On Mon, Sep 22, 1997 at 03:05:35AM -0500, Dave Cinege wrote: : >Do yourself a favor, if you want a terminal server, buy a terminal server. : > : >If you need a good number of modems, pick up a used Livingston PM2 or : >PM2e. If you need to support a large userbase, consider a PM3 : >or an Ascend Max. : : Why? My linux RADIUS termserver works great. Runs solid state out of ram, : boots off a floppy. (Or a flashram card if thats what you wanna use)
Linux isn't exactly optimized for use as a terminal server... I'd rather concentrate on QoS, instead of concentrating on the cheapest solution around. It's not even really that much cheaper. Consider what it costs to build... Linux Server [1] - $3000 Cyclades 48 Port [2] - $3402 48 Modems ($125 * 48) - $6000 Another Linux Server[3] - $2000 ------------------------------------- Total $14402 Livingston PM3 w/50 Modems $11800 Linux Server [4] - $2000 -------------------------------------- Total $13800 Oops, the digital solution (i.e. the PM3) is cheaper. Here in Bell Atlantic-land, PRI's cost $435 a month. Livingston has support for NFAS coming shortly, so you can use 47 B channels over a pair of PRI's. You also have 3 hot spares in the PortMaster. Take a look at what the POTS lines cost you with the Linux+Cyclades solution, and you'll see that it's not worth it, since with PRI, you can also provide ISDN services. As an added bonus, the PM3 is a nice, small rack mountable unit. That Linux solution would be a monstrosity of cables, power strips, and home-grown racks to keep the modems from falling all over themselves. Probably a fire hazard too. Linux is a wonderful OS. It's great at being a server for numerous applications, including classic Internet related services, as well as file & print (Samba and Netatalk), databases (mSQL, MySQL, Flagship, others), workstation applications (CAD, software dev), and network management (scotty + tkined, SNMP, sniffit, tcpdump). It *can* also be used as a router or a terminal server. However, it certainly does not excel at either task. [1] A studly enough box to support 48 modems. [2] According to the Cyclades web site [3] You'll need another one to handle mail, web, dns, etc... [4] As advertised recently in the isp-services mailing list. -- Jason Costomiris <>< | "VMS is about as secure as a poodle [EMAIL PROTECTED] | encased in a block of lucite.... http://www.jasons.org/~jcostom/ | .... about as useful, too." #include <disclaimer.h> | --some guy I read on Usenet -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .