🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm thinking about getting into the ISP business and I need
some recommendations on what brand of multiport serial
board or remote server to get.  The system I'll be using
is a Pentium-based machine w/ 16 megs of RAM running Linux.
I'll be getting my Internet connection via an ISDN line
and I plan on supporting 3-4 users initially.

Would a remote server be superior to a multiport serial
card (an intelligent one that is) for what I'm trying
to do?  I want to be able to have shell account or PPP
sessions on my system all going at 115.1K on each port
at the *SAME* time.  I have read several reviews of
different remote servers and I've discovered that
units that are capable of doing this cost over $1500
for 8 ports.  Is there a multiport serial card out
there that *WORKS* with Linux that would offer me
this kind of performance?

BTW, Chase Research makes a terminal server called
IOLan that can almost do what I want...the 8 port
model goes for about $1200 and is capable of
handling terminals and printers at port speeds
up to 115.1K.  The only problem with the IOLan
is that I was told that it slowed down to 57.6K
when doing a PPP or SLIP session.  I plan on
using 28.8K, or possibly 14.4K, modems.  Would
this server be adequate for my purposes?  And,
does a 28.8K modem typically exceed 57.6K on
the DTE side with compression enabled?

Finally, what is generally more reliable: a Linux
system using a multiport serial board or a Linux
system networked with a remote server over
ethernet?

---Scott

email:  scott@hoek.lib.uoknor.edu