GigsVT's Journal: Need advice on networking.

We are in the process of installing a T3 at work. The traditional CSU/DSU+Cisco junk route is about $10,000.

We currently have an excellent Sangoma WanPCI T1 card in our linux router, and I couldn't be happier with it. They don't seem to make T3 products though. So I'd rather just terminate the thing directly into a linux box, more flexible, and cheaper.

I've found the SBE wanPCI-T3 thing, but contacting their "official retailer" for non-OEM US sales, was, frankly, pointless. They didn't know what it was at first, and then they said they would have to get back to me. They didn't. CDW doesn't carry it, can't get it. Same story everywhere I look.

It looks like SBE bought Lanmedia which used to make several excellent cards of this type, all with drivers in the linux kernel main tree. SBE seems to be totally screwing it up too. I don't even know if the oldish LMC kernel drivers will support the newer SBE cards.

Anyway, I've also looked at the option to use an external Adtran T3SU CSU/DSU along with a Linux HSSI card to interface it with. Running into the same problem locating an HSSI card with good open source linux support.

I did find Emerging Technologies, and they have a linux supported HSSI card that looks great, except for this little line of bullshit:

"We wrote the drivers for the products we sell, and we fully support them. Our competitors use public code, so if you have problems you are on your own. And since they didn't write it they may not be able to fix whats wrong."

That seems to imply closed source kernel modules, something I really hate to deal with.

So anyway, I need help. I've been searching on and off for weeks on this, but information is sparse.