From owner-freebsd-hackers Fri May 24 09:14:08 1996 Return-Path: owner-hackers Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id JAA25166 for hackers-outgoing; Fri, 24 May 1996 09:14:08 -0700 (PDT) Received: from kitten.mcs.com (Kitten.mcs.com [192.160.127.90]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with ESMTP id JAA25157; Fri, 24 May 1996 09:14:05 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mailbox.mcs.com (Mailbox.mcs.com [192.160.127.87]) by kitten.mcs.com (8.7.5/8.6.9) with SMTP id LAA02664; Fri, 24 May 1996 11:13:50 -0500 (CDT) Received: by mailbox.mcs.com (/\==/\ Smail3.1.28.1 #28.5) id ; Fri, 24 May 96 11:13 CDT Received: by mercury.mcs.com (/\==/\ Smail3.1.28.1 #28.5) id ; Fri, 24 May 96 11:13 CDT Message-Id: Subject: Re: ISDN Compression Load on CPU To: dennis@etinc.com (Dennis) Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 11:13:45 -0500 (CDT) From: "Karl Denninger, MCSNet" Cc: hackers@freebsd.org, freebsd-isp@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <199605241549.LAA01078@etinc.com> from "Dennis" at May 24, 96 11:49:44 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Content-Type: text Sender: owner-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk > > >First, commercial boxes come with support. Support that an ISP will NEED. > > Um...well we give full WAN support with our products, and its a lot better > than you get from most of the "commercial" companies from what i > hear. > > > >And yes, Dennis, I am a developer. 99% of the software running here, > >including the entire FreeBSD-based authentication and database systems at > >MCSNet, were written by me. 15+ years of experience in this industry. > > Well, you sound like a marketeer to me :-) Obviously you understand > that some of us wear more than one hat..maybe you could give me > the benefit of the doubt. > > But frankly, I dont understand how you could use something like freebsd > for authentication....I wouldnt trust it to anything that wasnt commercial > and well-supported :-) > > Dennis Its called redundant backups, no two of which are on the same platform :-) I'm crazy, and chase the lower-cost Gods just like everyone else, but I'm NOT stupid. I see the market as basically having three components from an ISP perspective: 1) The end-attachment market (your customers). These folks want simple, simple, simple. Active routing is not required for 99% of these people. The ASCEND P130 is a great box for this application, and you will NOT beat it with a PC-style router. You just won't. 2) The ISP side of those links. The key here is density, density, density and more density. At least if you intend to grow. The PC solution is ok for *limited* areas of this application. 3) Backbone hardware. Here there is no question - CISCO is the market leader, like it or not. This is where you need things like *known good* OSPF capability, IS-IS, BGP4, etc. I have tried to set up BGP4 peering with a PC running gated before; it was a serious pain in the ass finding on their end finding out why we weren't getting correct announcements. With a CISCO its a 30-second exercise for most common configurations. Now let's talk about support. You claim you provide "full WAN support". 4-hour on-site hardware replacement if necessary? Instant, talk-to-an-engineer *NOW* support for software and hardware issues, 24x7? I get that with CISCO products, and in the backbone area, this is CRITICAL. I don't have time to dink around with strange problems. If something like that comes up, I need it fixed now... -- -- Karl Denninger (karl@MCS.Net)| MCSNet - The Finest Internet Connectivity Modem: [+1 312 248-0900] | T1 from $600 monthly; speeds to DS-3 available Voice: [+1 312 803-MCS1] | 21 Chicagoland POPs, ISDN, 28.8, much more Fax: [+1 312 248-9865] | Email to "info@mcs.net" WWW: http://www.mcs.net/ ISDN - Get it here TODAY! | Home of Chicago's only FULL Clarinet feed!