Subject: Re: Dialout Frustration using Linux Network Appliance
From: minion (minion@mtaonline.net)
Date: Mon Nov 19 2001 - 20:28:08 AKST
Greg Jetter wrote:
>
> On Monday 19 November 2001 08:50 am, Bill Updegraff wrote:
> > Folks,
> >
> > I am not a Linux person but am in a situation where I am trying to bring up
> > A Sun Cobalt Qube 3 Internet Appliance running Linux to connect our small
> > network(35 Windows 98 workstations, 2 NT 4.0 servers) via a dialup modem to
> > ACS Internet in Glennallen. We currently have no DSL or cable modem
> > service available in this area but hope to have it in the first quarter of
> > next year.
> >
> > Our existing gateway in an Interjet leased from ACS Internet. The Interjet
> > has functioned admirably for four years but is a dead product and ACS
> > Internet is gradually removing all Interjets from service. Hence we must
> > replace it. The Qube3 seemed a good choice and has had decent reviews.
> >
> > I have been struggling for about three months to get web browsers to work
> > adequately from client workstations via the Qube3 connection to ACS
> > Internet. Prior to last Saturday, it would take www.google.com about 2
> > minutes to load. The main page of the New York times would take from 4 to
> > six minutes. Until I can get adequate performance from the Qube3, I am
> > forced to continue using the Interjet.
> >
> > Last Saturday morning, I worked with David Syzdek from ACS Interjet who was
> > very helpful. Our connection to ACS Internet involves both Internet
> > content filtering and a static IP address. ACS Internet authenticates
> > users using Radius on a SUN Solaris server(I don't know the model). David
> > turned off the filtering and the use of a static IP address and
> > reintroduced both as we worked together. The real hang up seemed to be
> > associated with the use of a static IP address. David changed a
> > parameter(port-limit I believe) on the Radius server and our web browsers
> > started working about half the speed that we could achieve using the
> > Interjet under the same circumstances. I would like to get the Qube 3 to
> > perform at the same level as the Interjet or better. Prior to our
> > experimentation on Saturday morning, browsers using the Qube 3 loaded
> > pages at about 2% to 3% of the speed achievable over the same dialup link
> > with the Interjet.
> >
> > There is no reason why we should not achieve faster browser downloads with
> > the new Qube3. The modem is faster(56K vs. 28.8K), the processor is far
> > faster, and the main memory is 128 MB vs. 16 MB.
> >
> > If you have any thoughts of how to resolve this problem, I would greatly
> > appreciate hearing from you.
> >
> > FYI, Alaska Bible College has about 47 students and a faculty/staff of 17.
> > Virtually all of our staff and faculty are supported by churches and
> > individuals or are unpaid volunteers. In my particular case, I unretired
> > to serve as a full-time volunteer for two years. My tenure is due to end
> > sometime next summer. We need to find a full-time replacement volunteer to
> > handle my functions.
> >
> > -Bill
> >
> >
> >
> > Bill Updegraff
> > Alaska Bible College
> > Glennallen, AK 99588
> > 907-822-3201
> > 907-822-5027 (FAX)
> > bill_updegraff@akbible.edu
>
> This is just a guess , but you might try and setup a cacheing server like
> Squid , then your web access will speed up on frequently visited pages
> because they will be cache on the local drive. Could it be the old
> appliance has a Cache going ? and thats why you see the diffrence ? I realy
> don't know just throwing it out there.... I assume the router is set up
> properly ?
>
> Off the top of my head to trouble shoot this first I would try pinging a few
> known addresses with the old system and then with the new and compair you
> ping times , if they are the same then the hardware is working right and you
> got a problem with the NAT stuff. Could be you got the packet size set
> wrong on the new appliance and your doing a lot of retransmissions because of
> that. That will make it craw along ....
>
> Good luck
>
> Greg
>
I've had a qube2 as gateway, fileserver, email server, internal web
server, running for about 2 years now, We started with about 60 winX
and NT machines all on a dialup line, when everyone wanted to surf the
net things would slow to a dead stop. But with a little prudence all
email and surfing was done at a fair speed, say the same as a 9600bd
modem. About a year ago we got dsl @128k and since have had no problems
even tho there are about 80 machines on the qube. This is all without
squid. Dynamic ip on the modem, static on the dsl. If I were you I'd
get hold of the folks at Cobalt (sun?). There was a limited amount of
free tech support and they did know what they were talking about. It
just sit's there and does what it's told, Greg may be right about packet
size, tho we never had that kind of problem. It was plug and play from
the start. I don't think that the problem is static vs dynamic ip's,
we've used both on the 2 and never had a burp. Along the way we have
used 4 different isp's. (not acs tho) You might ask if acs isn't doing
something different than the other isp's in alaska. You should be able
to plug in your modem set the addresses and go. Then pull up the web
site and configure whatever you want. I blew it up once because I got
too complex, the qube was fine. BTW the qube 2 has 64meg of memory.
david
-- "I've finally learned what `upward compatible' means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes." -- Dennie van Tassel
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