
* Using a direct service provider—Uses a specialty company's
gateway that your machine can access to offer limited or full
access to Internet services. These companies are not the same as
online services, because all they do is act as a gateway to the
Internet. Usually, this type of service provider uses modem or
dedicated telephone connections with high-speed lines to provide
fast service.
* Using an indirect service provider—Using an online company
(such as Delphi or CompuServe) to access some or all of the
Internet's services. This is usually suitable only for low-volume
usage, and doesn't take advantage of Linux at all.
If you are part of a company or sharing the costs with a number of
friends, online service providers seldom are able to offer the level
of performance you need for support of e-mail, FTP, and other Internet
services. As a further reason against online services, most do not
allow you to have your own domain name.
It is rare to find a gateway that you can "borrow" for access of your
own, unless you are willing to share the costs of the gateway. Most
companies that have a gateway will be reluctant to allow many
outsiders to use their systems.
That leaves only a direct gateway of your own to the Internet or the
use of a service provider. The choice between these two options
usually comes down to an issue of the costs to connect both ways.
Setting up your own gateway is expensive, but may be cheaper than
arranging accounts with a service provider if the volume of traffic is
high.
If you want access for yourself or for a very small company, it is
unreasonable to have your own dedicated gateway. Setting up an account
with a service provider is possible for individuals, but sometimes the
costs and machine overhead are too high. Service providers are
typically used by small companies, but there is no reason why you
can't use a service provider if you anticipate a high Internet usage.
Services You Need
When deciding which method you will use to access the Internet, one of
the important items to consider is the type of services you want from
the Internet. If all you need is e-mail, then any kind of access will
provide it, but some may be ridiculously expensive for what you get.
As a starting point, decide which of the following services are
necessary and which are less important:
* Electronic mail—Sending mail to and from other Internet
users.
* Telnet—Remote logins to other machines on the Internet.
* FTP—File transfers between machines.
* World Wide Web (WWW) access—A popular hypertext-based (and
usually graphical) information service.
* Usenet newsgroups—A set of bulletin boards for conversations
on many different subjects.
* Gopher—An information search and retrieval system.
* WAIS—A menu-based document search and retrieval system
* Archie—A method for finding files to transfer.
* Internet Relay Chat (IRC)—A conversation system much like CB
radio.
Any system that is directly connected to the Internet through a
gateway (yours, a borrowed gateway, or most direct service providers)
will provide complete access to all the services listed. Some direct
service providers support all the services, but at a slower speed than
a gateway. Slower speeds may be a limitation for the World Wide Web if
you intend to use and offer graphics (instead of just text). Some
service providers limit their access to e-mail and newsgroups, so a
little research is necessary.
Direct Connection Through a Gateway
A direct connection (often called a dedicated connection) is one in
which you attach into the Internet backbone through a dedicated
machine called a gateway or IP router. The connection is over a
dedicated telephone line capable of high-speed transfers (usually at
1.44 megabits per second or faster). The gateway becomes part of the
Internet architecture and must remain online at all times. You can
then use any other computer on the gateway's network to access the
Internet services.
Typically, dedicated connections mean high volumes of traffic and
require systems with an absolute minimum line speed of 9,600 baud,
although high-speed fiber-optic lines with speed capabilities of
45Mbps are not unusual. It is very unlikely an individual or small
company would have direct gateway access, primarily because of the
high cost of installation and maintenance requirements.
To create a direct access system, you must work with the Internet
Network Information Center (NIC) to set up the proper gateways on the
Internet backbone for your domain. The capital expense of such a
system is high, both for the initial hardware and software and for
continuing support. High costs may also be involved with a dedicated
telephone line capable of supporting high-speed data transfer.
Connecting Through Another Gateway
An alternative method of connecting to the Internet through a gateway
relies on using a "friendly" machine or network. In such a system, a
corporation or educational institution that has an Internet gateway
may allow you to access the Internet through their system. Because
this type of access gives you freedom on their networks, many
organizations now refuse this type of piggyback access.
If you are lucky enough to find a company or school that will let you
use their network, you simply call into a communications port on the
network or gateway, then route through the gateway to the Internet. In
many ways, it is as though you are a machine on the provider's
network. Typically, you have unlimited access to the Internet's
services, although some companies do set restrictions.
Using a Service Provider
Service providers are companies that have an Internet gateway that
they share, although the gateway is often transparent to the users.
This type of connection is often called "dialup" and uses SLIP (serial
line interface protocol) or PPP (point-to-point protocol). Some
service providers offer UUCP connections for e-mail.
Service providers usually charge a flat fee for membership with an
additional charge based on the amount of time or the number of
characters transferred. Joining one of these services is quite easy.
Domain names can be registered through many service providers, too,
allowing you to use your own domain even though you use a provider.
The primary advantage of direct service providers is that effectively
you are directly connected to the Internet. All of the interworking
with the service provider's gateway is hidden inside your operating
system's setup, making it transparent. A disadvantage is that you
cannot always arrange full access to the Internet. Some services do
not allow you to FTP through their gateway to another Internet site,
for example.
If you are considering using a direct service provider, you should ask
the providers in your area about the services they offer, whether
special hardware or software is needed, what the fees are, and whether
they are based on a flat monthly rate or based on usage, and the kind
of technical support available in case you have trouble.
An alternative to using a commercial service provider is to rely on
one of the command-line access systems that are springing up in major
cities. Such systems provide Internet access through their own
gateways as a free service (subsidized by a corporation or government)
or at a minimal cost. One popular access provider of this type is
FreeNet, an international organization that gives users a unique user
name through the FreeNet domain. FreeNet is currently only available
in some cities, but it does provide an extremely inexpensive and easy
access method to the Internet. All you need is an account (which is
usually just a telephone call away), a modem, and communications
software.
Summary
Choosing the method with which you connect to the Internet is up to
you, but most individuals find a direct service provider the best
balance between cost and features, as long as you plan to keep your
system running most of the time. Once you have a connection to the
Internet, you can set up your server, as explained in the next four
chapters.
--
Enjoy Linux!
-----It's FREE!-----
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