--On 17 September 2005 09:39 +1000, Rod.. Whitworth wrote:
My question is: Will this be a relaible set-up for both purposes? Usually we have the console port running 9600 no handshakes. I'll bet RDP looks very sad on that setting.
You probably know or can guess most of this anyway but it doesn't hurt to say ...
If you're running console and PPP through the same port, you'll want to make sure syslog isn't logging to /dev/console. Running a modem on the bootup console, you'll want to make sure that dmesg and comBIOS initial output don't confuse the modem (comBIOS can be told to shut up, 'set fastboot=enabled' in 1.28 works nicely for this).
The 4801 docs say that we should use a terminal set at 19200N81 with no flow control. I know we can change the speed - I always set it to 9600 just to match the OpenBSD default. What the docs don't say is whether handshaking works in initial console access or after boot or both.
comBIOS doesn't use handshaking - after the OS is in control, it's a standard serial port to use as you like. There's always the slightly messy option of setting comBIOS at a lower speed to cope with the lack of handshaking and setting 115200 in /etc/ttys to improve modem performance.
There's always the option of putting the modem onto a different port (either the second onboard port, though you'll have to hack the case, or USB serial), this doesn't let you leave the modem on auto-answer and remotely fix an early failure, though you probably don't want that from a security point-of-view.
fwiw, the second onboard port is one of two 'industry standard' pinouts, the one for use where the 9-pin connector is IDC rather than soldered.
