What Hardware Do I Need?

To use SLIP/PPP, you need a computer, modem and telephone line. This may sound like nothing more than what you already use for normal host dial-up access. This is probably true for many users. However, there are some points to note.

Hardware

Direct internet access with SLIP/PPP will probably lead you to use GUI based applications. This means you want a computer that has a GUI environment. You can use a Macintosh. On the PC, you're looking at hardware that will run operating environments like Windows (and variants), OS/2 or Linux (with X Windows) comfortably.

For the PC running Windows 3.x, a low-end 486 with 8 MB RAM will be good. You'll probably want a mid-range to high-end 486 with 16 MB RAM to run Win 95 and/or OS/2 comfortably. These are recommendations for "comfortable internet surfing"; In practice, you may be able to work with less powerful hardware.

Modem

With direct internet access, you may also find yourself transfering more information between your computer and the internet. This will especially be true if you want to ftp lots of files or browse the World Wide Web with full graphics. As a result, you should look for no less than a 14.4 Kbps modem, and should seriously consider a 28.8 Kbps modem.

Data Connection

Using SLIP/PPP requires that you have a clean 8-bit data connection that uses hardware flow control between your computer and your ISP. This may not have been so stringent a requirement for simple host dial-up access. You may have to spend some time reading your modem's manual to find out how you can setup your modem correctly.

Here's a simple test to determine if your modem already passes clean 8-bit data and uses hardware flow control: Use your communication software to dial into a BBS or online service, or anything that lets you transfer files. Try uploading a binary file (eg., compressed ZIP archive) of non-trivial size. Do whatever is necessary to determine that the remote end received your file correctly. For example, the command unzip -t <filename> will test the correctness of ZIP archives. Then, try downloading a binary file (you can use the same one you uploaded). Again, do whatever is necessary to determine that you received the file correctly.

If both uploads and downloads are fine, chances are that with your current modem and serial port settings, you already have a clean 8-bit data connection that uses hardware flow control.

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