🚀 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

In article <8r09d5$dfd$1@child.demon.co.uk>, Simon Child
<spamtrap@child.w-c-f.org.uk> writes
>
>Martin Liddle <martin@tcs02.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:kwIRNPAw$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?
>
>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.
>
Thanks for the offer but I already have Specialix SI multi port serial
cards that do the same sort of thing and are supported in the kernel.  I
was coming to the same sort of conclusion and earlier this afternoon got
mgetty working with the Specialix without any problem.  I'd still like
to know what the elegant solution is and what it costs.
-- 
Martin Liddle, Tynemouth Computer Services, 27 Garforth Close, 
Cramlington, Northumberland, England, NE23 6EW.
Phone: 01670-712624.  Fax: 01670-717324.

In article <kwIRNPAw$g05Ewbm@tcs02.demon.co.uk>,
	Martin Liddle <martin@tcs02.demon.co.uk> writes:
> 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'm not an expert in this area, (although I work in Easynet
systems this bit isn't in my remit), but AFAIK the 'neat' solution
would be to get a ISDN30 (partly populated) into your building, and
plug it into kit from either Lucent (who took over Ascend), Cisco
or 3Com.   

   Our preference is for Lucent, but that may nowadays be mostly
for keeping the same system everywhere for us.

   Doing the above means that apart from the ISDN presentation box
you just have one extra piece of kit.

   If you need to use existing lines then it starts getting messy,
depending on how those lines are presented.

   Regards,
      Harry.

In article <5N0B5.186015$F6.1375831@monolith.news.easynet.net>, Harry
Broomhall <haeb@haeb.noc.uk.easynet.net> writes
>In article <kwIRNPAw$g05Ewbm@tcs02.demon.co.uk>,
>       Martin Liddle <martin@tcs02.demon.co.uk> writes:
>> 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'm not an expert in this area, (although I work in Easynet
>systems this bit isn't in my remit), but AFAIK the 'neat' solution
>would be to get a ISDN30 (partly populated) into your building, and
>plug it into kit from either Lucent (who took over Ascend), Cisco
>or 3Com.   
>
OK thanks, I think that makes sense.  Useful to know for when I want to
do it properly.  I've pretty much decided, as this is a short term
requirement, to put something together with bits we have lying around.
Not elegant but at least it'll be cheap and with a relatively low
learning curve.
-- 
Martin Liddle, Tynemouth Computer Services, 27 Garforth Close, 
Cramlington, Northumberland, England, NE23 6EW.
Phone: 01670-712624.  Fax: 01670-717324.

Martin Liddle wrote:

> Thanks for the offer but I already have Specialix SI multi port serial
> cards that do the same sort of thing and are supported in the kernel.  I
> was coming to the same sort of conclusion and earlier this afternoon got
> mgetty working with the Specialix without any problem.  I'd still like
> to know what the elegant solution is and what it costs.


ISDN30 is probably the way to go .. many different ways to do it AFAIK

I too have a Specialix card .. but sadly no break out boxes.. ho hum.

In article <39E7652C.8777E285@rszemeti.demon.co.uk>, Robin
<ng@rszemeti.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>ISDN30 is probably the way to go .. many different ways to do it AFAIK
>
In the general case yes.  In my particular case where this is a short
term (one week), one off requirement probably no.

-- 
Martin Liddle, Tynemouth Computer Services, 27 Garforth Close, 
Cramlington, Northumberland, England, NE23 6EW.
Phone: 01670-712624.  Fax: 01670-717324.