04/16/2026
Remember when Homer opened an internet business after being inspired by Flanders' success?
When Comic Book Guy inquired about upgrading his 28.8 kilobaud internet connection to a 1.5 megabit fibre optic T1 line and providing an IP router that was compatible with his token ring ethernet LAN configuration, Homer approached the upgrade by first connecting a CSU/DSU to an enterprise-grade router equipped with both a serial WAN interface and a token ring interface module. He configured the serial interface with the appropriate line settings, assigned a static public IP address provided by the ISP, and established basic routing to enable outbound and inbound traffic over the T1.
On the LAN side, Homer integrated the router directly into Comic Book Guy’s token ring network by configuring the token ring interface with the correct ring speed, ring number, and source-route bridging parameters. He enabled source-route bridging, ensuring that traffic could flow seamlessly between the token ring LAN and the IP-routed WAN. He even went the extra mile and implemented Network Address Translation (NAT) to allow multiple internal devices to share the single public IP - at no extra charge! The result was a fully functional hybrid network where legacy token ring infrastructure could access modern internet services over a high-speed T1 line without requiring immediate replacement of the existing LAN.
Needless to say, Comic Book Guy was a satisfied customer, and his rave review of Homer's service quickly led to Bill Gates discovering & subsequently buying out Homer's business.