Re: (ASCEND) TNT HDLC/modem resource allocation

[Peter Lalor <plalor@infoasis.com>]

>Matt Holdrege wrote:
>>
>> At 11:38 PM 3/11/99 -0600, Scott Kozicki wrote:
>> >I disagree even still. You and I both know that one HDLC2 card cannot
>> >support 192 calls as advertised. Partly due to processing power, partly
>> >due to this allocation issue that I spoke about. HDLC's are not freed
>> >faster than they are grabbed, in some cases never.
>>
>> I'm not sure about your claim on 192 calls working or not. It depends on
>> the environment. But the HDLC2 card is NOT advertised as supporting 192
>> calls. If you can show me where it is, I'll fix the mistake. It's not
>> advertised as supporting 192 calls because, again, the number of supported
>> calls depends on the environment.
>
>From: Richard Silver <rsilver@deltacom.net>
>
>>From Ascend website: (http://www.ascend.com/907.html)
>
>Hybrid Access module
>
>            Users can upgrade to the next-generation digital
>            technologies such as ISDN and Frame Relay using Hybrid
>            Access. It gives users integrated remote networking
>            support for digital sessions via ISDN and Frame Relay.
>            Each module connects up to 192 remote 56/64K Frame
>            Relay or ISDN devices such as Terminal Adapters (TAs)
>            and Frame Relay Access Devices (FRADs). An entire
>            system can connect up to 720 devices.
>
>                Support for ISDN, switched digital and NX56/64K
>                channelized Frame Relay
>>>>             Each module connects up to 192 56/64K Frame Relay
>                or ISDN devices
>                Support for up to 720 concurrent devices
>
>I realize this represents the series 1 module, but since there is NO
>mention of the series 2 card on the website...

Grr. It not only _absolutely is_ advertised as supporting 192 channels as
proven above, it more importantly _absolutely was_ advertised as supporting
192 channels back at the time when the TNT was introduced and we early
adopters bought one.

I can clearly recall my sales rep telling me that the HDLC card had 192
processors because 192 processors / 24 channels per T1 = 8 T1 = 8-T1 card.
One HDLC card per 8-T1 card. Fine.

The first I heard that it didn't was on page 188(!) of the TAOS 7.0.0
release notes that the processors had been "reduced" from 128(!) to 96.
Fortunately, I wasn't one of the ones who lost some of their T1s when they
loaded 7.0.0 because they negligently didn't read page 188 first. That must
have been enjoyable to troubleshoot.

Hmm, now why would that have been buried on page 188? Think Ascend thought
we paying customers might not be happy about that?

Of less concern to most, AppleTalk routing was also "no longer supported"
on the same HDLC card in the 7.0.0 release.

I bought a TNT that supported BGP 4. It still doesn't and may never.

How many more "defeaturizations" can we expect on this woefully
underengineed card? If your answer is "More than zero", you're right. Hope
it wasn't a feature you needed.

How many more Ascend engineering SNAFUs can you name? How about those
Ethernet cards? Glad I don't have those. What about the fans that blew
straight into the chassis next door, cooking it? Whoops, sorry. 3-fan Max
4ks? They smoke white real good after the el-cheapo fans go.

Can you tell I'm angry? We all make mistakes and that's fine. But Ascend
has consistently chosen to be quiet about it's mistakes, and I just think
that's wrong. Even if all management thinks about is money, I'd be buying
Ascend gear hand over fist with a smile on my face if they had twice the
engineering problems and were twice as honest about them.

Peter Lalor           Infoasis
plalor@infoasis.com   http://www.infoasis.com/
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