Hi Tika,

     About "DOS TelNet issues" of June 17:

MS> And i never toyed with routers until recently...
TC> I had DSL at one time.

     A recent discovery suggests that using Backup Routers might be even
better than i 1st suspected:  i connected to a `WildCat! v5.x' BBS a few
days ago and `RLFossil'+`{Commo}'/`ZMoDem' DownLoaded at over 4 Kcps (it
is twice as fast as what i observe with a ~PPP~ packet-driver loaded)...

                                  8^)

     With a 56 Kbps MoDem, an ideal rate ranges between 4K7 and 5K2 cps;
but even with ~DSL~, the bottleneck is at `{Commo}'s level, in any case.

                                  ;-)

     The conclusion i shared with Shannon Talley was that switching to a
Real-Packet-Driver-to-Router-Connection reveals "Over-Head" which is due
to the ~PPP~ packet-driver (`LSPPP' in this case).  Once i'm done trying
to chose what Backup Router i should order, i'll have to wait a few more
days before i can determine at which level this "Over-Head" takes place.

     No need to say that curiousity has made my apprehension grow a bit!

     I can't explain the difference in speed by an interraction with the
~PPP~ media just yet, perhaps it is the ~PPP~ EMULATION instead which is
responsible for the slow-down and i'll know more only when i can replace
`LSPPP' with some real ~NIC~ packet-driver while ~PPP~ access is handled
externally (by the Backup Router itself)...  By coincidence, my internal
U. S. Robotics model 0584 failed yesterday (it keeps responding "Boot>")
so i'll need to switch to my external GVC MoDem anyway - but this time i
will plug it on a router and see what happens!  It's a new experience...

                                  ;^)

MS> ...i gathered what the ~RS-232~ Serial-Port(s) is(are) for only
MS> after i read many .PDF manuals!
TC> RS-232 ports can be quite handy.  But I heard they are also slower
TC> than LAN.  ...I can see where that would be more secure...

     The ~RS-232~ Serial-Port(s) of most Backup Routers handle DialUp or
~ISDN~ speeds only but it won't affect ~LAN~ transfers between machines,
nor will this impair the INet feed comming from the High-Speed MoDem(s).

     In my case, Backup Routers make sense because i don't know what the
INet feed will be once i'll be living in a new appartment/town.  The use
of one single MoDem should make it simpler to switch between machines if
i keep my DialUp account and reliability will only improve should i move
to High-Speed and keep DialUp for when i need BackUp or i'm on a trip...

                                   :)

     Having an ~RS-232~ Serial-Port besides the ~EtherNet~ ports doesn't
sound like a limitation to me and DialUp speed should improve, actually.

TC> I guess it depends on the situation it's used in though.

     Yes it does.  My reasoning would be different if i had only one PC.

     But even at that, i now wonder why the ~PCMCIA~ DialUp MoDems which
are still being used on the road today integrate no HardWare FireWall as
of yet!  Hummm...  Maybe it will be done for WireLess Cards, eventually.

                                     Salutations,  ;-)

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


... Exploring DOS+TCP/IP+TelNet+ZMoDem/Kermit+.QWK since mid-1996 or so!
--- MultiMail/MS-DOS v0.45 - Only numbers could make BBSing UNIVERSAL...