[rescue] SS Classic Serial ports

[Robert Novak]

On Sat, 26 Apr 2003, Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:

> On Sat, Apr 26, 2003 at 06:09:22AM -0700, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> > 
> > What about getting one of those small cable/DSL routers with a serial
> > backup port - hook your modem up to that? They run well under $50 and
> > support high-speed serial by design. Does the serial support really
> > need to be *in* the sun box?
> 
> I have never seen one with a backup serial port.

I have one, and as people have shown, they exist very cheaply. I use mine
with broadband but can web in to tell it modem instead of ethernet, and
then it dials on demand to my dialup account.

> You mean there are some I could just hook my modem up to?

Yes.

> I know there are analog routers, but they seem expensive.

There are 56k-only routers (well, 2400-56k, modem only not modem+ether)
that have been around for a while. I like the broadband+modem ones, and
use a SMC 7004AWBR broadband+modem+printserver. 

> I'm assuming the firewall abilities of NetBSD are better than what the
> router would have.

"better" is subjective. There's a lot less configuration potential in most
of the firmware-based routers, but also a lot less misconfiguration
potential. And it's relatively easy to start from scratch in 30 seconds
rather than 30 minutes, if you completely snafu the config. 

Also, fewer moving parts (unless you use solid state/flash in your BSD
machine), and fewer opportunities for random synergies to crop up. It's
pretty much an appliance, with the benefits and drawbacks of an appliance.

I put my toy machines (non-exposed stuff) behind the broadband router. If
I had a lot of stuff outside, I'd use a UNIX-based firewall in all
likehood.YMMV of course.

--Rob

-- 
Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
	"I don't want to doubt you, Know everything about you
      I don't want to sit Across the table from you Wishing I could run."