[The previous message concludes here.]                               2/2

     Now lets forget about ~TelNet~ File Transfers for a minute.  Should
you wish to learn more about the innovative line of products i mentioned
previously, it helps to know manufacturers often refer to these as "Dual
WAN", "Dual Serial-Ports", "Dial-Up/Serial-Port/MoDem
Fail-Over Backup",
"Fail-Back/Dial-on-Demand", euh...  or whatever
"Routers".  Here follows
a sample of the models i could identify so far which i must investigate:

  3Com            Office Connect                 3C886A/3C888A

  ActionTec                                      GEU114000-01

  Apple           AirPort Extreme Base Station   M8799LL/A

  Asante                                         FR3004LC

  CyberGuard      SnapGear                       SG300/SG530/SG570/SG575

  D-Link                                         Di-707/P
  D-Link                                         Di-713P
  D-Link                                         Di-804HV
  D-Link                                         Di-808HV
  D-Link                                         Di-824VUP

  GNet                                           MD0223
  GNet                                           iP104W

  MultiTech       RouteFinder                    RF102S
  MultiTech       RouteFinder                    RF550VPN
  MultiTech       RouteFinder                    RF560VPN

  NetGear                                        FR328S
  NetGear         ProSafe                        FWG114P

  SMC             Barricade                      SMC7004/SMC7004 Series
                                                  (ABR/AWBR)

  Siemens         SpeedStream                    2614

  U.S. Robotics                                  USR8000A
  U.S. Robotics                                  USR8022

  WebRamp                                        200i

  Zoom                                           2949-00-00L

  Zyxel           Prestige                       324
  Zyxel           ZyWall70

     Some of these routers have a Print Server but few of them appear to
be Bi-Directional and even if they are it's often difficult to determine
what remote printer features remain functional.  %-o  ~RAS~ support must
be related to Dial-In instead of Dial-Out (we gain access to the network
from outside), in most cases `InterNet Explorer' and ~JAVA~ are required
for management purposes so i wonder if the
"Dial"/"HangUp" buttons would
be available to DOS users at all (dial-on-demand can be triggered when a
client like `OutLook Express' verifies ~E-Mail~s at regular intervals so
MANUAL MODE SEEMS PREFERABLE - hence the need for those buttons), euh...

                                  %-)

     What else?  :^)  Well, this partial list should be sorted according
to cost, features and availability.  That's no product i'm familiar with
(routers, i mean) so, if you could ask your guru what he thinks, it will
be pleasant if, perhaps, he could share some feedback with us, hey?  ;^)

     I wouldn't know what to do of some features like ~PPP~ "MultiLink"/
"Bonding", "Load Balancing", "Dial-In" access
or "Virtual MoDems", etc.;
there's more reading ahead before i can decide what's better and i can't
pretend none of it exists...  %-)  Those were the news for today.   I've
done my best in order to keep your original thread in mind;  substantial
DOS ~TelNet~ related replies are rare so far, i was forced to contribute
even if i'm going to look like i'm stretching your line of topic myself!

                                 -=*=-

NB> I started in DOS on a PC-compatible, and am still there.

     Frankly, if access to NetWorked Echo-Mail using `Kermit' were wide-
spread and adequately supported we'd never have to see another DOS BBSer
being served the HardWare/OS "UpGrade" credo again, and for nothing more
than a hobby!  With some luck, and the help of your guru, you'll be able
to manage well after the BlueWave/.QWK BBSing era has passed, i'd say...

                                  P-)

     One last thought:  i don't know for you but i discovered this hobby
almost by accident and any related expense seemed somewhat excessive.  I
certainly would have abandoned the idea right away if SysOps had annoyed
me about "UpGrades" so...  i wonder how many newbies quit these days!...

                                     Salutations,  ;-)

                                     Michel Samson
                                     a/s Bicephale
                                     http://public.sogetel.net/bicephale


... As LEGACY as it may sound `MS-Kermit' flew to the Space Station!  :)
--- MultiMail/MS-DOS v0.45 - DOS+TCP/IP+TelNet+Kermit+.QWK is just fine.