Getting Connected: The Internet at 56K and Up (Nutshell Handbooks)

Getting Connected leads you through the process of establishing an Internet presence. It focuses on high-speed dedicated connections, and draws from many people's experience setting up Internet connections for business and industry. It explains the technologies and acronyms, telling you what you need to know to get the job done. It covers technologies ranging from old workhorses, like 56K leased lines, to the newest arrivals, like ATM. Getting Connected discusses evaluating your needs and your provider's capabilities; understanding the communications infrastructure; data link protocols, including PPP, Frame Relay, X.25, HDLC, ATM, and SMDS; physical connection types, including 56K leased line, T1, T3, ISDN, and SONET; router configuration; Internet security, including firewalls and proxy servers; configuration of DNS, mail, WWW, news, and FTP servers; and extending Internet services to desktop PCs and Macintoshes.