Here is one way to do it: Install a removeable hard
drive cartrage slot in the machine. Swap out your hard
drive and one dedicated to yout customers. (Turn the
machine off, unlock your drive and pull it out, put
the new drive in and lock it, turn on the machine, and
viola!, a whole different machine.)
I would recomend about 40 Gig IDE drive and useing NT
to protect the setup and have user accounts so they
can store shortcuts, documents, and
"bookmarks/favorites". Alternatly you could set up,
net drives for their profiles from the likes of
freespace type accounts, and I recommend yahoo mail
rather than hotmail (unless you feel like provideing a
real POP-3 e-mail solution for them) You can keep
track of access to the services and Apps with
permissions. I would recomment a firewall such as zone
alarm, or black-ice and some filtering software like
netnanny if you're concerned about what is surfed on
your PC. Keep your virus definitions up to date. Close
any unused/un-neccessary ports (tcp ports, etc.). You
should have a way to make sure the user session is
logged off and caches/buffers are cleared before the
next user uses the machine (these things CAN be
automated.). Another thing you may want to do is to
back up your customers information out of
consideration and concern for them, in case anything
might happen. Imagine how much they would appreciate
you careing about them enough to bother. CDR/W, tape,
JAZ, and second hard drive are all nice solutions. Be
sure to test and verify your backup methods to ensure
that it IS working. Don't ASSUME you have a good
backup. (That would make you look thoughtfull, but
incompetent.)
(read further for ADSL details)
Question: any URL to tell how to test bandwith
performance over time (perhaps yeilding a list plus
averages, etc. ?
--- jlewis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Sharyn,
> Typically your have to pay two entities for DSL
> service: The phone company
> and an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Sometimes
> you can get both from
> the phone company. That is the case here with
> Verizon (formerly GTE).
I was told Verison was Bell Atlantic when we were
selling ADSL for Verison. Too bad I threw my sales
script away, or I could give you full details. There
were/are 3 plans. 640kbps down & I forget how much up.
Then a mid-level one, and a 5mbps one. A credit card
is needed to "secure shipping of the modem" VISA, AMEX
Discover, or M.C. (This was the hardest selling
point.)
A one year contract is required. They didn't seem to
care how many PCs/Macs you have networked. The modem
and an Ethernet board are/were provided (I was shown a
3-Com board and an external Westel "modem")
-PCMICA ethernet cards are NOT provided.
I believe they are at www.verison.com I think there
was a $60 setup fee. Dynamic IP with plans for Static
in Jan. 2001
Now some better news. If you are in the BellSouth
area, you may be able to get their "FastAccess" ADSL
www.fastaccess.com (phone # 1-888-321-2375)
ISP=bellsouth.net
Speed = up to 1,500kbps (guarentee = at least 256kbps)
Adapter = internal PCI or [external USB (must have
windoze'98 or greater & USB port]
other system requirements:
-50 meg free hard drive space
-100mhz Pentium class processor or higher
-32 meg of RAM or more
-win'95 or later ('98/ME/2K/NT) cough, no xNIX,
cough..
For Mac, the newer ones have an ethernet port already.
I'm not sure on other requirements, but RAM must be 64
Meg or more.
No activation fee.
You may (should probably) opt to install the "modem"
yourself.
No yearly contract.
"modem" is free and is yours after 90 days of service.
2nd full month is free (shipped UPS with no shipping
charges)
(bellsouth.net customers already "via. normal modem"
will get 2nd. and 3rd month free.
Price is $49.95/month (If you have "complete choice"
calling options it will be discounted by 9.95 ,down to
$40.00/month.)
If your phone line doesn't qualify now, but is
schedualed for upgrade which will qualify at a
specific future date, they will provide normal speed
bellsouth.net service free for up to 6 months till the
ADSL service IS available.
They don't want you to have any networked computers
accessing the ADSL.
IP = dynamic (experimenting with static/quasi-static)
Account comes with 5 e-mail addresses with 5 meg web
based boxes, and 10meg of web space.
This service is for residential phone lines.
Bell South does have web hosting services.
I'm not sure about other speed options.
Another company re-sells their service to customers
who MAY be outside Bell Souths' ADSL ranges. (their
name might rhyme with WindSpring)
******DISCLAIMER********
All information is the opinion of myself and is not
claimed as reliable fact. The information is provided
for entertainment purpouses only and hopefully will be
considered usefull the the readers and have a positive
and beneficial effect for the readers and Verison and
Bell South. All trade names are the properties of the
companies that own them. I claim no accuracy in any
issue and no ownership of any material. I receive no
compensation for any referals, and I do not (as of
19/Nov/2000) sell for any of these companies.
*************************
I have to check out telocity and then I'll probably go
with BellSouths' "FastAccess"
<big snip>
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