Bring A Friend Services Credit

The operation of a complex internet service like Eskimo North involves a substantial fixed monthly expense and relatively small incremental costs such that there is a large cost advantage to a larger user base.

In other words, the more people who subscribe to our service, the lower the price we can offer those services for.

In the past we've had a Bring-A-Friend promotion that required purchase of like services to get a credit but because our services are so diverse, rarely was there a good match-up, so this time we are going to try something different.

If you bring a new customer to Eskimo North and they purchase one-year subscription to any service or combination of services, we will credit your account services for 10% of the dollar value of the services they purchased, whatever the time equivalent works out to be.

If they purchase a two-year subscription we will credit 15% of the dollar value of the services they purchased.

If they purchase a five year subscription (or three years in the case of DSL) we will credit your account for 20% of the dollar value of the services purchased. If you have multiple services, you can specify how you would like that applied.

In order to get this credit, they must tell us you referred them to us at the time the purchase is made.

St. Patrick's Day Sale

March 12th 2008 Through Good Friday, March 21st 2008, the following specials are in effect:

Shell accounts:

Purchase a 1-year shell subscription or extension: Get 13 months for the price of 12.
Purchase a 2-year shell subscription or extension: Get an additional three months (27 months total).
Purchase a 5-year shell subscription or extension: Get an additional year (72 months total).

Plus... Get double the normal disk quota starting at the time of purchase even if your account doesn't expire for some time. Example, if your account expires September 28th 2008, add a year, you'll get 400MB through September 28th 2009.

Virtual Domains:

Purchase a 1-year virtual domain or extension: Get 13 months for the price of 12.
Purchase a 2-year virtual domain or extension: Get an additional three months (27 months total).
Purchase a 5-year virtual domain or extension: Get an additional year (72 months total).

Bring a new domain here and get half price for any term of one year or longer.

Personal and Business Web Hosting Packages:

Purchase a 1-year web hosting package: Get 13 months for the price of 12.

Normally, we don't offer terms longer than one year on these hosting packages, but during this special you can get 27 months for the price of two one-year subscriptions, and six years for the price of five one-year subscriptions. On terms of one year or longer get double the normal disk quota.

Qwest DSL

Qwest DSL: Pay for 1-year - Get 13 months, 2-years - get 27 months (on ISP charges only)
Qwest DSL: Pay for 3 years - Get 3-1/2 years PLUS a free speed upgrade to the next highest speed.
Get double the normal disk quota on all Qwest DSL subscriptions of one year or
more and the extra quota starts at the time of purchase even if your account does
not expire for some time.

The sale rate applies ONLY to Qwest DSL and not to Verizon, ATT/SBC, or BellSouth Territory.

56K Dial

56K Dial: With a one, two, or five year subscription, get double the normal disk
quota effective at the time of purchase. With a two-year get up to five secondary shell
accounts free, and with a five year get secondary shell accounts plus a virtual domain
free.

Get national service at the discount rate PROVIDED that you agree to switch over to the discount plan as soon as the national discount numbers are published.
When this occurs it will require a change in the dial-up username and telephone
number in your dial-up networking configuration.

This sale applies ONLY to single channel 56K analog dial and not to ISDN or dual channel accounts.

Heat Follow-Up

It's been a number of months since we had the heat issues at the co-location facility. We have had no further issues. Integra has replaced the doors on our cabinet with vented doors so our cabinet is no longer significantly hotter than the room.

We have had no further hardware deaths and few stability issues. Those issues that remain are the occasional DoS attack that makes it past our firewall and for the most part those haven't resulted in outages but on occasion longer response times.

We expect that operating system upgrades will eventually resolve the remaining vulnerabilities as the newer Linux distributions provide facilities that address the types of attacks that we still occasionally experience.

Web Outages

We have had a lot of problems with web outages the last couple weeks. The problem stems from the fact that the co-location center has had air conditioner problems which are neither being adequately monitored nor resolved.

I've been out there probably close to a dozen times in the last two weeks, five of those times A/C has been inoperative and the building interior over temperature. Only one of those times were they aware of it when I called.

