LAN & Office Connectivity discussion, services, and prices

Office connectivity problem

Basic Questions

• Run your own web server or be hosted on Idiom?
• Run your own mail server or have mail hosted on Idiom?
• Provide dialup access to your LAN or use Idiom?
• Connect full-time or demand dial?

Web server

If you wish to host your own web server, you will need a full-time link. If you get more than a tiny bit of traffic a 56kbps linke or better is suggested. A 128kbps link can handle a lot of traffic.

Idiom provides high-quality web server hosting. Please see Idiom's hosting services page for more information.

Email

Email moves around the Internet using a protocol acalled SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol). You can receive mail via SMTP if you have an SMTP server running on your system. STMP servers tend to be difficult to administer. With many packages, you will need a full time connection to run SMTP.

Idiom can handle your email needs. Each of your users would need to have a "POP" account on Idiom.

Full-time or part-time connection?

If you can afford it a full-time link is well worth it. Your email arrives immediately. You can surf on a whim. You can access your systems remotely.

A demand-dial system can be nearly as good if it's set up right.

Telecommuting and home access to your network

If you want your employees to have access to your systems from home you can either install and maintain your own modem bank or you can use Idiom's.

If you use Idiom's, security may be a concern. Dealing with this concern can increase costs. There are three levels of security that can be achieved:

• Password protection.
  The simplest situation is that you require a password to gain access to your network.

• Packet filtering based on incoming address.
  If your employees all have their own static IP address then you can filter packets to prevent anyone else from getting in. Idiom can provide the filtering service.

• Encrypted IP-over-IP tunnell from a secure modem bank.
  Idiom can run a bank of modems that are dedicated for your use. This bank of modems can be restricted so that it can only talk to a router than will use an encrypted packet tunnel to get its packets to you.

Full-time Connectivity services

T1

T lines are the basic links that the Intenet is built from. T1s run at 1.544mbps. They are simple point-to-point full-time links. They are very reliable and have very low latency.

Dialup connectivity

A normal dialup modem account can be used. If email is delivered on Idiom then each person who shares the dialup account needs their own POP emailbox on Idiom.

Idiom's modems support V.90 and Lucent's K56Flex technology.

Dialup ISDN

A modem link quickly bogs down with more than one user. ISDN is a much better choice for a small office. ISDN also has the advantage that it can dynamically add capacity as your usage grows: start out with one "B" Channel. If it gets full many ISDN routers can add another in seconds.

DSL

Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) are regular copper phone lines that have special equipment at both ends of the line. They do not connect to normal phone company switching equipment.

Because none of the normal phone company equipment is involved, none of the normal phone line limits apply. DSL lines can run at very high speeds.

DSL lines run over what the incumbent telco (usually PacBell) considers residential lines, line problems are given the same priority as other residential services. For faster repairs, we reccomend a T-1.

Idiom uses Covad through PcWest to provision DSL services.

You can check on availability via Covad. Depending on how far you are from your phone switch, only some speeds may be available to you. To use the highest speeds, you must be fairly close to your phone switch.

Idiom is based in California. We can provide DSL in other parts of the country, but doing so either costs more or involves using another ISP to handle the bandwidth.

There are a bunch of different DSL signalling standards. With each different DSL speed and vendor there multiple choices for DSL equipment.

DSL equipment comes in a couple of flavors: cards; bridges; and routers. We prefer to provide bridges or routers.

With a router multiple computers can access the Internet over a single DSL line. With a bridge, only one computer can access the Internet. Multiple computers can connect to the Internet through a DSL bridge if a standalone ethernet-ethernet router is used with it.

Installation of the DSL equipment is sometimes done by the end user (you) and is sometimes done by the DSL provider.

Prices

T1 - Business

Idiom takes care of ordering lines, equipment and setting everything up. Idiom owns all the equipment and pays all the vendors. T1s must be quoted individually because the loop cost is not always the same. The price below is typical.

Burst Speed	Bandwidth Included	Setup	Monthly	Commitment
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$2500	$600	none
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$1000	$600	12 months
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$0	$600	24 months

T1 - Technical

Idiom takes care of it's end, you take care of your end. We order the T1 -- the price is included in the monthly fees. T1s must be quoted individually because the loop cost is not always the same. The price below is typical.

Burst Speed	Bandwidth Included	Setup	Monthly	Commitment
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$1500	$500	none
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$500	$500	12 months
1.5mbps	1.5mbps	$0	$500	24 months

T1 - Personal

Be the first on your block with a real T1. Laugh when your neighbor's DSL line is down :-)

Idiom takes care of it's end, you take care of your end. We order the T1 -- the price is included in the monthly fees. T1s must be quoted individually because the loop cost is not always the same. The price below is typical.

