Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 09:11:16 -0400 From: "Jacob M. Parnas" <jparnas@jparnas.cybercom.net> To: "Gary Palmer" <gpalmer@freebsd.org> Cc: Henry Spencer <henry@zoo.toronto.edu>, hardware@freebsd.org, bsdi-users@bsdi.com Subject: Re: muliport boards - building a PPP dialup server Message-ID: <199606291311.JAA07506@jparnas.cybercom.net> In-Reply-To: Your message of Sat, 29 Jun 1996 07:24:08 BST. <12159.836029448@palmer.demon.co.uk>
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In message <12159.836029448@palmer.demon.co.uk>you write: >"Jacob M. Parnas" wrote in message ID ><199606290548.BAA06076@jparnas.cybercom.net>: >> Why connect at high speeds with a UART: money. Most ethernet solutions >> cost well over $1000 not counting the ethernet hardware which may not be at >> home. (card, tranceiver or hub, cables, etc). I've seen a PC Card that >> costs $199-$319 depending on who you are, and it does everything with a UART >> on top (the software driver for BSDI will be $95. So, how does $400 sound to > >I'm sorry? I cabled and equipped a LAN at home for less than $1000, >for 3 machines (2 PC's, and one `other') (admittedly 10b2, not 10bT >which is what I would go for today). If you reread my original message, I said the etherneting was in addition to the $1000+ ISDN ethernet links). >I take it you are talking about MAN/WAN solutions rather than LAN >solutions? If that is what you are talking about, then it REALLY >depends where you are ... it costs 400 pounds (about $600 US) just to >INSTALL ISDN in this country :-( I'm sorry its so expensive there. In the US, especially some places, its quite cheap (~150 install + 1-2 cents/minute usage (I plan to use it when using netscape and stuff that requires high bandwidth. The ISP cost here should be about $50/month. The monthly fee is similar to analog lines. >> you compared to the ethernet solution, considering that the $400 non-ethernet >> solution compare to an ethernet one. You can get up to 512 Kbaud/second >> with it, it has 3 types of compression and header compression (Stac, Ascend >> and Microsoft) and can change from two BRI channels down to one and vice >> versa as the other channel is used for voice fax, analog modem, phone, etc. >> Pretty good in my opinion. > >Yet again, it depends on your application ... even if you buy a >high-speed serial card, you still need the equipment to attach to it, >which can be even more expensive. If you compare the overall cost with >an integrated TA/router (take the Ascent P50 or P25 for an example), >and the advantages/disadvantages for your particular application >(i.e. the fact that you have 1 pc which causes problems if you reboot >to change the kernel or if it crashes), then non-PC solutions become >attractive. I agree that its bad if the software driver is buggy. But if it isn't (They go through extensive testing they said), I think the Ascend solution is well over than double the cost of the USR Sportster ISDN 128 Terminal Adapter. I believe that the Ascends are close to $1000, discounted. From net express' price list: Ascend P50-1UBRI..................................$ 1022 Ascend P50-LS56...................................$ 1096 It has pretty good prices. net address is http://www.tdl.com/~netex/price. >Gary >-- >Gary Palmer FreeBSD Core Team Member >FreeBSD: Turning PC's into workstations. See http://www.FreeBSD.ORG/ for info > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Jacob M. Parnas | | IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Ctr. | | Internet: jparnas@jparnas.cybercom.net | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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