Saturday, August 18, 2007, I replaced ultra1, which is the main web server machine and also acts as an NFS server for some other applications that require common disk space. Earlier I had replaced a failed CPU, Saturday four SIMMS had failed. So not knowing for sure if it was the heat, a bad motherboard, or a bad power supply, I replaced the entire machine. On Saturday, they had just repaired the air conditioner before I arrived and the room was down to 74°F.

Monday, August 20, 2007 (today), around 11AM the web server crashed, the new just replaced web server.


When I arrived, approximately 11:30AM, the co-location facility was 89°F indoors.


I opened up my cabinet doors so that equipment could at least cool down to the 89°F room temperature, propped open the outside door in hopes of cooling the room off somewhat, and called the NOC.


I called them at 15 minute intervals there after and by 12:15, still nobody had been dispatched. I spoke to a supervisor and by 12:41 PM someone was finally dispatched.

Other customers had apparently been there and left before I arrived, because one of them had removed the back from his cabinet and left it off and another had opened the door and left with it open.




Mark arrived about 1:20PM, by which time the room had cooled to 87°F with the door propped open. He called the A/C repair company, propped open an inside door between the co-location facility and their equipment room (where the A/C was working fine), and set a couple of floor fans in the doorway to blow cold air in.

By the time the A/C repair people where there, around 1:50 PM, the room was down to 83°F. The A/C guys determined that there was a problem with the unit on the roof, however, the tech that was there Saturday took the key home with him so they couldn't get upon the roof immediately. We had to wait for that tech to arrive with the key. The second tech arrived about 2:10PM or so.

Once they had access to the roof, the A/C repair folks found a bad card in the A/C unit on the roof and replaced it, the A/C came back on, and I left when the room was down to 81°F but cold air was blowing out of the vents.

There are many aspects of this event that are particularly troubling. It was 63°F outside and rainy.




Earlier this year it was 101°F one day in Bellevue, what would happen if the A/C had failed then?

The temperature alarm was set to 85°F.



With it set this high an alarm isn't even generated until the room temperature has risen 15°F above the normal temperature.

The problem is greater than just high temperatures. These cabinets have very little ventilation. The A/C didn't just stop, there was no air coming out of the vents as far as I could tell, warm or cold. In this situation, the temperature inside equipment cabinet gets far hotter than outside. When I opened it up, it was like pulling bread out of an oven.

To my way of thinking, the high-temp alarm should be set just a few degrees above the normal temperature, so that when the A/C fails, an alarm will be generated before customers equipment is already melting and flaming.

Even at the insanely high temperature the alarm is set at, at 89°F, an alarm had to have been in previously, and yet, the NOC was blissfully unaware that anything was amiss when I called. In addition to being unaware, it took four calls and a conversation with a supervisor to get anyone dispatched. The previous four times I called a high temperature condition in, the NOC also was completely unaware. I have to conclude that either the high temperature alarm doesn't work, even when the limit is exceeded, or nobody actually monitors the alarms even when they come in.

I have customers who are very dependent upon their website for their income as are we because our main source of advertising is the website and word of mouth, and having failures like this do very negative things for both.

There are other customers out there who have fans on the back door of their cabinet, I have requested that the same be done for mine, so that during the event of a failure, the inside of cabinet doesn't get far above ambient. It isn't just the loss of A/C that but the loss of air circulation which then causes the interior temperature to rise far above the already extreme ambient temperature that bakes things.

I want the high temp alarm issue to be addressed, both an alarm working at a more reasonable temperature, and the systematic problems resolved, the alarms need to be monitored and when a failure does occur dispatch needs to happen in a timely manner. I am working on resolving these issues with this co-location provider.

3 Day Sale - Extended

Extended through June 18th:

Because we were overwhelmed with responses and unable to get all the lines prequalified before the end of the sale, I am extending this through June 18th.

Shells:

Buy a 1, 2, or 5 year shell subscription and get TWICE the normal disk quota. With 1-year get 400MB, 2-year get 800MB, 5-year get 2GB.

