From owner-freebsd-hackers Wed Mar 13 11:44:36 1996 Return-Path: owner-hackers Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id LAA18826 for hackers-outgoing; Wed, 13 Mar 1996 11:44:36 -0800 (PST) Received: from covina.lightside.com (covina.lightside.com [198.81.209.1]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA18808 for ; Wed, 13 Mar 1996 11:44:31 -0800 (PST) Received: by covina.lightside.com (Smail3.1.28.1 #6) id m0twwTC-0004IUC; Wed, 13 Mar 96 11:44 PST Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 11:44:24 -0800 (PST) From: Jake Hamby To: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Microsoft "Get ISDN"? Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Microsoft's Web page now has an entire section called "Get ISDN" encouraging consumers to install ISDN lines, and making it just a matter of completing a fill-out form and they will forward your request to your phone company. Presumably they will also sign you up to Microsoft Network, I didn't try it. :-) Anyway, my question is this: Other than the ISDN telephones at work, I have no experience with ISDN, but it does sound like something I would eventually want. It looks like I may be receiving a free ISDN Internet connection through work, and even a free ISDN adapter, but I will have to pay for the line installation myself. The Microsoft page has a lot of information on ISDN, but I think I'll have to take a lot of it with a grain of salt, for example, the section on "provisioning": >"ISDN is a very powerful and flexible service, providing support for >solutions as diverse as PC connectivity, burglar alarm monitoring, and >virtual PBX telephone services. There are hundreds of options possible on >an ISDN line. The power and flexibility of ISDN can make it a very complex >process to get configured just right. > If you request an ISDN line through the Get ISDN Now facility on >this web site, your line will be configured by default for connection to a >Windows-based PC and you can avoid the complicated provisioning process >altogether. " Now, the idea of configuring the ISDN for a "Windows-based PC" sounds like typical Microsoft-speak, but is the provisioning process as difficult as MS makes it out to be if I don't go through them? Also, I just checked FreeBSD's ISDN support as of -current, and it only supports two "Dr. Neuheus" brand internal ISDN adapters! Does this mean that, given a choice, I should ask for an external ISDN modem? If so, which brands are recommended for use with FreeBSD? Also, am I correct to assume that an external ISDN modem is treated just like a regular Hayes-compatible modem, or does it require special kernel support? Thanks in advance (this info should be included in the FreeBSD handbook or FAQ, BTW..). ---Jake