Idiom can both measure and limit bandwidth. In addition to the charges below, enough bandwidth must be purchased to cover most typical usage. Usage will be measured in five minute segments and graphed for your immediate review. If the five-minute averages shown on the graphs frequently exceed the bandwidth purchased, then Idiom may limit your bandwidth to the amount purchased. These bandwidth limits only matter to people who are very heavy users. Just surfing will not exceed the limits. This method ignores spikes in usage. Even spikes that last the whole day.

Additional bandwidth costs $100/month per 100kbps.

Burst Speed	Bandwidth Included	Setup	Monthly	Commitment
1.5mbps	200kbps	$1500	$350	none
1.5mbps	200kbps	$500	$350	12 months
1.5mbps	200kbps	$0	$350	24 months

Fulltime ISDN Account

The fulltime account includes PPP and Unix Shell access. It includes an email mailbox, an ftp directory, and a WWW home page. With one "B" channel, it costs $100 to setup and $100 per month to keep it. With two "B" channels, it costs $190 to setup and $190 per month to keep it. Extra IP addresses will be provided as needed. The following usage fees apply:
• Dialup modem usage
  744 hours included. 50 cents per "B" channel per hour after that. Use of extra "B" channels will be charged at $0.35 per hour.
• Disk storage
  20 MB included. 25 cents per MB per month beyond that.
• WWW and FTP bytes served on your behalf
  500 MB / month included. 2 cents per MB beyond that. Usage spikes are free (see policies page for details).

Covad DSL

Idiom takes care of ordering lines, equipment and setting everything up. These prices include all taxes, telco charges, and equipment -- everything. These prices also include as many IP addresses as you require.

Covad DSL is available in many parts of the country.

Idiom has three T3 connections to Covad: one each in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

Covad DSL service comes at different speeds: 144kbps IDSL, 192kbps SDSL, 384kbps SDSL, 768kbps SDSL, 1.1mbps SDSL, 1.5mbps SDSL, 608/128kbps ADSL, 1.5mbps/128kbps ADSL, 1.5mbps/384kbps ADSL, 1.5mbps/768kbps, 3.0mbps/384kbps ADSL. 3.0mbps/768kbps ADSL, 6.0mbps/768kbps ADSL.

Covad does not treat the kinds of DSL services the same. T1 services are considered appropriate for situations that require the serivce to be up nearly all of the time. Covad will repair such circuits at any time. SDSL services are appropriate for situations where uptime is important but not critical. Covad will work DSL trouble tickets during business hours. Covad will provide bandwidth guarentees. ADSL services are appropriate where speed and price the the primary considerations.

Idiom can both measure and limit bandwidth. In addition to the charges below, enough bandwidth must be purchased to cover most typical usage. Usage will be measured in five minute segments and graphed for your immediate review. If the five-minute averages shown on the graphs frequently exceed the bandwidth purchased, then Idiom may limit your bandwidth to the amount purchased. These bandwidth limits only matter to people who are very heavy users. Just surfing will not exceed the limits. This method ignores spikes in usage. Even spikes that last the whole day. Additional bandwidth costs $150/month per 100kbps.

Covad DSL is available in two flavors: business and residential. The residential DSL is only available at residential locations. Residential DSL packets are given lower priority in Covad's network than business DSL packets.

Some DSL circuits use a router, some use a bridge, some may use either. With a bridge, you require an additional router if you want to have more than one IP address. When available, bridges cost less.

The minimum service length commitment for Covad DSL is one year. If you cancel your service before your term is up, there will be a disconnection fee of $275.

Prices for Covad DSL 
Type        
Download &
Upload Speed        
Bandwidth
Included 
California
Setup
California
Monthly
Bridge / Router /
Customer Provided

Residential ADSL 
384kbps/128kbps 
N/A**     
$200 / na / na        
$55
Residential ADSL 
768kbps/128kbps 
20kbps    
$200 / $250 / na      
$75
Residential ADSL 
1.5mbps/128kbps 
25kbps    
$200 / $250 / na      
$100
Residential ADSL 
1.5mbps/384kbps 
50kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$120
Residential ADSL 
1.5mbps/768kbps 
50kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$140
Residential ADSL 
3.0mbps/384kbps 
80kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$150
Residential ADSL 
3.0mbps/768kbps 
80kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$175
Residential ADSL 
6.0mbps/768kbps 
80kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$200

Business IDSL    
144kbps/144kbps 
50kbps    
$300 / $300 / na      
$170

Business SDSL    
192kbps/192kbps 
55kbps    
$300 / $300 / na      
$175
Business SDSL    
384kbps/384kbps 
80kbps    
$300 / $300 / na      
$220
Business SDSL    
768kbps/768kbps 
100kbps   
$300 / $300 / na      
$275
Business SDSL    
1.1mbps/1.1mbps 
120kbps   
$300 / $300 / na      
$345
Business SDSL    
1.5mbps/1.5mbps 
140kbps   
$300 / $300 / na      
$425

