Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!uunet!tellab5!dpb From: dpb@Tellabs.COM (Darryl Baker) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: Telebit rack - is it worth it? Message-ID: <3174@tellab5.tellabs.com> Date: 29 Jul 90 03:46:18 GMT References: <9642@uswat.UUCP> <13347@cbmvax.commodore.com> Distribution: usa Organization: Tellabs, Inc. Lisle IL Lines: 39 Question: Is the telebit rack worth the expense? My answer: Yes. The reasons I like it are that we have 20 modems the rack allows us to administer them simply from a single location ( in our case it is on a data network). I believe if you are not going to have more than 8 modems don't bother. We have lines on various machines this would mean that each system administrator would have to know ALL about the modems, as it is one person knows the modems and helps the other trouble shoot their problems. One other fact I would like to note is that the only command I wish the rack had was one to copy settings from one modem to another. Telebit are you listening?. The other reasons have been mentioned my others but I will repeat them because they do hold true for us: 1) 20 rack mounted modems take much less space than standalones. 2 10 inch racks (only one is inteligent the other is slaved off the first) 2) You don't have 20 power supplies and 20 power cords to route, cool, repair. 3) Cabling is simplified the modem to RS232 cabling is clear and you don't have to remember which modem goes to what machine and on which shelf. Now I heard there was a problem getting phone lines to the rack. My vendor offered a cable to do this but since our phone line pass through a security device we opted to make custom cables. Standards ar wonderfull but of course the security device and the modem rack used 2 different standards on the same connector RS23X and RS27. -- __ _ __ / ) // / ) / / / __. __ __ __ , // /--< __. /_ _ __ Darryl Baker /__/_(_/|_/ (_/ (_/ (_/_