Dialup:

Rewew for 1, 2, or 5 years and get TWICE the normal disk quota as with shell accounts AND get a free secondary shell account for the same duration for every family member living in the same household. This means each member of your family can have their own e-mail address and web space and shell space.

DSL:

Subscribe for 1,2, or 3 years and get 400MB, 800MB, or 2GB disk space, a free virtual domain for the same duration, and secondary shell accounts for every family member living in the same household.

If you purchase Dialup and later decide to upgrade to DSL, you will be able to apply the balance remaining
on your account towards DSL.

We now have DSL available in Qwest, Verizon, SBC/ATT, and BellSouth territory and in addition Covad DSL. So where ever you are, odds are good we're there too.

We have NEW DSL rates and they're not updated yet on the DSL Pages yet but here are the new rates:

Qwest

     New Lower (MUCH) Qwest DSL ISP Pricing.

   (Existing DSL customers will need to have a configuration change made to take advantage of these new lower rates).

   We can now service Qwest DSL in all locations Qwest provides service.
Different rates may apply to some locations in Iowa and North Dakota.

   Note 1: Existing Eskimo North Qwest DSL customers will need to have
configuration changes made in order to take advantage of this new pricing.
This will require coordination between us, you, and the telco. Please
contact customer support for details.

   Note 2: In some locations in Iowa and North Dakota, these prices are
not available and different prices will apply.  Please contact customer
support and ask for a quote if you are in these areas.

   Note 3: Qwest is now labeling the upload speed on the faster circuits
as 1MB, in reality usually we see the modems sync up at 896K.

   Note 4: These are the ISP charges only.  Qwest will bill for the line
charges directly.  However, please order circuit or switch ISPs through
us. We have a subagency now and can handle all of your Qwest product
needs including wireless, long distance, and digital TV.

   KEY: "AP" is the AutoPay rate, "1T" is the one-time individual
payment rate. For periods of a year the are the same.  Autopay is not
available on terms longer than one year.

   Speed        Monthly      QTR      HALF      1YR     2YR    3YR
                 AP/1T      AP/1T     AP/1T    AP/1T    1T     1T
 256k/256k      $20/22     $57/63    $108/111  $216    $408   $540
  1.5M/1M       $25/27     $72/78    $138/141  $276    $528   $756
  3.0M/1M       $35/37     $102/108  $198/201  $384    $744   $1044
  5.0M/1M       $40/42     $117/123  $228/231  $432    $840   $1188
  7.00/1M       $45/47     $135/141  $258/261  $504    $960   $1368

Verizon

    Verizon DSL Pricing:

    Note 1: These prices are all inclusive in Verizon Territory. It
includes both the telco loop and ISP charges and you will receive one DSL
Internet Access bill from us rather than separate bills from Verizon and
us.

    Note 2: If you do not already have a DSL modem there is a one-time
$60 charge for a basic DSL modem.  Units with additional functionality
will be available for slightly higher price which I will list shortly.
Please be sure to tell us wether have a DSL modem or need to order one.

    Note 3: Verizon DSL rate structure isn't completely uniform, there
are four LATAs in California 722, 730, 740, and 973 where the pricing and
capabilities are differ.

    KEY: "AP" is the AutoPay rate, "1T" is the one-time individual
payment rate. For periods of a year the are the same.  Autopay is not
available on terms longer than one year.

    Verizon TAS - Available In DC,FL,IL,IN,MD,MI,ME,MA,NC,NH,NJ,
                               NY,OR,PA,RI,TX,VA,VT,WA,WI,WV.

    Speed      Monthly      QTR       HALF      1YR     2YR    3YR
                AP/1T      AP/1T      AP/1T    AP/1T    1T      1T
   768K/128K   $33/35     $96/102   $186/189   $360    $696   $1008
   1.5M/128K   $33/35     $96/102   $186/189   $360    $696   $1008
   1.5M/384K   $41/43    $120/126   $234/237   $456    $888   $1296
   3.0M/768K   $41/43    $120/126   $234/237   $456    $888   $1296
   7.1M/768K   $99/101   $294/300   $582/585  $1152   $2280   $3384

    Verizon - Available In CA LATA 722, 730, 740, 973.

