[plug] Mirrors

[Cameron Patrick]

G'day,

On Fri, Feb 14, 2003 at 02:49:47PM +0800, James Elliott wrote:

| How do mirrors work (not the glass ones but the ones we download from)?

Every now and then (daily, weekly, monthly, wheneverly, depending on
the mirror), the mirror sites download the latest files off the original
server.  You can download freely off any site that mirrors whatever
you're trying to download (mostly ... some mirrors are restricted to
certain IPs, like mirror.aarnet.edu.au which is only available within
Australia).

| I gather the major downloads are not only stored on the source server but
| also on "mirrors" in other countries.

That is correct.

| 1.  Since we pay no more for Internet use if we download from within
| Australia as distinct from overseas, why use mirrors? - what is the
| advantage?

It's faster, places less strain on the wet piece of string that runs
under the ocean to connect us with the rest of the world, and places
less strain on the bandwidth of the primary download site.

Plus, those of us on ADSL or University connections /do/ pay more for
connections outside WAIX or PARnet.  For example, we can download up to
4GB on our home ADSL connection before we get throttled back down to
slightly-above-56k-modem speeds; most traffic within WA (i.e. WAIX)
doesn't count towards this quota.  Likewise, at Uni, I am given a
smallish quota of downloads outside PARnet (i.e. Murdoch+UWA+ECU+Curtin),
after which I have to start paying for Internet access.

| 2.  Who pays for the mirror sites if the downloads are free?

That depends.  Generally large ISPs do, in an attempt to save themselves
from needing bigger connections.  Iinet (ftp.iinet.net.au), Westnet
(mirror.3fl.net), and various other big names around WA all host their
own mirror sites.

CP.