*BSD News Article 40346


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From: Podyss@quaestus.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: *BSD and 115kbps Serial
Date: 4 Jan 1995 16:01:29 GMT
Organization: Alpha.net -- Milwaukee, WI
Lines: 24
Message-ID: <3eegop$3r9@homer.alpha.net>
Reply-To: Dick@Seaman.Chenequa.WI.US(Richard Seaman, Jr.)
NNTP-Posting-Host: odysseus.quaestus.com
X-Newsreader: IBM NewsReader/2 v1.03

I'm looking at linking a small group of remote PCs to a central
site via ISDN.  One of the remote PCs will be running FreeBSD, and
it appears that the cheapest way to accomplish the link using existing
equipment is to use asynchronous serial ISDN TA's on both ends.  There
is a Livingston Portmaster at the central site that has 115kbps serial
ports.  Using either the Accessworks QuickRemote TA or an Adtran ISU 128
will produce a 115kbps async connection using two "B channels", or so I'm
told.

So, the question is whether the machine running FreeBSD, assuming it has 
a serial port with a 16550 UART, can really handle a full 115kbps serial link.
I'd use it as a router in this case. Does anyone have first hand experience with 
any kind of real, sustained, 115kbps serial connections in FreeBSD (or NetBSD or
BSDI BDS/OS)?  

The alternative is an ISDN ethernet bridge or router, but that will cost about
twice as much (about $2000 list vs. $1000 list) for the ISDN equipment.

Thanks for any comments.

Richard Seaman, Jr.         Dick@Seaman.Chenequa.WI.US
5182 North Maple Lane       voice: 414-367-5450
Chenequa, WI 53058          fax:   414-367-5852