*BSD News Article 95760


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From: dougal@vespucci.iquest.com (Dougal Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: PPP
Date: 19 May 1997 17:41:35 GMT
Organization: interQuest Online Services -- Huntsville, AL
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J Wunsch (j@uriah.heep.sax.de) wrote:
[....]
: Btw., stupid your provider for using a dynamic _gateway_ address on
: each connection.  While i can see a point in providing dynamic
: _client_ addresses, there's absolutely no reason to not use the same
: address on the remote end for all incoming connections.  (At least, no
: technical reason.)

Well, actually, that's not an uncommon situation. If your dialin
systems accomodate 2 PRIs each, and you have 4 PRIs and 2 of these
chassis, you don't have much control over whether an incoming call will
reach the first box or roll over into the second. The most common
equipment used at small/medium sized ISPs (and even some of the large
ones) is the Ascend Max 4000 series or USR's Total Control system. The
typical configuration is that you can take 2 PRIs or T1s per chassis.
That's why it's good that the PPP protocol can negotiate the gateway
address.

Granted most high-end dialup equipment (including USR equipment my
company uses) is capable of setting up some sort of "advertised
address", to make multiple boxes appear as a single gateway, but it's
generally not a feature that's really *needed*. Just configure the
PPP client to use the remote system as the default gateway and you're
all set.

--
Dougal Campbell     | "If you ever get close to a human, or human behaviour
Systems Manager     |  You better be ready to get confused...." 
ADViCOM: Hsv, AL    |              -- "Human Behaviour", Bjork
dougal@advicom.net  | ADViCOM: Internet Solutions Provider www.advicom.net