> > > > $175 total (ready to run FreeBSD), then $200 on a 8-port hardware flow
> > > > control Cyclades serial card.
> > >
> > > Go for it. hahaha.....
> >
> > I am currently. Its as rock solid as my PM, actually my tested transfer
> > rates are HIGHER on the same modems, copper, and data. YMMV
>
> Try scaling it.
I'm actually doing this as well for dialup analog access. It works well,
and is nice, because I can have many more ports than a Portmaster allows.
I wouldn't even consider doing this for ISDN though...thus we have a
PM2ei.
What happens when I connect at 64k to your bitsmurfer on a Cyclades card?
You end up burning the second B channel. What happens if I connect at
128kb? I get throttled back to 115kb by your Cyclades ports.
For v.34 dialups, the linux boxes rock. For about $2500 (or a bit less) I
can put together a 64 port server comparable in physical size to a PM2E.
Sure, they require a lot more work to get the first one running, but
that's half the fun, no?
So far, I have to say the Linux boxes have been more stable than
ComOS. And when can we expect the PM to support SSH? I don't trust the
net...so all my linux boxes support SSH, and it's all I use now. I hate
the idea of my portmaster password floating across the net unencrypted.
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