Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:24:44 +0000 (GMT) From: Jim Dixon <jdd@vbc.net> To: Michael Dillon <michael@memra.com> Cc: isp@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Decision in Router Purchase Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.91.961114210949.16598C-100000@avon-gw.uk1.vbc.net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSI.3.93.961114090140.12730W-100000@sidhe.memra.com>
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On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Michael Dillon wrote: > You should call ET and specifically ask about this problem. It the device > was too high on some units due to a socket that may have been solved by > mounting it directly with no socket so this may no longer be a problem on > newer units. I am describing the three boards that we purchased for evaluation. I believe that Dennis said that this product was solved in more recent versions of the board. > > 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. > > Before deciding this you should read the info at http://www.etinc.com that > compares the ET and other products. You should of course also check prices at http://www.sdlcomm.com and, sure, go ahead and call your local Cisco distributor. You would be surprised how much a 68020-based system with a couple of megabytes of memory can cost. Incidentally, if you do not expect to need more than one WAN port in the near future and if you do not have complex routing requirements, there are considerably cheaper products from reliable vendors such as Livingston that have one ethernet port and one sync serial port at prices in the $500 - $800 range. These typically can handle either frame relay or PPP on the T1 port. They cost far less than the Cisco and considerably less than a PC plus either an SDL or ET card. We have started supplying these to customers. For mid-range multi-port routers we recommend the N2pci, which puts two high-speed ports into each PCI slot. A P133 with three N2PCIs and a DEC 100 Mbps ethernet card makes for an impressive machine -- at perhaps 20-30% of the cost of an equivalent Cisco 4700 series box. For high-speed routers we would like to use the new SDL DS3 card, but there don't appear to be any drivers for it yet. -- Jim Dixon VBCnet GB Ltd http://www.vbc.net tel +44 117 929 1316 fax +44 117 927 2015
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