[349] in Resnet-Forum
Re: Double Dipping
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Philip Nelson)
Thu Sep 15 14:04:42 1994
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 1994 12:25:27 -0500
From: nelsonp@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU (Philip Nelson)
To: kline@uiuc.edu (Charley Kline)
Cc: Resnet <resnet-forum@MIT.EDU>, kieperd@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU
>At 10:50 AM 9/14/94, Philip Nelson wrote:
>>How can you compare a modem connection to an ethernet connection at the
>>same value? We currently offer free modem access also and are considering
>>adding slip access as well. Our dorms are wired for 10bT and all
>>discussions about activating them have been with the assumption that those
>>activated rooms would carry a surcharge. It is more expensive to provide
>>10bT and provides much better access so why not have those recieving the
>>"better than standard free service" pay extra?
>
>Boy, this sure hasn't been our experience. A modem port here goes for
>$19.50 per month per line plus $450 for the modem (high, but we use USR
>total control modems since we need good management) plus about $120 per
>port on the Cisco ASM/4 terminal server.
>
>I think our per-port cost for our dorm networks were down in the $250 per
>port range, and that's for EXPENSIVE repeaters since we have rather
>complicated automatic address assignment and management requirements.
But the modem lines support more than one person at a time, possibly 4 to
1. Via modem a user gets only VAX based services, at least until slip
connections are made available. We use off the shelf modems and garner
stats from the terminal server though this may not be fully adequate as the
modem pool expands. I agree that per port cost for ethernet ports is
lower. But multiply that by 3 or 4 users per line and factor in the extra
time spent on ethernet card installs and software setups and I think the
modem looks pretty good.
