Telco discussions

[rmg () ranma com (Rob Gutierrez)]

from Vadim:
> The lack of any meaningful clock source negotiation and
> idiotic defaults in CSU/DSUs is a major source of rapid
> link flap, too.   It seems that most (if not all) equipment
> vendors simply don't have any clue of what effect their
> design choices have in the real world.

BTW: Is there a mailing list for ISP related telco hardware?  Or
telco hardware as related to ISP's? :)

We talk incessantly about BGP configs, route flaps, saturation
stats and Powerpoint graphs, and I don't hear boo about CSU/DSU
caveats, typical misconfigs, tips on how to spot DXC/OCU mis-options
(Can You Say B8ZS through a C/O that's optioned for AMI???),
NIU settings, T-Carrier analyzer tips, etc, etc, etc...

I did hardware/telco at BARRNet for so long, I still have withdrawl
symptoms when I see a DSX patch panel or walk into a Wiltel co-lo.

Yes, I know, there are endless mailing lists about telco hardware
in general, but those tend to be geared for voice apps, and besides,
how long would you read it when the discussions turn to how good the
latest NorTel M-1/3 is compared to Brand-X (especially when probably
<-1% of ISP's would configure an M-1/3 anyway).

Yeah, so you're large enough to hire a contractor to do all your telco.
What about us small-fry who can't afford contractors.

Case-in-point:  How many of you tried to figure out why the arrow keys
only worked 50% of the time when you used a telnet session to configure
a Digital Link Encore DSU / Ensemble shelf?  And do you know what Digital
Link did as a work around (ans: use the "U" and "D" keys for up/down).

Ever hook up an Encore/Ensemble to a cisco aux port? Didn't work?
What did you need to wire together to make it work?

Anyway, I made my point.  Just curious.

        rob.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -