From owner-freebsd-isp Thu Nov 14 02:15:00 1996 Return-Path: owner-isp Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id CAA28360 for isp-outgoing; Thu, 14 Nov 1996 02:15:00 -0800 (PST) Received: from soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU [128.32.43.52]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id CAA28355 for ; Thu, 14 Nov 1996 02:14:56 -0800 (PST) Received: from localhost (richardc@localhost) by soda.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id CAA22603; Thu, 14 Nov 1996 02:16:05 -0800 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 02:16:03 -0800 (PST) From: Veggy Vinny To: Jim Dixon cc: isp@FreeBSD.ORG, Chad Shackley Subject: Re: Decision in Router Purchase In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-isp@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Jim Dixon wrote: > On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Veggy Vinny wrote: > > > > Don't buy a 2501. You can get a lot more performance for the same > > > amount of money using FreeBSD and sync serial cards. > > > > Yeah, that's what we have been considering. We are planning to > > dedicate a P5-75 with 16MB ram just to use as the router. What we are > > worried about is when the ISP asks us what router we're using, what would > > be a good description of this thing? > > "UNIX-based router"? Hmmm, do you think they will know what a Unix-based router is? ;-) > Nothing to be ashamed of. Two of the largest networks in the world, > IBM and ans.net, use UNIX-based routers running gated. Really? I thought they used Cisco's or Cascade. > > > We use a variety of sync serial cards. The ET card is an old design, > > > takes up two ISA slots (one for each port), and has other problems. > > > The SDL Communications cards (N2d, N2pci) are better hardware. > > > > Hmmm, ET takes up two ISA slots? What are the problems with the > > ET? > > The boards that we have -- I think that the date on the PCB is 1992 -- > have one connector on the backplate. The second port is on a very short > ribbon cable that just barely makes it to the next ISA slot. Hmmm, this is interesting. > Other problems: the logic for each port is on a small daughterboard. > This is held in only by friction. There is a device below one of the > daughterboards -- the one for port 0, unfortunately -- that is too > high (because it is socketed), so you can't get the daughterboard all > the way in without causing it to bow. Then over time it gradually works > its way out. So it actually has physical problems that can be costly over time? > We also had support problems with ET (we bought three boards and ET > adamantly refused to supply three sets of documentation) but YMMV. Hmmm, I emailed Dennis at ET and the only problem we had was the COD only policy for payment. > > > The problem with the SDL cards is the lack of FreeBSD drivers. There > > > is a driver for the N2d but not for the N2pci. The ET driver software > > > suppports more protocols and some degree of compression. > > > > > > So generally SDL wins on the hardware side and ET on the software > > > side. We prefer SDL but are not happy with the lack of software > > > support. > > > > Hmmm okay, but is the ET still better than a Cisco? and does the > > SDL cost less or more than the ET? > > The Cisco 2501 would be my last choice. If you are using PPP or Cisco > HDLC to talk to your provider, I would recommend the SDL card plus John > Hays' FreeBSD driver. If you are using frame relay the ET card is the > only choice with FreeBSD. > > Last time I checked the ET card was significantly more expensive than > the SDL card. Hmmm, what are the differences between the two cards anyways? We're gonna have either a Full T1 or a Frame Relay T1. So the SDL card doesn't support FR? As for the SDL, is the RiscSomething mentioned on the ET homepage actually the SDL card? Vince GaiaNet Corporation - Unix Networking Operations - GUS Mailing Lists Admin