tri.net provides dialup and wireless internet access to individuals and business in
North-Central Kansas. These accounts are accessible via normal phone lines and a modem,
a antenna and radio are used in the case of wireless.
Tri-Rivers is locally owned and operated and was founded in 1995; the first in
North-Central Kansas to provide direct internet access. Our customer to modem ratio
currently (Sept, 2001) is under 5:1 at a time when the de facto industry standard is 10 or
12:1
What do you need? A computer capable of running a "Graphical Operating System" such as Windows® 3.1, Windows95/98®, or Apple/Macintosh®, a modem (14.4k or higher), a normal telephone line, and a completed tri.net
Account Application. If you have Win95/98, all the necessary software comes on the Microsoft Windows 95/98 installation CD, for Windows 3.1x you can download the software or copy it from our archive.What's the difference between internet access and the "Online Services"? With internet we connect your computer directly to the international network that not only connects all of those "Online Services", but the rest of the world as well. So you have access to EVERYTHING and YOU get to decide what to do with it. As new internet technologies like "Internet Phones" are developed, you're instantly ready to embrace them. With the "Online Services" you are limited to the information and services THEY FEEL LIKE developing and making available to you.
Most of the services available on the "Online Services" were patterned after services already available free via the internet. Newsgroups and Bulletin Boards are like the internet's USENET News, ChatRooms are like the internet's IRC (Internet Relay Chat), download areas contain files that are accessible via the internet's FTP (File Transfer Protocol), the major news services which used to be a feature exclusively available on the "Online Services" are now freely available and connected directly to the internet.
AOL customers:
If you still want access to America Online content without having to battle busy signals
or disconnection, let us be your connection to the Internet. AOL offers a $9.95 a month
bring-your-own-access rate* that gives you unlimited access to AOL's content. If you are a
current AOL subscriber and wish to have tri.net be your Internet Service provider you can
pay, in addition to the tri.net subscription fee, the $9.95 AOL bring-your-own-access fee
to gain access to their content.
What can you do with it? The sky is the limit, think of internet access as a utility like electrical service. Once you have electricity you can run your lights, TV, VCR, computer, stove, washer, etc. With internet access you can send email, read USENET News, download software, chat, video-conference, or audio-conference (internet phonecalls) worldwide, listen to live radio broadcasts from NPR, or OZ-FM in Canada, get up to date weather, stock market quotes and satellite images, news from Reuters, CNN, USA Today and The Washington Post, browse libraries, use an Encyclopedia, Dictionary, or Thesaurus, read books like "Alice in Wonderland" and The Barsoom Series, or Classics like The Complete Works of Shakespeare, The Holy Quran and the Holy Bible, or listen to music from Bach, Beethoven or the Rolling Stones.
What if I live outside the Salina dialing area? No problem. The Kansas Legislature recently passed a bill (HB-212) that requires Telephone companies to provide flat-rate long distance plans to consumers that don't have local internet access available. There are two types of access: Off-peak restricted to evening and weekend use, and an Unlimited usage plan. Contact your TELCO service representative for details. So sign up with your TELCO for one of these plans, get an account with tri.net and start surf'n!