This is a brief document explaining how to go about gaining your own
direct Internet connection (i.e., not using Nyx).

First of all, Nyx does not provide this.  We simply don't have the resources.

By "direct" internet connection, I mean paying a network service provider
for access from your location, via a direct physical connection, such that
you could run tcp/ip protocol based programs (telnet, ftp, etc.) directly
from your site.

There are many providers of internet access, and new ones springing up every
day.  

The type of connection you get depends on your ability to pay.  At present,
one can pay to obtain these kinds of physical connections:

	- Dialup modem, "login" service:  Like Nyx, you'd use your modem to
		dial into another machine, receive a "login" prompt, log in,
		and get a shell.  From there you could ftp, etc.; but you'd
		have to do a "normal" download to pull files back to your
		own end (kermit, zmodem, etc.).  So this doesn't allow real
		tcp/ip from your site.

	- Dialup modem, "slip" or "ppp" service:  You dial up their machine,
		but establish a tcp/ip kind of connection that allows your
		machine to directly do ftp, etc.  ("slip" = Serial Line IP,
		"ppp" = Point to Point Protocol.)  The benefit is you can do
		telnet, ftp, etc. from your end directly, including having
		multiple sessions.  The drawback is that slip/ppp use
		some of the modem bandwidth, so your transmission speed
		is reduced to less than if you were doing a direct
		login, download, etc.  

	- 56K, ISDN, T1:  Generally far more expensive.  A 56K or ISDN line
		provides a direct path, but requires special equipment which
		can be costly.  Also, the speed increase over a v.32bis modem
		(14Kbps but 57Kbps under optimal conditions vs. 56Kbps),
		or v.34 ("v.fast") modem (28Kbps base, upto 115Kbps max)
		makes these two less desirable than in the past.  A T1
		line runs at 1.5Mbps, requires special equipment, but
		runs more than 10X faster than the top speed of a v.34 modem.
		Rates usually depend on your distance to the phone companies
		central office; a common figure for T1 cost is $500-1000/month.
		(At present, Nyx uses one T1 link to the internet.)  
		[FYI, 56K lines have apparently been retarriffed to around
		$150/month inside the 303 area.]

In the future new methods may appear, using cableTV connections, etc.