Re: Multi-link card

Kevin Ingram ( (no email) )
Sat, 9 May 1998 13:08:29 -0500

I have had good success using RRAS as a low cost, no frills solution. The
most I currently run on one NT box is 16 ports, but I have several small
remote servers set up this way, and I will be testing a 32 port box in the
near future to see how well it works out. I use the older RadiusNT (v1.60 I
think) and I pull my accounting records from the Access database in Radius.
I don't need any of the other features other than authentication and on/off
accounting so it works fine for me.

Part of the attraction for me is that we are also a PC builder, so having
spare NT boxes isn't a problem. I have run an 8 port system on as little as
a P90 with 32M RAM and a 340 IDE HD, hardly an expense at all. The only
software loaded on that box was NT40SP3, RRAS, RadiusNT and drivers for the
multiport card. (I used a cyclades Y series ISA with cable). With the cost
of hardware constantly coming down, its easy to put in a P233 64M RAM 2G
EIDE HD in a server with a 16 port PCI card and NIC, and it flies.

I don't know about 32 or more ports yet, but I would think that with enough
motherboard speed and RAM it would work fine.

I will know more in the next 30 days, as I have some servers that will be up
to 32 ports by then.

Kevin Ingram
-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas C Kinnen <tkinnen@usacomputers.net>
To: ntisp@emerald.iea.com <ntisp@emerald.iea.com>
Date: Saturday, May 09, 1998 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: Multi-link card

>>I have a total of 52 lines coming into NT RRAS servers authenticating from
>>RadiusNT with no problems, if you don't need the extra accounting and
>>features of devices like PM's. All our multiport cards are currently
>>Cyclades, we use some ISA and some PCI versions of their Y-series with
>>standard analog modems.
>
>
>If you don't mind me asking have you been pleased with the features and
>performance of RAS and what type of system are you running the lines off
of?
>Most of my "encounters" with RAS have not been the most pleasant if going
>for any advanced features other then just straight dial in. Plus the over
>head an NT box vs. an access concentrator box like a PM has lead me to
>recommend customers away from RAS or Netware connect (On the novell side)
>for larger network access points. I'd like to get a someone's view point
>who uses RAS in larger the a dozen lines and is happy with it.
>
>Tom
>
>
>
>
>
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