Business ADSL    
1.5mbps/384kbps 
90kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$200
Business ADSL    
1.5mbps/768kbps 
90kbps    
$250 / $250 / na      
$240
Business ADSL    
3.0mbps/384kbps 
120kbps   
$250 / $250 / na      
$220
Business ADSL    
3.0mbps/768kbps 
120kbps   
$250 / $250 / na      
$270
Business ADSL    
6.0mbps/768kbps 
120kbps   
$250 / $250 / na      
$300

T1               
384kbps/384kbps 
300kbps   
na / $1150 / $450     
$450
T1               
768kbps/768kbps 
500kbps   
na / $1150 / $450     
$575
T1               
1.5mbps/1.5mbps 
1.3mbps   
na / $1150 / $450     
$700

Self-installation is available for residential DSL orders. Choosing this option will reduce your set-up cost by $200.00. However, failed self-installs will cost a minimum of $60.00 and require equipment returns within strict conditions. If these conditions are not met, the cost to you may be $200.00.

The speed of the residential services depend on line quality. The numbers given above are best-case. Worst-case is 128kbps downstream / 64kbps upstream.

The Residential 384/128 service uses Covad bandwidth and IP addresses. It is a PPPoE configuration with one dynamic IP address. No static IP addresses are possible.

Covad provides discounts of various amounts at various times:



Setup Discounts for orders placed	Bus 1.5/384	144 kbps	192 kbps	384 kbps	768 kbps	1.1 mbps	1.5 mbps	T1 384	T1 768	T1 1.5
7/1/04 - 9/30/04	$50	$215	$215	$215	$215	$215	$215	$525	$525	$525
4/1/04 - 6/30/04	$50	$215	$215	$215	$215	$215	$215	$450	$450	$450
10/1/03 - 3/31/04	$50	$210	$210	$210	$210	$210	$210	$450	$450	$450



Covad discounts often come in the form of rebates that require a form to be filled out and mailed.



Additional monthly cost for non-California service
Metro area	Res ADSL	Bus ADSL	Bus 144kbps	Bus 192kbps	Bus 384kbps	Bus 768kbps	Bus 1.1mbps	Bus 1.5mbps	T1 384kbps	T1 768kbps	T1 1.5mbps
Bay Area	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Sacramento	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Los Angeles	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
San Diego	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
All others	$15	$15	$20	$20	$25	$30	$35	$40	$25	$30	$40
Miscellaneous charges
Item					Price
Inside Wiring from NID to RJ45					$110
Field technician dispatch					$210 + $30/15 mins after 1st hour
Upgrade/downgrade of service - with service call					$225
Upgrade/downgrade of service - w/o service call					$115
Cancel residential service within 15 days, equipment returned					$20
Cancel residential service within 90 days					$375
Cancel business service within 90 days					$475
Cancel service after install, before end-of-term					$275
Cancel service before install					$65
Missed appointment					$120

Bulk POP accounts

POP accounts cost $5/month each in bulk.

Bulk dialup service

Idiom dialup accounts may be purchased (five or more) at $10/month (each) + $0.50 per modem-hour.

Idiom dialup ISDN accounts may be purchased (five or more) at $20/month (each) + $1.00 per "B" channel-hour.

account extras

Extra mailboxes

Are you sharing your account? If so, please consider using separate email mailboxes for each person using your account.

An extra mailbox can be accessed if you are using a POP-based Mail User Agent like Eudora.

An extra, POP-only email mailbox is $20 to setup and $5 per month to keep. If multiple POP accounts are needed the setup fees quickly drop off to zero: $10 each for the 2nd and 3rd and then $0 for any more.

Virtual Hosting

Do you want your own domain?
With Virtual Hosting, you can have your own domain. Idiom's Virtual Hosting service includes everything that you need:
• Incoming email
  Email sent to your domain will come to your account. If you need multiple mailboxes in your domain, then an extra mailbox is in order. If you want some of the mail that comes to your domain to be sent to another site, it can be done for free using our web interface. Set up as many virtual email addresses as you want.
• Outgoing email
  When you send mail through Idiom, the return address is automatically rewritten so that it appears that the mail came from YOUR-DOMAIN.
• WWW server
  Your new web address is simply your domain name. www.YOUR-DOMAIN also works.
• FTP server
  Your new ftp address is simply ftp.YOUR-DOMAIN
• NIC registration
  The Network Information Center (NIC) is now charging $70 to register a domain. There is a further charge of $35 per year to keep it beyond the second year.
  
  Is the domain you want available? Please check using the whois command on the shell or with our domain checker at http://cgi.idiom.com/testdomain.

  Virtual hosting costs $50 to setup and $8 per month to keep. This charge does not include the fee paid to the NIC. You are responsible for paying the NIC yourself. They charge $70 setup and $35 per year after the second year.

  If you wish to have Idiom to pay the NIC, we charge $100 extra setup (total $150) and $2 extra per month (total $10).

Extras

In addition to the base accounts, the following additional features and fees may be of interest: extra disk space; secure web server; packet filtering; file restores; account renaming; database hosting; domain reservation;