Foreword: few would have noticed it, but Jaring, Malaysia's first ISP, was
declared bankrupt in April 2015, and
folded for good in July 2015, bringing
an end to a chapter of Malaysian history.
No mention of Malaysian internet history would be complete without mentioning Dr Mohamed Awang Lah, arguably the closest thing to being the father of the Malaysian internet. A lot of what Malaysia takes for granted today all started with a research network that he led.
What is less known is that Dr Mohamed Awang Lah wrote a 10 part series on this memories of bringing the Internet to Malaysia, and Jaring. I decided to take a stab at translating such an important part of history, so that at least it would live on.
All credit goes to Dr Mohamed Awang Lah. I just translated.
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JARING Dalam Kenangan (Bahagian 1)
In memory of Jaring (Part 1)
Source: https://www.facebook.com/mohamed.awanglah/posts/10205933254225410
1. Gambar terkembar membawa seribu kenangan.
1. Two pictures which bring back a host of memories.
2. Inilah komputer pertama yang diguna untuk memulakan perkhidmatan Internet di Malaysia sebelum JARING dilancarkan - bermula sekitar 1986. VAX750 - kuasanya jauh lebih rendah berbanding telefon bimbit sekarang.Di tengah adalah dua buah hard disk (tak ingat kapasitinya) dan yang kanan ialah pemacu pita setengah inci.Gambar diambil sekitar tahun 1989/1990 selepas MIMOS berpindah ke Exchange Square, Jalan Semantan.
2. This is the first computer circa 1968 which was used to provide the first Internet service in Malaysia before Jaring was launched. A VAX750 – modern mobile phones have more processing power than it had. In the centre of it were 2 hard drives (the size of which I have forgotten) and on the right were half inch floppy drives. This picture was taken around 1989/1990 after MIMOS moved to Exchange Square at Jalan Semantan.
3. Komputer model sama saya guna semasa mula belajar teknologi dan mencuba Internet di Universiti Malaya mulai tahun 1983 sebelum berpindah ke MIMOS pada hujung tahun 1984. MIMOS ditubuhkan secara rasmi pada awal tahun 1985.
3. It was the same model of computer that I used when I was learning technology and trying out the internet at the University of Malaya around 1983 before I moved to MIMOS at the end of 1984. MIMOS was formally established in early 1985.
4. Kita menggunakan protokol UUCP untuk bertukar emel dan Usenet (kumpulan perbincangan - Newsgroup). TCP/IP belum boleh diguna.Belum ada web, jauh sekali facebook.Nama rangkaian pada masa itu ialah RangKoM (Rangkaian Komputer Malaysia).
4. The UUCP protocol was used to exchange emails and Usenet (Newsgroups). TCP/IP was not in use then. The web was a distant concept, Facebook was not even on the radar. The network at the time was called RangKoM (Rangkaian Komputer Malaysia). (TL note: Rangkaian Komputer Malaysia = Malaysian Computer Network)
5. Terdapat sebuah lagi komputer (work station, semasa di Jalan Kerja Ayer) yang lebih kecil di guna untuk mendail ke luar negara dengan modem berkelajuan 1,200 / 2,400 bps. Biasanya kita dail 2 atau 3 kali sehari. Tidak lama kemudian kita guna modem berkelajuan sehingga 16.8 kbps tetapi sukar dapat sambungan melebihi 2,400 bps. Tidak ada talian tetap sehingga bulan November tahun 1992.Lihat gambar satu lagi yang memaparkan nod di luar negara yang menjadi rakan MIMOS.
5. There was another smaller computer (a workstation, while at Jalan Kerja Ayer) which was used to dial to international destinations with a 1,200 / 2,400 bps modem. Connections were usually initiated 2 or 3 times a day. Not long afterwards we used a modem which was capable of 16.8 kbps speeds but it was rare to have a connection faster than 2,400 bps. A dedicated circuit was only installed in November 1992. Refer to the image below which illustrates the international nodes which MIMOS peered with.
6. Sekitar tahun 1990, bila bil telefon mencecah RM10,000 sebulan, kita mula “download" Usenet mengguna pita magnet yang diposkan dari Amerika Syarikat setiap dua minggu. Kandungan pita di muatkan ke dalam komputer VAX750 untuk diedarkan kepada pengguna di Malaysia melalui talian dail atau tetap.
6. Around 1990, when the monthly phone bill started breaking the RM10,000 month, we started downloading the contents of Usenet using magnetic tapes which were posted from the USE fortnightly. The contents of the magnetic tape were then loaded into the VAX750 computer and distributed to users in Malaysia via dial-up of dedicated circuits.
7. Pada penghujung era ini, terdapat lebih kurang 1,000 komputer (kebanyakannya PC) menggunakan RangKoM di seluruh negara.
7. By the end of this era, there were around 1000 computers nationally (primarily PC’s) connected to RangKoM.
8. Talian tetap menggunakan satelit berkelajuan 64 kbps dipasang pada bulan November 1992 - JARING bermula.
8. A dedicated 64 kbps satellite circuit was installed in November 1992. With that, Jaring started its life.
