thinder@NSWC-WO.ARPA.UUCP (02/03/87)
This is an open message to those who are part of this interest group. I work at a Navy Research Lab (Naval Surface Weapons Center) where I am an electronic tech in the Telecommunications group of the Computer Branch. My job is to manage and maintain our local area network, which currently has over 1500 seperate connections- naturally I don't do this all by myself. On the "telephone" side of our network, we have a single T1 circuit that links us to our "headquarters" at Dahlgren Va., currently this circuit is used for data only, with furture plans to add voice and video. We also have close to 200 dial-in and dial-out lines along with an assortment of leased circuits. I am not by training, yet anyway, a "telecommunications technician", and especially in the "telephone world" it has been difficult to collect the right information in order to make a good decesion. Let me give you an example. We recently moved a group "off-base" and have had, and are still having, great difficultly in giving them connection to our network. The first step was to order up a telco line from our site to the off base location. Then we chose a pair of modems, Gandalf LDM309's, that we had from stock. Well, these modems only operate on "clear copper" lines, and the telco line we had was a 3002 type. We "learned" this all after the fact. The phone company was no help, I guess because we had not bought their modems. The modem company couldn't help, they didn't know what type of line we had ordered up. All of this points up our, or rather my lack of knowledge of "the phones". No longer can the phone system be some sort of "data cloud" where you just "connect and go". What I am asking the group to help with is suggestions for books that I should order. Thanks in advance Thomas Hinders ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ US mail: Naval Surface Weapons Center Code K34 10901 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring MD 20903-5000 Phone: (301) 394-4225 Autovon: 290-4225 ARPA: thinder@nswc-wo.arpa