Well, I really want to just have about 5 connections. I don't want to be
using the machine for my own purposes, but rather to "join in" on the BBS
itself. I think that a 4800 connection would be good... about twice as
fast as a 28800 internet connection. I'm really ready to learn, but at
this time of writing, I only have the 486/66, and an 080880/8Mhz, which
dosn't work. I really just want to make something for my friends and I to
meet on... here, Internet is still expensive, and most people refust to
upgrade to anything past Netscape 2.0. I need really to know about
multiple phone/modems. The phone isn't a problem, the modem is. How much
do the 4800's run for? I've already got two modems, one a 2400 sendf/9600
recieve, and another a 33.6 both ways. I really need to know what to do,
the whole smackum, as I'm very "computer literate", in DOS and Windows, but
rather inexperianced with this kind of stuff.
Ciao,
Tim D. Hotze
----------
From: Roger Merchberger <zmerch(a)northernway.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: BBS Box
Date: Friday, October 31, 1997 6:46 PM
Due to massive amounts of caffeine & sleep deprivation, Hotze said:
Oh, yeah, I have one more question. If I want to make
a BBS (regardless
or software), what type of hardware should I have to handle multiple
connections? I believe that my computer is BBS-server-sufficent for DOS
(2
GB HDD, 28 MB RAM, 486/66 processor), as that's
twice as fast as a server
would be in 1990, with DOS at it's peak, before Windows started ruining
the
whole thing :-) .
How many multiple connections? What kind of speed per connection? Do you
also want to use the machine for yourself at the same time? These do make a
difference, for you could run 2 connections at 2400 baud on a 2Mhz CoCo 3
w/512K RAM. All you need is a way to interface the ports (or build your
own.) Under OS-9, you may even have enough CPU over to play Rogue (tho not
quickly). With a 6309 processor and NitrOS-9, you could most easily do this
setup and still use the machine for yourself.
(And yes, someone *has* designed an overclocking circuit to run a 6x09 at
4Mhz, except during memory accesses which does gain you a fair amount of
speed... ;-)
In the IBM world, I'd say for 4 dial up lines at 9600/14.4 you'd need a
minimum of a 386DX 25 w/8 Megs RAM, running Dos/Linux (Windows not spoken
here... too much overhead) and decent BBS software and you'd have no
problem whatsoever. (Again, with Linux, you may still be able to use the
machine for background tasks for yourself without harming that speed... but
not big jobs, of course.)
Anyway, YMMV, HTH, HSIYE (Here's Spit In Your Eye... ;-) and all that jazz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger Merchberger | Why does Hershey's put nutritional
Programmer, NorthernWay | information on their candy bar wrappers
zmerch(a)northernway.net | when there's no nutritional value within?