From owner-freebsd-isp Fri Jan 24 23:31:41 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id XAA22786 for isp-outgoing; Fri, 24 Jan 1997 23:31:41 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtest.usit.net (smtest.usit.net [199.1.48.16]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id XAA22781 for ; Fri, 24 Jan 1997 23:31:39 -0800 (PST) Received: from abyss (abyss.i-Plus.net [206.99.237.42]) by smtest.usit.net (8.7.5/8.6.12) with SMTP id CAA13400 for ; Sat, 25 Jan 1997 02:42:27 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199701250742.CAA13400@smtest.usit.net> Comments: Authenticated sender is From: "Troy Settle" To: isp@freebsd.org Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 01:49:11 +0000 Subject: When will it end? Reply-to: pitlord@usit.net Priority: normal X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v2.52) Sender: owner-isp@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Ok, it's like really late on a Friday night (I think), and I'm still working (actually, taking a mail break). I can't remember the last day I haven't been worked in the last 9 weeks or so, ever since the area's primary ISP went under. At that time, I was approached by my boss, and he asked me if I wanted to set up an ISP. I looked at him, and said, "Well, I'd love to, but I don't know if I'm ready for such an undertaking." He said, "Well, let's do it on paper, and see what we can come up with." So, we did, and it looked good. Just a bunch of little details to put together into one big project. Since then, I've been in a self-taught crash-course on Network Administration. Sure, I had a basic knowledge of everything needed to get things working, but I was far from "knowing it all" (and still am). To date, I've learned about Cisco routers, Ascend's Max 4004, ADCKentrox's Datasmart SP (something or other), the hazards of using 10base2 ethernet and IDE drives. On the software side, I've learned more than I've wanted about named, sendmail, ftpd, httpd, radiusd, inetd, and a slew of other stuff, including the dangers of not making backups (luckily, damage was constrained to the FS mounted on /usr). There's lots of other stuff I've learned, but I'm on such an overload of information, that I don't know where to begin. But, forget the beginning for a minute, can anyone tell me WHEN IT WILL END? Take it easy everyone, I'll see ya on my next mail break. Troy P.S. The single, most important thing I've learned, is that starting an ISP sounds like fun, but in reality, it's pure hell. Not something for the weekend/evening hobbiest. P.P.S. Thanks to everyone involved with FreeBSD, without you, I wouldn't be going where I'm going today. I still don't know if this thing is going to fly, but if it doesn't, it won't be for lack of effort or support. It'll be a question of business management, which is something I'm not directly involved with. I just get to play with all the neat toys, and pick up a reasonably nice paycheck :) (I wonder if I'd make more with a college education...) --- Network Administrator (learning quickly) iPlus Internet Services (ready for testing) http://www.i-Plus.net (kinda there)