From owner-freebsd-isp Thu Apr 10 18:17:01 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id SAA16943 for isp-outgoing; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 18:17:01 -0700 (PDT) Received: from sand.sentex.ca (sand.sentex.ca [206.222.77.6]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id SAA16935 for ; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 18:16:56 -0700 (PDT) Received: from gravel (gravel.sentex.ca [205.211.165.210]) by sand.sentex.ca (8.8.5/8.8.3) with SMTP id VAA01542; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 21:20:59 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970410210238.00b5d100@sentex.net> X-Sender: mdtancsa@sentex.net X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (32) Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 21:02:38 -0400 To: Vincent Poy , isp@FreeBSD.ORG From: Mike Tancsa Subject: Re: Some advice needed. In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-isp@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk At 03:33 PM 4/10/97 -0700, Vincent Poy wrote: >Hi everyone, > > One of my friends is thinking about starting a FreeBSD based ISP >with pops in several different locations. What would be needed besides >modems and the FreeBSD machine to provide slip/ppp services in addition to >shell access? I noticed that Whole Earth Network (http://www.wenet.net) >seems to be using BSDI machines since when you call, it will just show the >standard unix login prompt and you had to add -ppp to do ppp. Is FreeBSD >capable of acting as a terminal server? Thanks for any advice anyone >could offer. If you are looking to have more than 24 lines or so, go with a dedicated terminal server. Have a look at something like the Livingston PortMaster 3. (www.livingston.com).. Dont bother going with an analog system-- get a PRI right from the start. Users will want dialup 56K eventually, and if you want to do that, you will need a totally digital solution on your end in order to support it.. Also, this way, you can support a mix of dialup analog and dialup ISDN right away.... Even if this is not the case, its MUCH easier to administer a dedicated terminal server than a UNIX box with serial cards. Use the UNIX box for things like shell access, DNS, mail httpd etc... ---Mike ********************************************************************** Mike Tancsa (mike@sentex.net) * To do is to be -- Nietzsche Sentex Communications Corp, * To be is to do -- Sartre Cambridge, Ontario * Do be do be do -- Sinatra (http://www.sentex.net/~mdtancsa) *