Modem Pool

[Troy Settle]

I agree with Shawn.  While FreeBSD /can/ terminate dialup connections, it's
not a very fun thing to do.  You're limited to v34, and probably 16 or 32
max connections.  For the price of the multi-port serial board and modems,
you can have a much nicer solution.  Anyone terminating more than 2 or 3
dialup connections directly on FreeBSD boxes is either crazy, or has had
their system running for more than a few years.

For a very affordable way in, check out the Max 6000:

 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11186&item=3095985718
&rd=1

You won't get v92 on this sucker, but it will support v90 quite well.  An
excellent entry-level platform.  Also look for Portmaster 3.  They go for
about the same price, and supposedly the source is being maintained (check
out http://www.portmasters.com).

The TNT Shawn posted has a DS0 backplane of less than 1024 channels, which
is the theoritical max.  I would not suggest going much past a single T3
(768 channels) or two E3s (960) channels.

The nice thing about the TNT, is that if you build it with the right cards,
you can eventually move them to the APX platform, which does max out at
several thousand ports, some 8,192 of them.

My own migration pattern was to go from 2 6096's to the TNT.  I'm currently
about 2/3 full on the TNT.  When/if I hit 1100 or so ports in a single
huntgroup, I'll move up to the APX8000 or 8100.

For more info on the APX/TNT/MAX/PM3 platforms, check out
http://www.lucent.com/support/documentation.html (click on general access).

--
  Troy Settle
  Pulaski Networks
  http://www.psknet.com
  866.477.5638
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org 
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Shawn Mitchell
> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 8:43 PM
> To: Chris Cook; 'Evan Sayer'; freebsd-isp at freebsd.org
> Subject: RE: Modem Pool
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11186&i
> tem=3096270363
> &rd=1
> 
> 1500 bucks, supports 192 modems out of the gate, I think they 
> max out at a
> few thousand modems.
> 
> Setup a FreeBSD box as a router/radius/dns/etc server, don't 
> worry about it
> answering modems.
> 
> If you want to support anything other than 28.8k modems (i.e. 
> 56k modems),
> you'll have to have your inbound lines as DS-1/PRI lines.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Chris Cook
> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 1:09 PM
> To: 'Evan Sayer'; freebsd-isp at freebsd.org
> Subject: RE: Modem Pool
> 
> 
> What you are looking for is called a HUNT GROUP or ROLLOVER 
> line, a hunt
> group usually consists of multiple Channelized T1 or PRI 
> lines that all
> answer at the same number, a rollover line is usually 
> multiple individual
> POTS (analog) lines that "rollover" to the next if the line 
> is busy with a
> call.
> 
> This has nothing to do with FreeBSD, it is all dealt with by 
> the telephone
> company.  FreeBSD talks directly to the terminating device 
> (modem), not the
> phone line.
> 
> --
> Chris Cook
> CompuDoc of Arkansas
> http://www.arkansasdoc.com
> 501-697-1712
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org 
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org]
> On Behalf Of Evan Sayer
> Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 5:20 PM
> To: freebsd-isp at freebsd.org
> Subject: Modem Pool
> 
> 
> Hello-
> I have a question about modem pools.    If I have several dial in
> lines, and I want them to be acessable via one number, is a modem pool
> what I want?  How exactly do they work and is freebsd equipped to
> handle them?  Thanks.
> 
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