Clarification needed on the rules: Internet connectivity

[LCGuy]

I'm thinking of entering the Retrochallenge with a little project of my own: to not only get my LCIII (my very first computer) on the Internet for the first time, but also to use it as my main internet computer for 2 weeks. Its running System 7.1, and I'm thinking that with an appropriate browser, such as Netscape 2, mobile versions of webpages (for example, Facebook), java turned off, and the Twitter 68k client, it should be doable. However, there's a slight problem: My internet connection is a 3G broadband dongle, which connects via USB.

The oldest computers I have that have USB are a Pentium III, and a G3 iMac, obviously none of which are anywhere near old enough to qualify for the retrochallenge. This leaves me in the position where the only thing I can do is to connect to the internet via a non-qualifying system and use said non-qualifying system to share the Internet connection to the LCIII (where I'd do all my Internet use). I'm just curious...is it acceptable for a qualifying system to connect to the Internet via a shared internet connection on a non-qualifying system, or should I come up with a different idea?

 

[~tl]

I believe that in previous years, this sort of set up has been acceptable. The main thing about the 'Challenge isn't the arbitrary rules, it's having some fun with old hardware that you wouldn't normally have time to play with. So, have fun [)] ]'>

 

[luddite]

Tom's hit the nail on the head... just remember to pop in an "official" entry via the web site.

 

[BarnacleGrim]

Surely it must be acceptable. Not much different from using any other router. Having to use a period modem would be rather inconvenient.

 

[Bunsen]

Didn't you only recently move up from dialup anyway, LCGuy?

 

[LCGuy]

Yeah, back in November...it had to happen eventually. And hopefully soon I'll get a job and move out, so I can make the final move from 3G to ADSL.

 

[Nathan]

Using a period modem would be the least of your problems. Good luck trying to find a dial-up provider, much less know whether or not your modem will work with their service. Not only that, but dial-up is barely usable on modern internet and I can't see how you could host any multiple connection servers on it (bbs,etc), except maybe with http clients or something.

 

[LCGuy]

I don't know what things are like in other countries, but here in Australia dialup is available anywhere in the country from quite a few different providers, including the main ones such as Telstra, Optus, Westnet, iiNet, etc. Unfortunately like most other countries, ADSL isn't really available in a lot of places here in Australia, only in built up areas, and as such if you go into just about any rural part of Australia, you'll find that a lot of people still depend on dialup, while I have 3G and a lot of people now have satellite broadband, a lot of people either can't get 3G coverage and/or can't afford satellite and have no choice but to use dialup.

Yes, dialup is slow, pathetic, last-century, and just so un-kewl, dude. But for a lot of people, including me up until a few months ago, its either that or two cans and a piece of string.

 

[Osgeld]

I dunno, in the states the average mans BS guess is 40% are still on dialup, and a quick google of dialup internet -zipcode will bring up a much wider array of providers than cable and bell

3 years ago I was slow but ok with dialup, its better than nothing which was the other option in the neighbourhood, then I got "clearwire" and was quite happy with 768k, but moved closer to work outside of their range, now I am on att ... its the same stuff one expects but option B is comcast

 

[Paralel]

According to this:

http://www.marketingvox.com/55-of-us-adults-have-home-broadband-but-10-use-only-dialup-039691/

in April '08 dialup in the USA was at ~10%. Given the preceding two years from '06-'08 saw a dialup drop from ~25% to 10%, it's probably a a decent bet that dialup is now somewhere in the ~7-5% range, possibly slightly higher due to the recession.

 

[Bunsen]

ADSL isn't really available in a lot of places here in Australia, only in built up areas

Just to clarify, 90% of Australians live in the larger cities, and probably another 5% in small to medium sized towns where ADSL is probably available.

 

[LCGuy]

Yeah, thats the thing...if you're in a reasonably big area, in most cases you can get ADSL no problemo, however there's still a lot of people in country areas who simply can't get it either because they're too far away from a capable exchange, or because their phone lines haven't been touched since the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and are simply too crappy to handle ADSL - in the area where our farm is a lot of people either suffer with dialup, or use 3G (typically Telstra NextG), or satellite, because those are the only options available.

 

[Bunsen]

I guess you're not "Remote" enough to qualify for the subsidised sat feed?

 

[LCGuy]

Actually we do qualify for it, but such a thing is too newfangled for my parents, plus I'd have to go on a contract, which I kind of can't do when I don't have a job, and don't know how much longer I'm going to be living at home for. (I'm currently looking for a job, and depending on where I get one, I may have to move out)