Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 18:33:38 -0500 From: Mike Meyer <mwm-dated-1022196819.b8dc4d@mired.org> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> Cc: Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be>, Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr>, Miguel Mendez <flynn@energyhq.homeip.net>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: The road ahead? Message-ID: <15590.58578.811389.223502@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <3CE61284.80ADD241@mindspring.com> References: <20020516004909.A9808@daemon.tisys.org> <20020516151801.A47974@energyhq.homeip.net> <20020516172853.A7750@daemon.tisys.org> <3CE40759.7C584101@mindspring.com> <20020516220616.A51305@energyhq.homeip.net> <3CE43D08.1FDBF0A3@mindspring.com> <20020517163624.GB9697@hades.hell.gr> <3CE58F73.1A7F50AF@mindspring.com> <p05111717b90b4c01f392@[10.9.8.215]> <15589.63655.94078.482179@guru.mired.org> <3CE61284.80ADD241@mindspring.com>
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In <3CE61284.80ADD241@mindspring.com>, Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> typed: > Mike Meyer wrote: > > In <p05111717b90b4c01f392@[10.9.8.215]>, Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be> typed: > > > At 4:17 PM -0700 2002/05/17, Terry Lambert wrote: > > > > A much better paradigm would have been a single round green > > > > button on the front, wich connected your small office to the > > > > Internet. > > > Naw, you want something that just automatically works, and > > > doesn't require any buttons. > > > > I almost replied to Terry pointing out that the Linksys cable/dsl > > router has no buttons. You shut off all your gear, plug the modem into > > the WAN side, plug your computers into the LAN side, and then turn on > > the modem, router and systems in order. If you've got typical Windows > > installs, you're done. > You just turn it on? > With a button? > 8-) 8-). Nope - with a power cord. > > > If you need something that requires a static IP address - like an NFS > > server - you have to configure it. If your systems were doing dialup > > internet, you'll have to run the internet wizard on them. If you want > > to run web servers and the like, you have to configure it yet more. > The idea that there is a requirement for static addresses for servers > is a common misconception. So is the idea that your gateway has to > be at a specific location, etc.. Good point. If you control the DNS, the requirement for many such static IP addresses go away. The linksys doesn't do it's own DNS, though. I guess if all your external serves are on the magic box, you don't need to deal with nat, either. > > But those options are for geeks. For a small all-MS shop that > > outsources it's servers, it's a near-perfect solution - unless you > > want to run netmeeting including someone not on the LAN. I'm waiting > > for them to announce a firmware upgrade running an OH323 gatekeeper, > > but expect it to be a new product. > That's actually a protocol design bug. Protocols that require > application layer proxies have an intrinsically broken design > (e.g. RealPlayer). These broken designs are usually intentional, > in order to control the market. I don't think that's the case here. There's already an open source gatekeeper package for OH323. The reason I didn't write the first time was because I realized that Linksys has done just what Terry was saying FreeBSD has failed to do: They've identified a target market, and produced a box that that market can use as a true plug-n-play device. They've provided enough configuration that geeks in that market segment will probably be happy, but you don't *have* to do any configuration in the target market. I think the market is changing on them because of NetMetting and clones. The question is whether they will adapt to the changing conditions. <mike -- Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/consulting.html Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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