SLIP/CSLIP/PPP & NetBlazer (was SLIP)

[Cerafin E Castillo]

Richard Foulk (richard at pegasus.com) writes:

>>               If your tired of hacking your kernel, try getting a TELEBIT
>>       NetBlazer.  This will make life easier for a lot of us Serial Line
>>       Dial-up IP users.  Call me if you need more info on any of this.
>
>How about a cheap pc instead of a NetBlazer?
>
>Could save you a couple $grand...

Please do not confuse me as "salesy".  After working with SLIP/CSLIP/PPP
for almost two years, I've had enough of kernel hacking and porting
problems.  Just trying to find implementations of these dial-up IP
protocols for BSD, SysV, VMS, DOS, Mac, etc. systems has been a nightmare.
Not to mention keeping up with new releases and patches.  STREAMS
implementations seem to be the hardest to find (unless you buy them
from SCO, ISC, etc.).  If I could come up with a cheap PC solution,
I would have by now.

Most problems I have run into have been related to the TCP/IP-OS side of the
workings.  Serial interface name, advertising and routing of the dial-up IP
links, subnetting, SNMP, security, and cost have all been issues.  I doubt
any one piece of freeware can give me the answers to all of these problems.

In working closely with the testing and development of the TELEBIT NetBlazer,
while at TELEBIT, I saw most of my prayers answered.  My only flame is that
a small, 4-slot version of the NetBlazer was being looked into for a
single-user solution, but I don't think it will ever see the light of day.
This would have been a MUCH cheaper solution than the one currently
offered which is great for central sites, but too expensive for end-users.

The inverse muxing, 56 Kbps interface, and ethernet interface in this
NOT SO CHEAP PC SOLUTION (NetBlazer is a 386SX running a proprietary
OS - a distant, very removed, relation to KA9Q NOS...) makes it a
great way to get around kernel hacking and porting.  No need to give
up a system for a gateway or buy both a terminal server and a router
to do dial-up IP.  Again, a great central site solution.  With KA9Q [NOS]
(PPP.12) or better, CSLIP/SLIP, or even MacNet (KA9Q); your remote PC,
Mac, X-window Terminal, or workstation can be tied into your central site
LAN using TCP/IP.  The only remainding trick is to be able to use this
kind of freeware in a virtual circuit capacity.

With a send-expect style login script capability, IP address to telephone
number resolution, and line status monitoring added to any of these freeware
programs, they can function well with each other or the NetBlazer.  By this
I mean that the NetBlazer has the capability of using a "login: / password:"
getty to route a valid user into a SLIP/CSLIP/PPP mode upon login.  Just
like most SLIP implementations in use now, except no SID setting problems
left as security holes in the OS.  The virtual circuit capability means
that once a NetBlazer calls out and makes a dial-up IP connection, the modem
connection is only in use as long as my user-settable timeout is not tripped
by lack of IP data over the circuit.  If I walk away from my telnet or ftp
for a break, and it sits idle, I can be sure that the line will go down
in the time I have specified, saving me $$$, and restart when I return
and start typing (with, of course, the appropriate dialing delays...).
Address resolution means that when I telnet/ftp/ping to a remote, dial-up
IP host, the systems knows to grab a modem and dial that host at the
correct phone number, with the correct login and security, start the
circuit, and give me my telnet/ftp/ping prompt or response.  I don't see
why the current SLIP/CSLIP/PPP implementations can't be modified to conform
to more of these functions.  Using TIP/CU/Kermit to dial with is getting
old, but sliplogin/slogin helps!

I think you get the point of what I've wanted for a while and am now
seeing come true.  A lower price would be the frosting, but in
the real world...

Please excuse my pitch, this posting is meant to be strictly informative.


===============================================================================
Cerafin E. Castillo                       ||      //\\  ||\\  ||
Network Consultant                        ||     //__\\ || \\ ||  Los Altos
Los Altos Networks                        ||    // ---\\||  \\||  Networks
340 Second St. #6                         ||___//      \ |   \ |
Los Altos, CA  94022
(415) 941-8031      UUCP:     {apple,sun,uunet}!portal!cup.portal.com!cec
                INTERNET:     cec at cup.portal.com

                      "...No hay mal que por bien no venga..."
===============================================================================