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by Tim Parker
Linux is well-suited for connecting to the Internet and for using many of the Internet services. We’re not just talking about using Linux to browse the Web or using FTP to transfer files from an archive site to your machine but using Linux as your own server. You can serve up your own World Wide Web pages, provide your own FTP site, or act as a Gopher host all with a minimum amount of configuration of your Linux system. You don’t need any special software, just the distribution CD-ROM or archives. This chapter looks at the ways you can connect to the Internet. The upcoming chapters 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 may still 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 Internet services (such as FTP, WWW, or Gopher) but don’t want to let everyone gain access (maybe just a few friends), you may not need to worry about connecting to the Internet. You still have to set up the server software, though.
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. Actually, there are only four ways to connect to the Internet.
Briefly, your options for connecting to the Internet are as follows:
If you are part of a company or sharing the costs with a number of friends, online service providers are seldom able to offer the level of performance you need for support of email, FTP, and other Internet services. Another negative aspect about online services is that 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 are reluctant to allow many outsiders to use their system.
This leaves only two options: a direct gateway of your own to the Internet or the use of a service provider. The choice between these two usually comes down to an issue of the connection costs. 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 a possible choice for individuals, but sometimes the costs and machine overhead are too high. Service providers are typically used by small companies, and there is no reason why you can’t use a service provider if you anticipate a high Internet usage.
When deciding which method you want to 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 email, then any kind of access can 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:
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 email and newsgroups, so a little research is necessary.
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