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Prairienet Classic

True to its roots as a Free-Net, Prairienet continues to offer Prairienet Classic which provides menu-driven or Linux shell access to various text-based Internet tools for e-mail, Web browsing, newsgroups, ftp, secure shell, etc.

Prairienet Classic is available either via regular dialup using a standard communications program or, on computers that already have Internet access (through PPP dialup, a cable modem, DSL, etc.), via a secure connection using SSH (secure shell).

Dialup Numbers

(217) 239-1001 (Champaign-Urbana)

The Need for Speed

Many long-time users prefer this interface for its speed. Only a screen full of text is transmitted to the user's computer via the modem. All Internet connections are made by the Prairienet servers at speeds hundreds of times faster than even the best broadband connections currently available to consumers.

Sic Transit Telnet

Regular telnet access was permanently discontinued in early 2004 due to serious security concerns. Telnet transmits everything, inluding logins and passwords, in plain text, whereas a secure connection encrypts all data. Only secure connections via SSH (secure shell) are now supported. Please see Downloading and Installing SSH for details. These free programs are relatively small and can be downloaded and installed in a few minutes.

Prairienet Classic Menu

The Prairienet Classic Menu offers access to commonly used tools. More advanced users may prefer the Linux shell interface.