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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!timeinc!phri!roy
From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Wanted: Info on data PBX's
Message-ID: <325@phri.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 13-Jul-85 00:03:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: phri.325
Posted: Sat Jul 13 00:03:43 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 08:26:06 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 22


	I've got a Vax with 40 terminals (maybe 16 are ever active
simultaneously).  We plan on getting another machine with 16-32 lines
soon.  Our accounting office also has a 68000 box with a few (4?)
terminals.  I want to get a switch so all the terminals, modems, and
machines can talk to each other; 64 lines on each side with potential to
expand to twice that should be plenty.

	So far, the best I've seen is an Equinox box, but it seems like
overkill.  It's expandable to over 1000 lines, and has provisions for
redundant everything for fault-tolerant operation.  I don't need these
capabilities, but I still have to pay for them; a 96 line system costs
about $17K.  Does anybody know of something smaller and cheaper?
Impartial advice or sales calls are equally welcome.

	I've never bought one of these things before.  Any pointers on
what questions I should be asking myself and the vendors?  Any pitfalls
to avoid?  Any features I should demand?  Do they all eat the ^S's and
^Q's emacs loves so much (as currently being discussed in net.emacs)?
-- 
allegra!phri!roy (Roy Smith)
System Administrator, Public Health Research Institute