🚀 go-pugleaf

Martin Liddle <martin@tcs02.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:kwIRNPAw$g05Ewbm@tcs02.demon.co.uk...

> I have a short term requirement to be able to handle something like 10
> ppp sessions from analogue modems and 3 from ISDN into an Intel Linux
> server.  I have done this sort of thing for one or two lines but I am
> struggling to know what is the best hardware solution for this
> requirement.  It sounds a bit like a small ISP (although that is not
> the actual application).  What sort of kit do I need and who are
> recommended suppliers?  What problems am I going to face?

I have no experience with this sort of thing, but here's 2p...

You used to be able to get "modem banks" with e.g. 16 modems in one
unit. I remember seeing one for sale once (a cybercafe selling off their
unit as they were upgrading ISTR) and I briefly considered buying it for
a project at the time. Presumably ISP's used that sort of thing at one
time, but whether they are still made in these days of Ascend units etc
I've no idea. (I've also no idea what an Ascend is like or whether
that's what you need to be looking at...)

Next thought is a multiserial port card plus lots of modems/TA's. In the
past we have used 4 port and 8 port Arnet cards, and still have them in
the loft, but they are no use to you as they don't have 16550 uarts.

Hmm, we also have a spare 16 port SMUX unit, don't know whether that has
16550 uarts but it is newer than the Arnets. I can inspect it if you're
interested.

I think Linux supports both Arnet and  this SMUX multiserialport cards.

Maybe someone will come along with a more knowledgeable answer.

--
Simon Child