How would a dialup server work?

[Philippine Mango]

Like for ISPs where everybody dials one number and is connected to the ISP, how would that work? Do they have multiple dialup modems in a computer connected all to the same phone number? I mean if one person is connected to the server on the number, wouldn't you get a busy signal? How does this work?

 

[skyking]

Multiple lines in a hunt group. if the primary is busy, it hunts to a secondary line and so forth. All this is done at the telco transparently, just like when you call a big business on the one phone number.
Yes, there are banks of modems that connect to a routing device, or computer if yoyu like.

 

[jjessico]

Here is the quick and dirty. You get an Access Server box like a Cisco 3600/5200/5300 or a Lucent/Ascend Max or MaxTNT.

Then you order a T1 with 24 voice lines on it. The phone company then assigns one phone number to this entire hunt-group of lines.

When calls come in they are sent down the first available line to your access server.

Need to know anything else?

-Jason

 

[Philippine Mango]

So could I create something similar with equipment I have? I've got a broadband connection, lots of dialup modems, and lots of computers, could I do this? iirc windows 98 has the dialup server but I don't think that is the same thing..

 

[GeekDrew]

Well, you theoretically could, yes... it would be a PITA to do, though...

doh. sorry for bumping this old thread. had searched for something, didn't realize it was dead.

 

[spidey07]

Basically...

A dial server is a piece of networking gear. You connect a T1 (24 digital phone lines) or a T3 (28 T1s, or 672 phone lines) ot multiples of each to the dial server.

This dial server then has hardware modems (more specifically chips that support 12-24 modems each). These terminate the call. It's all done digitally as you have a digital phone line coming in (T1/T3)

The dial server then just authenticates the call, starts the PPP protocol and assigns addresses.

You tell the telephone company that you want all the phone numbers from all these digital lines to belong to a single "hunt" group. The incoming call "hunts" for an available line.

Configured properly a single dial server can support 1000s of lines and modem calls. As an aside in order to ever get 56k rates one side of the call has to be digital. In this case it is the dial server.