[37138] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: terminal server recommendation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Scott Gifford)
Wed May 2 01:54:41 2001
To: Charles Sprickman <spork@inch.com>
Cc: "Martin, Christian" <cmartin@gnilink.net>,
"'Charles Smith'" <chasmith9@hotmail.com>, <nanog@merit.edu>
From: Scott Gifford <sgifford@tir.com>
Date: 02 May 2001 01:58:14 -0400
In-Reply-To: Charles Sprickman's message of "Tue, 1 May 2001 21:28:12 -0400 (EDT)"
Message-ID: <m37l009ts9.fsf@sghome.tir.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
Charles Sprickman <spork@inch.com> writes:
> On Tue, 1 May 2001, Martin, Christian wrote:
>
> > The Xylogics/Bay/Nortel Remote Annex 4000 can support up tp 72 console
> > ports, and has a great menu interface with great EIA-232 functionality.
>
> Eh? Unless they've added command completion and history, I have to
> disagree there...
You don't need command completion and history for a menu interface:
1. Connect to cisco router
2. Connect to mail server
3. Connect to Web server
Pick one>
is similar to what we used, and was pretty much all we found
necessary.
They have a neat feature, too, where you can configure whatever you
connect to serial port 1 to be reachable via telnet to port 5001, port
2 to 5002, etc. Great for scripts.
> Add to that that they don't self-boot and that you can't save your
> config off the box.
If these are at all similar to other similar Bay Networks terminal
server products (and I'm pretty sure they are), they'll self-boot if
you put flash into them, and you can save your configuration with the
"na" utility.
> And you will *not* just set the thing
> up in a half hour.
>
> > Ports don't hang, they reset on time, etc. They use amphenol connectors
> > across 25 pair which makes for easy punchdowns and cross-connects.
>
> The amphenols have a nasty habit of not seating properly, especially when
> the box is in a cabinet and some cables have to go upwards rather than
> down... And when they're half-in, or not perfectly level you one day find
> you can reach four of your six devices...
>
> And there's no ssh.
>
Those are all good points, though. :)
[...]
> Perhaps it's because I'm still forced to use them since we have them left
> over from when they were dialup PPP servers or something, but I like them
> less than stinky cheese. I do get a bit nostalgic because it was the
> first thing I ever "su'd" on, and it does have a BSD code base. But I
> certainly would recommend anything else over an Annex.
You'll miss them when they're gone. I still miss logging into them...
:)
-----ScottG.
