Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 16:11:13 +1030 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: Manuel Enrique Garcia Cuesta <megarcia@intercom.es> Cc: FreeBSD Questions <questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: How much to pay my ISP for my own Internet domain ? Message-ID: <19981208161113.V12688@freebie.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <XFMail.981207160752.megarcia@intercom.es>; from Manuel Enrique Garcia Cuesta on Mon, Dec 07, 1998 at 04:07:52PM %2B0100 References: <19981207100338.V603@freebie.lemis.com> <XFMail.981207160752.megarcia@intercom.es>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Monday, 7 December 1998 at 16:07:52 +0100, Manuel Enrique Garcia Cuesta wrote: > > El 06-Dec-98 a la(s) 23:33:38 Greg Lehey escribia: >>>> * Startup: >>>> >>>> - Static IP: USD 68 >> >> I suppose it's reasonable to assume that if you have a static IP, >> you'll be using more resources, *assuming* that this also means a >> guaranteed number to call any time you want. >> > > I guess so, I have to say that my current ISP's equipment > looks very responsive. Well, that's something, I suppose. >>>> - Domain registration: USD 83 >> >> This is pretty much what Internic charges ($75), including the first >> two years' fees. > > Actually, USD 83 is exactly what ES-NIC (or whatever the name ) > charges for the registration plus first year only. Nothing to do with > what I told them otherwise since I explicitly stated that my domain > would be a .org one. Well, I suppose you should check that. Maybe they'll drop the fee if you do a .org registration yourself. >>>> - Mail delivery procedure: USD 54 (script that >>>> notifies our server that yours is available to receive pending >>>> messages ) >> >> Huh? Who are you and who are we? You have two choices with mail: >> SMTP or POP. It seems that you have chosen SMTP, with which I agree. >> When you dial in, you have a script which connects to their smtp >> server and says: >> >> ETRN garcia.org >> >> That's all. > > "We" is my ISP and "you" is me, if this makes any sense. I will > be using SMTP indeed. OK. Then you supply the ``script''. > Though, it seems their sendmail is older than 8.8 and, as far as I > can recall, you cannot talk him into understanding ETRN or maybe > there is some other kind of problem. Another score for me in any > case. If they don't have the tools, they shouldn't make you pay for it. >>>> - Domain: USD 27 >> >> Huh? They already charge (a) for the registration, which includes the >> first two years' charges and (b) for the name server. This is even >> more than I had to pay to DE-NIC in Germany for having a .de domain. >> Is this maybe the cost of an .es domain, as opposed to a .com or .org >> domain? > > A .es domain costs some USD 5.5 a month from the second year > on. Though I can see a "justification" for all the other costs (you pay > for "something" ) I cannot figure out what "domain maintenance" may be. It's probably estimated problems with maintaining secondary servers. It's ridiculously overestimated. >>>>> 16% VAT >>> >>> This all adds to what they are already setting me back for >>> "normal" Internet access, some USD 25 a month. >>> >>> By the way, I told them I would register the domain myself >>> with the InterNIC. >> >> That's the way to do it. So what's the money for? > > I don't want to think they are trying to cheat me :/ I think they're uncertain of the work, and don't want to undercharge. >>> They charge Spanish pesetas obviously, I have applied an >>> aproximate exchange rate. >>> >>> I don't know how important this might be, but I think they >>> are running mainly Linux and perhaps some Windows NT. >> >> You need to find this out. > > To what extent is it important ? I take it that configuring > a Linux system is about as easy (or difficult ) as unix can be. Of > course it would not be as efficient a server as FreeBSD :) And I > take it also and really hope that they are smart enough not to be > using NT anywhere between the phone line and the upstream provider. >From "The Complete FreeBSD", second edition (http://www.cdrom.com/titles/os/bsdbook2.htm): What kind of hardware and software are you running? This question will sort out the good techie ISPs from the wannabees. The real answers aren't quite as important as the way they explain it. Nevertheless, consider that, since you're running FreeBSD, you'll be better off with an ISP who also runs FreeBSD or BSD/OS. >>> I know this question is somewhat off topic, but I don't >>> know of any better place where to ask. Personally, I think it is >>> outrageously expensive, much more than it should be. Somebody >>> please convince me that it's not. Thanks in advance, >> >> I think it is outrageously expensive, much more than it should be. >> >> Depending on where you live, you may not have much choice. But you >> have some. The one thing you *must* have from your ISP is the static >> address. OK, that's not even the most expensive thing (the ongoing >> domain registration stuff is), but you don't get a choice. > > We Spaniards are somewhat lucky regarding this: whichever ISP > we happen to choose (located in the country, of course ) we always > have the cheapest phone call to it, while for a voice phone call this > cheapest tariff would cover a range of only 10 - 20 kilometres, > depending on the phone network structure in your area. I suppose that's some consolation. > My current ISP is located 1000 kilometres away and the phone call is > as cheap as if it were around the corner. I can really choose but > still it's difficult: ISPs here used to be known to lie potential > customers about their upstream bandwidth and other throughput data. You can check it. > The best way for choosing an ISP here is asking people who use them, > but up to now I don't know of any ISP that matches the apparent good > performance of my current one. Don't underestimate the value of good connectivity and lack of problems. >> Next, you find somebody who will host your name server and secondary >> MX records for you. People who run University systems or some such >> might be pleased to oblige. They don't even need to be near you--for >> example, I have a secondary DNS server in England (I live in >> Australia), though it's a good idea to have relatively good >> connectivity to your next MX. > > The University where I attended might be a good alternative and > I'm already considering it, and besides they are quite near. If not, let me know. I spoke to an ISP friend last night, and he would be prepared to supply this kind of functionality at a reasonable price. It won't be free, but it would onlyh be a small fraction of the price your ISP is asking. >> If you do this, you'll drop the setup costs from $419 to $68, and the >> monthly costs from $49 to $22. The question is: do you know somebody >> who would oblige? > > Besides the University I will try to play with my ISP the > poor little guy with the poor little PC. Serious, that's what I am > anyway. They are business-biased and maybe I can make them look > downwards a bit. Good luck Greg -- See complete headers for address, home page and phone numbers finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?19981208161113.V12688>