    Speed      Monthly      QTR       HALF      1YR    2YR    3YR
                AP/1T      AP/1T      AP/1T    AP/1T   1T     1T
   768K/128K   $28/30     $81/87    $156/159   $300   $576    $828
   1.5M/384K   $45/47    $132/138   $258/261   $504   $984   $1440
   3.0M/768K   $46/48    $135/141   $264/267   $512  $1032   $1476
   7.1M/768K   $95/97    $282/288   $558/561  $1104  $2184   $3240

ATT/SBC

    SBC / ATT DSL Pricing:

    Note 1: These prices are all inclusive in SBC / ATT Territory.
It includes both the telco loop and ISP charges and you will receive
one DSL Internet Access bill from us rather than separate bills from
ATT and us.

    Note 2: If you do not already have a DSL modem there is a one-time
$60 charge for a basic DSL modem.  Units with additional functionality
will be available for slightly higher price which I will list shortly.
Please be sure to tell us wether have a DSL modem or need to order one.

    Note 3: AT&T DSL rate structure isn't completely uniform, there are
four LATAs in California 730, 732, 722, 738 (please note although these
may overlap area codes, a LATA covers multiple area codes) and one in
Texas 566, where the pricing and capabilities are different.  In these
LATAs the pricing will be less but capabilities are also less and speed
options are different.  The first charge will be ATT TAS which is
everything but these five LATAs, the second chart will address those LATAs
specifically.

    KEY: "AP" is the AutoPay rate, "1T" is the one-time individual
payment rate. For periods of a year the are the same.  Autopay is not
available on terms longer than one year.

    If you are in TX and do not know what LATA you are in, don't worry,
we can determine that when we prequalify your line. We will then contact
you with available speed and pricing.

    AT&T TAS - Available In CA,NV,TX,OK,KS,AR,MO,IN,OH,MI,WI,IL

    Speed        Monthly      QTR      HALF      1YR     2YR    3YR
                  AP/1T      AP/1T     AP/1T    AP/1T    1T     1T
   1.5M/384K     $27/29     $78/84    $150/153  $288    $552   $792


    ATT - Available In CA LATA 730, 732, 722, 738 and TX LATA 566

    Speed        Monthly      QTR      HALF      1YR     2YR    3YR
                  AP/1T      AP/1T     AP/1T    AP/1T    1T     1T
   768/384K      $22/24     $63/69   $120/123   $228    $432   $612
   1.5M/384K     $23/25     $66/72   $126/129   $240    $456   $648
   1.5-3M/512K   $31/33     $90/96   $174/177   $336    $648   $936
   3M-6M/768K    $50/52    $147/153  $288/291   $564   $1104  $1620
   - STATIC IP AVAILABLE ADD $15/Month -

BellSouth

    Bellsouth DSL Pricing:

    Note 1: These prices are all inclusive in Bellsouth Territory. It
includes both the telco loop and ISP charges and you will receive one DSL
Internet Access bill from us rather than separate bills from Bellsouth and
us.

    Note 2: If you do not already have a DSL modem there is a one-time
$60 charge for a basic DSL modem.  Units with additional functionality
will be available for slightly higher price which I will list shortly.
Please be sure to tell us wether have a DSL modem or need to order one.

    KEY: "AP" is the AutoPay rate, "1T" is the one-time individual
payment rate. For periods of a year the are the same.  Autopay is not
available on terms longer than one year.

    Bellsouth - Available In AL,FL,GA,KY,LA,MS,NC,SC,TN.

    Bellsouth DSL has a $50 setup fee.
    Bellsouth DSL is a minimum one-year term with a $50 early termination fee.

    Speed         1YR     2YR    3YR
                 AP/1T    1T     1T
   256K/128K     $528   $1032  $1512
   1.5M/256K     $528   $1032  $1512
   3.0M/384K     $648   $1272  $1872

   Static IP is available for an additional $120/year.

