A remote network access connection assigns your local computer an Internet address for the duration of the connection, allowing other machines on the Internet to communicate with it directly; a file on any Internet machine can be transferred directly onto your local computer. This direct connection to the Internet allows your computer to run network clients (e.g. Netscape, Eudora, and telnet programs) directly. These network clients can then take advantage of your computer's ability to provide user-friendly graphical interfaces, allowing you to work with menus, mouse-clicks, etc.
A terminal dialin connection is a form of connection in which your local computer acts as a terminal, a dumb screen, for another machine (usually one of the Pantheon machines) that is connected to the Internet. Because your computer is essentially only a display, it is not physically on the Internet, and so other computers on the Internet cannot communicate with it directly. Instead, you must use your computer to run network software (Pine, lynx, telnet programs) that exists on the intermediary machine, which can communicate with other machines on the Internet since it possesses an Internet address. A special-purpose file transfer protocol (Kermit) must be used to copy files from the Pantheon to your own computer.
Therefore, while connecting via a terminal dialin connection you are
limited to a plain text screen in which only one task at a time can be
accomplished. Using a remote network access connection, however, your computer
can run each network task as a separate program, allowing you to have different
windows open for email, news reading, etc., all with graphical interfaces
similar to those of other programs you would use on your computer. It should
be noted, however, that all of the basic network services are available
through each kind of remote access connection, except for processing
graphic and sound data, which can only be done with a remote network access
connection. Email, library searches, file transfers, World-Wide Web browsing
and other types of Internet navigation can be done through both forms of
remote access. The difference lies in the quality and user-friendliness
of the interface provided.
The following table lists the three connection options and what software/services
are available with each:
| service | PPP | ARA | terminal dialin |
Email
Pine Quickmail for Mac Quickmail for PC |
yes
yes no yes |
yes
yes yes no |
yes*
yes no no |
Web Browsing
Lynx |
yes
yes |
yes
yes |
no
yes |
File Transfer
Kermit |
yes
no |
yes
no |
no
yes |
| File Sharing/Remote Printing | no | yes | no |
Usenet News
tin |
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
| Telnet (to Pantheon, Biomed,
Orbis, Nexis/Lexis, Medline, etc.) |
yes | yes | yes |
*The version of Eudora for the Macintosh does work with terminal dialin connections, but the PC version does not work very well. For that reason, the Internet Information Center does not support the use of Eudora for the PC with terminal dialin connections (this means if you have trouble using it we won't be able to help you).
Once you have chosen which type of connection you would like, continue
to Getting what you need for a modem connection
to check the hardware requirements to make sure your system is capable
of running your desired connection. If you decide you want a remote
network access account, you will need to come to the User Accounts Office
in the Computer Center at 175 Whitney Ave to sign up for the account.
If you want a terminal dialin connection, you may have already been automatically
signed up for one; if not, you'll have to contact the the User Accounts
Office (user.accounts@yale.edu,
432-6627).
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