Re: yes, yes, I get the picture....but
Originally posted by Metatron
...So I am not to sure how this works so don't discourage me with doubt, help a fellow Mac-cy out.
I know I will need a T1, Xserve, Router, and RAS. I do not understand how I can make 500 connections at once though. Do I have to have 500 incoming phone lines to a RAS. How does that work? And how much more could internet service cost if I am already going to pay a grand a month for a T1? What other equipment do I need. How do I hook all that crap up. I have done plenty of networking, but nothing like this...
Sorry for the discouragement. My former company tried this and failed.
So, here's what you do. You can use a T1, DSL, whatever to get yourself connected to the Internet. Just make sure the line can handle your maximum users. Let's say each user uses 30kbps of usage and you have 100 users average. Then you will need at least a 3000kbps line (or 2 T1's). You will pay the phone company for the lines, then you will pay an ISP for a hookup charge, which can get pricey. Check the major ISP's, like Cable & Wireless, or Sprint. We had two T1's for $1200/month total. When you order the access from the ISP, you need to get an IP subnet allocated to you. For this you will need to prove to the ISP and IANA that you need some number of IP's. You'd be lucky to get a class C subnet handed to you right off the bat.
Now for the line coming in, here's how that works. You'll still need the 2 T1's above for Internet access. These lines will serve as dialin lines. A T1 has 24 channels at 64kbps each. You will order the T1 from the phone company, and you will need a block of telephone numbers and a hunt group. A hunt group is simply a generic number that people dial and it gets routed to the first available number. Say, if you have a group of numbers 555-1000 - 555-1100. Then you can make your hunt group number 555-1000 and when people dial it, they get one of the first available numbers from 555-1001 - 555-1100.
When you get that T1 sorted out, you will run it into the back of an edge device like Lucent's (
http://www.lucent.com/solutions/edge_access.html) This will convert that T1 and can receive incoming dialin signals from a modem. Now, if you have 100 users average, and a T1 only has 24 channels, you're going to need 5 T1's or a T3, which has 28 T1 signals or 28 T1's * 24 channels = 672 channels total.
Then you would configure the edge device to use either the XServe as DHCP and authentication or let the edge device do it.
To be honest, if I were setting up an ISP, I would ditch the XServe and get better networking equipment instead. The XServe would be a waste for just using it for DHCP and authentication.
To link the dialin and Internet together, you'll need to get a modular router. You could get a fixed router (one that can't have ports added to it), but if you need more lines added, then you're stuck with buying a new router. A Cisco 7200 is very modular and would provide high-speed routing. We have one of these with a DS3 built into it, and we don't use it at all. Wanna buy it?
Let me know if this helps.
Maybe if Lanbrown were around he could add/suggest/correct something on what I just said.
