Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 21:33:13 -0600 (MDT) From: Wes Peters <softweyr@xmission.com> To: Peter Korsten <peter@grendel.IAEhv.nl> Cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: ISDN Modems Message-ID: <199709190333.VAA03754@obie.softweyr.ml.org> In-Reply-To: <19970918215602.50570@grendel.IAEhv.nl> References: <Pine.BSF.3.96.970917235804.1734B-100000@counterintelligence.ml.org> <199709181232.OAA09840@labinfo.iet.unipi.it> <19970918215602.50570@grendel.IAEhv.nl>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Peter Korsten writes:
> Personally, I think your own ISDN router is a bit overkill at home.
> The elegant thing about an ISDN card is that it's a digital interface,
> just like Ethernet, that plugs right into your computer. No fuss
> with wiring, just a simple RJ-45 plug and your connected to the
> rest of the world.
If you've got more than one computer, the ISDN router can save you in
some areas. You will probably, for instance, want to keep your router
turned on all the time. The InternetStation with an ISDN PC-Card *and*
a 33.6 modem PC-Card inserted draws about 950 mA; quite a bit less than
any PC solution you'll find. The network stack is often measurably
faster as well.
> This also makes a FreeBSD box with an ISDN card an ideal 'Internet-
> box' for a small company. Put an ISDN card plus an Ethernet in it
> (and pray that they don't start mixing up the UTP and ISDN connec-
> tors :) ) and you can use it as a dial-up proxy server, mail/uucp
> host, news server for selected newsgroups, firewall, you name it.
True. There aren't any solutions on the market that do all of these
right now, except the Whistle InterJet, but then again, it *IS* a
FreeBSD box. ;^) A damned nice one, too. Most companies that want a
dedicated/dial-up ISDN router with web, mail, news, etc. services would
do well to get themselves an InterJet.
If, on the other hand, you're still pretty small, and are going to have
most of your services (mail, news, web, etc) at your ISP, small capable
routers like the InternetStation and the Farallon Netopia have a lot to
offer.
> You can do it with NT server too (boy, Microsoft sure is pushing
> it's stuff towards small companies, I noticed this week), but at
> far higher costs for both hardware and software. Just grab the ole'
> 386 off the shelves and use it with FreeBSD.
Uck. You can probably do this with an old 386, certainly an old 486,
with FreeBSD. The Netopia has a 68360 in it; the InternetStation an
NS486. To do this with NT, you need a huge, power-sucking Pentium, a
couple hundred megs of spinning hard disk, VGA and display - what a
mess! Just say no!
> > Now if ISDN cards were sold in volumes and priced reasonably (i.e.
> > as much as an NE2000, since they are actually simpler!) and accessed
> > through a dedicated device driver, then things would certainly be
> > different.
>
> You really don't want to know what I paid for my ISDN card: nothing.
> The Dutch PTT wants to shove as much ISDN connections as possible,
> so they have special offers once in a while where you get the ISDN
> connection and the card for free, when you swap you analog line.
> You only have the cost of an A/B-adapter then.
>
> There must be some sort of vicious scheme behind it, but I haven't
> been able to figure it out yet.
Hmmm. I got a PC-Card T/A for free, but my company makes them. This is
a sweet deal you've gotten. ;^)
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
http://www.xmission.com/~softweyr softweyr@xmission.com
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199709190333.VAA03754>