Also sprach Mark Thornton
BTW, I think it is a farce to even believe that 3Com is lurking on this list anymore.
Well...I don't know if they pay attention to the list or not, but there are a significant number of 3Com addresses subscribed to it...a few I recognize...many I don't.
They are too busy renaming product lines and building cable system headends into the TCH box to be bothered with anything we need.
I don't mind them building a cable head-end system into the box...its not a bad technical solution...just not one that *I* need. I do see where it would be a good decision for them to make.
Why didn't they develop a DSL termination module.
Of course, they did at one point, then canned it...and now they have a partnership with copper mountain to get DSLAM capabilities in the box again. Could be nice...I probably won't be finding out though. The other area that I think it would behoove them to pursue with regards to DSL is the RedBack type of niche. Basically doing the access server portion of it without necessarily including the DSLAM portion. The Arc is a quite capable router, but 3Com doesn't seem to really want to put the effort into really developing it fully for the type of edge functionality that it would/could be *really* awesome for. Ideally, I see an awesome possibility in that you could put the DSLAM card(s) in the chassis and connect them directly across the backplane to the Arc, or let the Arc terminate frame or ATM PVC's from DSLAMs on the other side of a frame or ATM cloud (since this is how many pure ISPs access DSL connections right now). The Arc already has the ability to support frame and ATM pvc's...it just doesn't have the features to make it easily manageable. Better DHCP support (make the limited DHCP support that's there functional would be a start), better routing support (OSPF needs to be made more solid, better redistribution support, better control of advertisements and filtering, etc.), better manageability features (the SNMP support is good...but there's so much there that its hard to cross-reference values and do more intricate control of the system via SNMP...maybe some greater information about what's available in the SNMP MIBs on the thing and good strategies to use it rather than just letting us flouder on our own figuring it out).
p.s. If this is the one time a 3Com executinve is reading this list, please don't call unless you are going to offer a reasonable support plan to me and everyone else on this list.
Amen...use the serial numbers that I know you all already have in a database...drop the insane rules about having to cover all products at an even level...make it easier to get access to software (why not give it away? its not of any use unless someone has already *purchased* the hardware). I know my thoughts about support contracts are on record many times over...both in the list archives, and with *many* conversations I've had with various people at 3Com, from sales reps, to tech support to SE's to VP's. -- Jeff McAdams Email: jeffm@iglou.com Head Network Administrator Voice: (502) 966-3848 IgLou Internet Services (800) 436-4456 - To unsubscribe to usr-tc, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe usr-tc" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.