bussiere@ganymede.DMI.USherb.CA (Luc Bussieres) (01/24/91)
We want to buy a terminal server and we don't know which one to choose the Vista or the Annex IIe. I know that the Annex IIe has more features than the Vista but there is a big difference in the price. What are the most useful features I have to look at and which one should I choose? Thank you for your help. -- Luc Bussieres ---- Analyste - Dep. de Mathematiques et Informatique Universite de Sherbrooke Internet : bussiere@dmi.usherb.ca Tel: (819) 821-7981
shepperd@dms.UUCP (Dave Shepperd) (01/25/91)
From article <1991Jan24.014306.5826@DMI.USherb.CA>, by bussiere@ganymede.DMI.USherb.CA (Luc Bussieres): > > We want to buy a terminal server and we don't know which one to > choose the Vista or the Annex IIe. I know nothing about the Annex, but I know more than I want to know about the Vista. We have 2 128 port dual protocol Vistas here. They were cheap and they do work, sort of. I'd say the documentation is poorly organised, but you can mostly find what you are looking for unless its TCP/IP related. The TCP/IP manual is separate from the main manual and is supposed to be a list of command suppliments. It is rather confusing and troublesome to have to have both books open to get details on a specific command. In addition, the TCP/IP manual is inaccurate and incomplete. The messages the server emits are terse, not particularly helpful and there are no time stamps on any of them. The online help in the server is almost useless. They will crash occasionally (about once a month but one crashes more often than the other one). My particular applications required the use of reverse telnet to allow the Unix system to talk to a "smart" box via a serial line. The Vistas allow for this, but it isn't at all obvious how one sets up the ports to make it work. In addition, you need to setup the (TCP) ports then REBOOT THE SERVER! You cannot add or change a (TCP) port while the system is running and have the change stick! Grrrr... The TCP/IP socket connection to the server is not free of problems either. Their tech support is there, but I'm not convinced they know what's going on. I've had several calls with them about several problems with only a smatering of success in getting some of the problems corrected. Now I can't be sure the Xylogics would be any better, but I'm inclined to give 'em a try just to see. -- Dave Shepperd. shepperd@dms.UUCP or motcsd!dms!shepperd Atari Games Corporation, 675 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas CA 95035. Nobody knows what I'm saying. I don't even know what I'm saying.
epeterso@houligan.encore.com (Eric Peterson) (01/25/91)
shepperd@dms.UUCP (Dave Shepperd) writes: | From article <1991Jan24.014306.5826@DMI.USherb.CA>, by bussiere@ganymede.DMI.USherb.CA (Luc Bussieres): | > | > We want to buy a terminal server and we don't know which one to | > choose the Vista or the Annex IIe. | | I know nothing about the Annex, but I know more than I want to know about the | Vista. | | I'd say the documentation is poorly organised, but you can | mostly find what you are looking for unless its TCP/IP related. The TCP/IP | manual is separate from the main manual and is supposed to be a list of | command suppliments. It is rather confusing and troublesome to have to have | both books open to get details on a specific command. The documentation on the Annex is very robust and very good. TCP/IP is an integral part of the design, not an afterthought, so there is no separation of the network from the normal operation of the server. | In addition, the TCP/IP manual is inaccurate and incomplete. I've found the Xylogics manuals to be very comprehensive in the description of the command set as well as operation and administration of the Annex. | The messages the server emits are terse, not particularly helpful and there | are no time stamps on any of them. The online help in the server is almost | useless. They will crash occasionally (about once a month but one crashes | more often than the other one). The Annex has its boot image residing on a Unix system connected via TCP/IP. Once it gets its boot image off of that system, its operation is completely independent of that system -- no sever required. | My particular applications required the use | of reverse telnet to allow the Unix system to talk to a "smart" box via a | serial line. The Vistas allow for this, but it isn't at all obvious how one | sets up the ports to make it work. This is an integral function of the Annex software. You can set up the Annex to dedicate one of its ports to a /dev/tty on a specific Unix system, basically giving you another serial port on the system. | In addition, you need to setup the (TCP) | ports then REBOOT THE SERVER! You cannot add or change a (TCP) port while the | system is running and have the change stick! With the Annex, all of its parameters are tunable without brining the Annex down. You can create scripts for setting parameters and such that allow you to reconfigure the Annex dynamically. | Grrrr... The TCP/IP socket | connection to the server is not free of problems either. Again, the Annex was designed to be a terminal server on a TCP/IP network, and its networking has been very reliable. | Their tech support is there, but I'm not convinced they know what's going | on. I've had several calls with them about several problems with only | a smatering of success in getting some of the problems corrected. I've never dealt with Xylogics tech support by phone, but I received an e-mail response to a question I asked via e-mail, despite the fact that I sent the message to postmaster@xylogics.com instead of their tech support address (annex@xylogics.com, I believe). And they were most helpful. | Now I can't be sure the Xylogics would be any better, but I'm inclined | to give 'em a try just to see. Based upon this assessment of the Vista, I'd say the Annex is definitely better, IMHO. Eric -- Eric Peterson <> epeterson@encore.com <> uunet!encore!epeterson Encore Computer Corp. * Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * (305) 587-2900 x 5208 Why did Constantinople get the works? Gung'f abobql'f ohfvarff ohg gur Ghexf.