serial card specs?

[emekadavid]

Please, I would like someone to tell me how to research on
specifications for serial cards to be used on a linux machine with
fresco router or any linux router. For fastethernet cards, it is known
that 10BASET is translated as 10 Mbps over twisted pair baseband
technology. If I see a serial card with this specification: Serial
cards "PA-4T+" and "PA-8T" how do I interprete the specs? I'd like a
serial card that can go with dial-up lines and maybe I'll extend the
service to isdn and maybe to T1 and maybe...and so on and so forth,
that is why I'd like to know how to read the specs. And by the way,
how is a serial card different from a modem? Are there specs also for
modems? Am not into hardware really but being forced to look into one
or two issues since it's difficult getting support over here.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Simon]

Please, I would like someone to tell me how to research on
specifications for serial cards to be used on a linux machine with
fresco router or any linux router. For fastethernet cards, it is known
that 10BASET is translated as 10 Mbps over twisted pair baseband
technology. If I see a serial card with this specification: Serial
cards "PA-4T+" and "PA-8T" how do I interprete the specs? I'd like a
serial card that can go with dial-up lines and maybe I'll extend the
service to isdn and maybe to T1 and maybe...and so on and so forth,
that is why I'd like to know how to read the specs. And by the way,
how is a serial card different from a modem? Are there specs also for
modems? Am not into hardware really but being forced to look into one
or two issues since it's difficult getting support over here.
Thanks in advance.

Hi,
Those cards are for cisco routers. In a PC the serial ports will support
the speeds of isdn (115kbps). For T1 you might want a better card,
depending on the presentation of the T1 link.
A modem is just a modulator/demodulator - it turns serial data into
sound that can be sent over the phone network and then back into data by
the receiving modem. Modems are rated using the V. standard, V92 is the
fastest and allows 56kbps downstream, slower upstream. V90/V92 speeds
require a digital isdn type modem at the remote end to get these speeds
(ISP modem racks have these for example)
simon

 

[emekadavid]

my pc has one serial port but capable of four com ports i.e com1,...,
com4.i found this router on the net and want a wan serial port or card
that would make me use my phone line to connect directly to the net, my
pc operating on the client/server mode while i can send and receive
packets to any computer, the destination computer or server being one
with an isdn, dialup, t1 or any connection at all etc. how do i tweak
the router, since it's just software based and from your explanation
using a modem means the destination pc is an isp but i want to be an
isp or pseudo-isp without going through the pain of unconcerned,
uncaring isps and their customer service personnel. i want control of
my connection to the net. am asking these question due to some
circumstantial difficulties in my area and want to solve a problem. am
really putting resources into these but my friends say it's not
possible.
can i do it? if my question is ambigous, do say so i can flesh it out.
btw one of the routers is here: freesco.org.

 

[Paul]

my pc has one serial port but capable of four com ports i.e com1,...,
com4.i found this router on the net and want a wan serial port or card
that would make me use my phone line to connect directly to the net, my
pc operating on the client/server mode while i can send and receive
packets to any computer, the destination computer or server being one
with an isdn, dialup, t1 or any connection at all etc. how do i tweak
the router, since it's just software based and from your explanation
using a modem means the destination pc is an isp but i want to be an
isp or pseudo-isp without going through the pain of unconcerned,
uncaring isps and their customer service personnel. i want control of
my connection to the net. am asking these question due to some
circumstantial difficulties in my area and want to solve a problem. am
really putting resources into these but my friends say it's not
possible.
can i do it? if my question is ambigous, do say so i can flesh it out.
btw one of the routers is here: freesco.org.

This is an "unconcerned, uncaring isp". They buy a high speed
connection to the Internet, and resell the bandwidth to
customers, either as dialup, ADSL, or via cable modem.

Higher speed connection
to the Internet
|
|
ISP
/ | | \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \

Lower speed connections
to the customers

Now, we connect your Freesco box. You can do two things with it.

1) You can serve computers within your own house. The Freesco
is your router. Your four home computers are not
visible from the Internet, but they can still surf etc.
A lot of people use similar setups, to support multiple
computers in their home, with only one IP address.

Higher speed connection
to the Internet
|
|
ISP
/ | | \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
|
|
Home User
Freesco Box
/ | | \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
1 2 3 4 <--- some computers in your house.

2) With one ADSL connection or a cable modem connection, and
four phone lines wired to your house, you could serve
up Internet services to other people. (I think this config
would be limited to 33.6K dialup.) Generally, the
"Terms Of Service" document with your ISP, prevents this
kind of usage. They do NOT want you reselling their
Internet service. Check the wording carefully in the
Terms of Service document, before doing this!

Higher speed connection
to the Internet
|
|
ISP
/ | | \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
|
|
Home User
Freesco Box 1 2 3 4
/ | | \ v v v v Selling Internet
/ / \ \ | | | | to your neighbours
/ / \ \______/ / / / would not be allowed
| | \__________/ / / by most ISPs.
\ \________________/ /
\____________________/

If you wish to become your own ISP, you lease a high speed line
directly to the same company that your ISP buys their "Higher
Speed Connection" from. It will be hard to make any money.
The large ISPs can run more efficiently than you can, they
have a large investment in hardware, to serve large
numbers of people. How many people would pay you $200
a month, for Internet services ?

And if the RIAA or MPAA comes after you, because your
customers are downloading movies or other copyright
materials, what will you do ? Can you afford lawyers ?

Paul

 

[emekadavid]

Thanks a lot paul. we both have the same diagrams, the same set of
assumptions. assuming i do not want to resell to anybody, i just want
an IP address but not a 192.168.X.X which are the reserved private
addresses, how do i negotiate with a telephone company to give me a
high speed line, a telephone company that is not an ISP? assuming i am
running a not-for-profit but wants the dedicated line for just an SMB,
say a POTS from a phone company which is not an ISP, i believe with my
freesco box this is possible. would i sound foolish to a phone company
requesting for a line to the net?