MIND Dial-up System

Purpose of the Dial-up System:

The dial-up system provides access to the Internet (World Wide Web) by using a personal computer and a modem. The advantage of a dial-up system is that it provides for flexible access anywhere there is an analog (56K) or digital (ISDN) phone line.

The modem bank is nothing more than racks of modems and some port controllers plus a main link; either 56K , ISDN (128K), Fractional T-1, T-1, T-3, ATM, SONNET. Each is a step up in speed and bandwith accordingly. The main circuit is proprtional to the number of modems in the bank. When a large number of modems are in the bank the bigger the circuit must be.

The following upgrades have happen since the installation of the Dial-up Center in the Fall of 1995:

1995 Activity
• Merit installs Dial-up Center with 16 modems. The breakdown is as follows: 8 modem - KLC , 4 modems - CMU, 2 modems - UofM, 2 modem - Merit (Completed October 1995)

1996 Activity

• Mich.Com adds 3 modems. (Completed January 1996)
• Merit adds 5 more modems. (Completed March 1996)

1997 Activity

• Ameritech places Fiber into the center. (Completed January 1997)
• Ameritech places the Fiber Electronics for 288 Analog Lines (POTS) into the center. (Completed February 1997)
• Delta College adds14 more modems. (Completed February 1997)
• Merit adds 2 more modems. (Completed February 1997)
• MIND adds 8 more modems. (Completed February 1997)
• MIND adds 8 more modems. (Completed May 1997)

1998 Activity

• Merit begins building super modem pools in Michigan. See the table below for the super pools. Midland is relocated to Flint (S.E. Michigan) pool on

1999 Activity

• MIND adds 16 modems to the S.E. Michigan modem pool. (Completed 4/22/1999)
• MIND adds 4 modems to the Clare modem pool. (Completed 4/22/1999)
• MIND adds 32 modems to the S.E. Michigan pool. (Completed 6/11/1999)
• MIND adds 2 modems to the Clare modem pool. (Completed 6/11/1999)
• MERIT continues to study circuit and modem response times for possible main circuit upgrade.

As of: June 11, 1999 - S.E Michigan Modem pool has 2368 modems. MIND has 80 modems of the 2368 modems. There are also 112 KLC modems in the bank which MIND supports 8 for its users. Plus additional 10 tokens for use throughout the state. The S.E. Michigan modem pool is tied to the Internet at this time with a T-3 circuit. A T-3 circuit is equal to 45 Megbyte Ethernet pipe. As always MIND and Merit along with other affiliates continue to upgrade the capabilities of all the Dial-up Centers in Michiagn to handle more users and provide better service