Covad

    Covad DSL Pricing:

    Note 1: These prices are all inclusive. It includes both the telco
loop and ISP charges.

    Note 2: If you do not already have a DSL modem there is a one-time
$60 charge for a basic DSL modem.  Units with additional functionality
will be available for slightly higher price which I will list shortly.
Please be sure to tell us wether have a DSL modem or need to order one.

    KEY: "AP" is the AutoPay rate, "1T" is the one-time individual
payment rate. For periods of a year the are the same.  Autopay is not
available on terms longer than one year.

    Covad is not an ILEC based DSL carrier. They have DSL available in
many locations ILEC (incumbant telephone company) service is not
available.

    Covad has a minimum 1-year term and a $150 early termination fee.

    Speed        1YR     2YR    3YR
                AP/1T    1T      1T
   1.5M/128K    $348    $672   $1008
   3.0M/384K    $348    $672   $1008
   6.0M/768K    $408    $792   $1152

UUCP

UUCP - Unix to Unix Copy Program is a protocol used to transfer files between computers primarily over ASCII dial-up connections. It was widely used to implement e-mail and Usenet News prior to the widespread deployment of the Internet.

UUCP is primarily used with ASCII dial-up lines. Taylor UUCP can also transfer files over a TCP/IP connection across the Internet. In most cases, if you are transferring over the Internet, you would want to use modern protocols, SMTP for e-mail (in conjunction with ETRN for servers that are intermittently connected), FTP for file transfer, ssh for remote program execution, but there are legacy applications wired into UUCP.

There are many UUCP implementations. Taylor UUCP, which introduced a sliding window transfer protocol, offers the best throughput. Taylor UUCP also addressed security issues present in previous UUCP implementations. Eskimo North uses Taylor UUCP but at present we have it enabled for dial-up usage only. If someone has a pressing need for UUCP over IP we will consider enabling IP support.

ETRN Polling

Mail hosts which have intermittent connectivity to the Internet will need a connected host to store mail for them when they are not connected and then transmit it to them when they are.

The SMTP protocol has the necessary facilities to accomplish this. First, SMTP uses DNS MX records to determine what mail exchange server(s) to connect to in order to send mail to a particular domain.

These MX records have priority values associated with them. The lower the numerical value of the MX priority. If a sending site looks up a domain name and finds that there are two MX servers, one has a value of 10, the other 100, it will first attempt to connect to the server with the value of 10. If it can not, it will next try the server with the MX priority value of 100.

Eskimo North uses this to implement ETRN polling. A DNS record for your domain with an MX record for your server is added with a MX priority value that is low, like '10', and an MX record for a server at the ISP is added with a high MX priority value, say '100'.

Eskimo North also must configure it's MTA to relay for your domain so that it can accept mail for your domain.

Now what happens is a remote site attempts to send mail, it will first attempt to send directly to your server because it has the lower value priority MX record. If your server is available, it will send the mail to your server. If your server is not available, it will then try the higher priority value MX record for the server at Eskimo North, and our server will accept the mail. It will attempt to forward it but it will be unable to do so because your site is off line so it will queue the incoming mail.

Now when your site connects to the net, it will connect to the mail server at Eskimo North and it will issue an ETRN command that asks the remote server to initiate a connection and session towards your server.

In the early days a command called TURN was used to reverse the session direction. However, this had a security hole in that a site could connect, issue an EHLO command informing the MTA that it was a different site, then issue an ETRN command and steal that sites mail. This was not a good thing.

The ETRN command works differently. Since it initiates the connection, it can be more confident that it's talking to the right system, as opposed to trusting an existing connection.

On this end then it basically requires DNS and sendmail (the MTA we use) configuration. On your end, it requires software capable of issuing an ETRN command.

In order for this to work, a static IP address is not required on your end, but a static host name is. This can be accomplished on a dynamic IP address by using dynamic DNS that dynamically maps a static host name to your dynamic IP. There are a number of dynamic DNS services that do this, many are free.