Is America Online Connected to the Internet or Not?

[Bill Pfeiffer]

This may not be much help, but a recent communication from a gentleman
who is ON America Online tells me that the Internet gateway is
currently being 'tested' and it might be as short as a week or two
until it is up and running. The validity of this info is uncertain,
but he does seem to know what he is speaking about.

Hope this helps.

William Pfeiffer w...@airwaves.chi.il.us

[Cliff Barney]

There is no connection between America Online and AppleLink. The
former is ais owned privately; the latter is run by General Electric
Information Systems (GEIS) for Apple Computer.

AppleLink does have an Internet gateway. I don't think America Online
does.

[Robert A Snyder]

America On-Line is not currently exchanging mail with the Internet, as
far as I know. However, I do recall an open letter to the populus of
America On-Line stating they were actively persuing a mail link with
the Internet, with details to follow later.

Also, this comes from nic.ddn.mil:

Quantum Computer Services (AOL-DOM)
8619 Westwood Center Drive
Suite 200
Vienna, VA 22182

Domain Name: AOL.COM

Record last updated on 03-Apr-91.

Quantum Computer Services are the ones who run America On-Line. May not prove
that they are setting up a link, but it suggests it.

(aol.com currently is only a mx record pointing to PSI, so only mail is
likely to be exchanged....)

Bob Snyder rsn...@fergie.dnet.ge.com, or rsn...@atl.dnet.ge.com
Computing Services ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ if it bounces, try ^^^^^^^^^^^^
GE Aerospace, Advanced Technology Labs (609) 866-6672 FX: (609) 866-6397

[Daniel Roberts]

The original Applelink Introduction at Applefest Boston included only
the Apple II interface; the Mac version came later.

Dan da...@pro-franklin.cts.com
Sysop of pro-franklin 614-462-7458 at up to 2400 BPS.

[Jeffrey Wolff]

America Online is currently in EARLY "beta" test of their Internet
connection. Selected members of the network have been told that they
may use the Internet gateway to send mail from AOL as well as receive
it.

The beta test will NOT finish in a week or two .. .it will be several
weeks, if not a month or two before the announcement is made.

However, if you send Internet mail to someone on America Online using
the following format, they SHOULD receive it (they won't know how it
got there and they won't know how to respond to you, but it will
probably get there):

scree...@aol.com

Any screen name on AOL can receive Internet mail whether they are beta
testers or not.

Mail from AOL can go to MCI, Compuserve, Applelink, as well as
Internet addresses.

[Moderator's Note: Do you mean AOL has direct links to MCI, CIS, etc
or do you mean they get there via Internet, as in mcimail.com? PAT]

[Richard A Hyde]

In article <telecom...@eecs.nwu.edu> Brad writes:

> On a related issue: there used to be an online service called MACNET,
> later called CONNECT. They were pretty similar to America Online,
> with Mac and Windows front-ends; unlike AO, they did have an Internet
> connection through DASNET (though I forget how the addressing worked).
> They kept hiking their rates at a time when everybody else was cutting
> rates, so we dropped them. Are they still in business?

CONNECT is alive and well. About a year ago they shifted their focus
from individuals (like CompuServe, AOL) to corporate accounts. Since
then, business has been good.

CONNECT still has an Internet gateway through DASNet.

As far as the orginal thread goes, AOL is testing an Internet gateway
and it should be available real-soon-now.