[comp.dcom.lans] 3COM CS/210 Com Server Crashes

weave@sun.acs.udel.edu (Ken Weaverling) (12/29/89)

I am having problems with a new 3COM (bridge) CS/210 com server. We 
bought four of them about three weeks ago. I have set up and configured
one of them and the thing crashes regularly. (Like once every day or two)

This is totally unacceptable. These things you want to set them up, and
then forget about them.

My question for the net. Does anyone else use this thing, do you have 
problems with it crashing, should I get my money back?! Is another version
of the software (ie, 3.1) more stable? Many thanks!
 
Details: CS/210 com server running TCP/IP software version 3.2
	 Four ports connected to inbound modems. Users then connect to
	 one of three different hosts via telnet protocol.
	 One port outbound to a fourth host (single RS-232 connection).
	 Two dedicated ports to directly attached terminals.
	 Only the modem ports were active at the time of the crash.

Crash symptoms: One crash, all ports not responding, though the box itself
		would reply to pings. The latest crash, it won't even return
		a ping.

Possibly related tidbits: The last crash, a user (on Unix sys V) got dropped
from a dial-in line twice, but left behind a shell running a script that 
somehow got inherited by init (pid=1). (The original telnetd for the user
had died apparently.) This script was running in a loop for several hours
outputing crap to the users login device (nty00 and nty01, ie, pseudo ttys 
for telnet). 

Perhaps this is related to the crash. I am more concerned about whether
or not the box and the software has a history of crashes than why this 
specific crash happened. If this box and software is running OK at other
sites, then I can at least assume that I have something configured wrong
and have hope!  

Thanks. Methinks other readers may benefit from hearing comments about
this product, so this time I'm *not* going to say "E-mail to me!!!"


-- 

Ken Weaverling - Systems Administrator |  Internet: 00499@vax1.acs.udel.edu
Delaware Technical & Community College |  Voice:    +1 302 573 5460