From owner-freebsd-isp Fri Nov 15 12:00:11 1996 Return-Path: owner-isp Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id MAA12248 for isp-outgoing; Fri, 15 Nov 1996 12:00:11 -0800 (PST) Received: from dnai.com (dnai.com [140.174.162.28]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id MAA12243 for ; Fri, 15 Nov 1996 12:00:10 -0800 (PST) Received: from mars.dnai.com (mars.dnai.com [140.174.162.14]) by dnai.com (8.7.5/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA16231; Fri, 15 Nov 1996 11:59:06 -0800 (PST) Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 11:59:06 -0800 (PST) From: Dror Matalon To: dennis cc: isp@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Router Purchase - the bottom line In-Reply-To: <199611151704.MAA04419@etinc.com> 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 Fri, 15 Nov 1996, dennis wrote: > >Also, for our customers we're happy with the Ascend Pipeline 130 > >with built in CSU. You can get one for less than $1200 it does > >Frame and even has an ISDN line for backup. These units > >are the same size of a Pipeline 50 -- not much bigger than most > >modems. Is a Freebsd box with a T1 card and a CSU any cheaper? > > This is the same non-thinking argument that has been used for You sure have a way with words. > a long time, and it makes no sense bacause you are not comparing > apples to apples. You still need a server with a standalone router, > so you have 2 points of failure instead of 1 (with an internal card). It makes perfect sense to me. 1. I have a client that has a network they want to hook up to us, they want to set their mail and web server on an NT, Sun, Mac or whatever OS.am I going to tell them that they shouldn't do that that they should use the FreeBSD router that they get from us as their server? No, I don't. 2. If a disk fails on the web server, client machines can still go to the net. If the router's disk fails all Net services are dead in the water. Now note that I'm not completly opposed to using FreeBsd as a router. As I pointed earlier, between a FreeBSD box and a Cisco I'm beginning to favor the FreeBSD box because of the ease of finding replacement parts. But for our clients I still feel that the P130 is a nice inexpensive solution. > > This subject annoyed us enough that we put up a FAQ of > routers vs sync cards at: > > http://www.etinc.com/routers.htm > > no doubt somewhat biased, but entertaining nonetheless! > > Dennis > > Dror Matalon Voice: 510 649-6110 Direct Network Access Fax: 510 649-7130 2039 Shattuck Avenue Modem: 510 649-6116 Berkeley, CA 94704 Email: dror@dnai.com