Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 23, 1994 TAG: 9410010005
SECTION: WELCOME STUDENTS PAGE: WS94 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Fans of public transit should opt for a high-speed modem that is used to call the Blacksburg Electronic Village, a computer network that links residents, businesses and Virginia Tech. BEV also offers a convenient portal into the Internet, said Richard Diz, a Tech student who works part time for the network.
Users with a BEV account share the same gateway and sometimes there are traffic jams, so those who want to experiment should try working at midday or late at night to avoid peak times.
BEV charges its subscribers $8.60 a month and provides free software for IBM or Macintosh computers to make sending electronic mail and searching databases easier. Local residents list messages on a community bulletin board and businesses announce sales and post coupons.
Diz said people interested in hooking up to BEV should buy a high-speed, external modem, which costs $150 or more.
For the avid Internet user who demands a fast and furious flow of information, an Ethernet connection makes more sense.
"Ethernet is many many, many times faster than a modem," Diz said. It's the difference between processing 14,400 bits of information per second and 1.5 megabits per second.
Ethernet users have a phone line dedicated to a direct internet connection, which can be maintained 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a monthly fee of about $30.
Connections are available in some units at Cedarfield, the Chase, Foxridge, Jefferson and Terrace View apartment complexes. Cedarfield and Jefferson offer an initial complimentary connection. Residents in apartments without the connection must get permission from the owner before the building can be wired for Ethernet.
On-campus students interested in opening an account should contact the Student Telecommunications office in 128 Burruss Hall.
Off-campus students and local residents can call the BEV office at 231-4786. BEV office hours are Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To sign up for a BEV account, stop by the Andrews Information Systems Building located at 1700 Pratt Drive in the Tech Corporate Research Center.
by CNB