NEWS - to 14 February 1998



Re: Changes to mlb.planet - Update.
 
This email list is to let you know what is happening until we can get a new
set of web pages together that include service-update and announcements
sections where messages of this type will be posted.
Until then I will email you with important items that may (or may not)
effect your access to Mlb PlaNet.
 
If you have any questions/complaints/oberservations then you can email them
to me  -- dgd@kcbbs.gen.nz (David Dix)  or to alan@mars.ak.planet.gen.nz
(Alan Marston)
If you do not wish to be included in this email list then let me know and I
will remove your name.
 
----
 
 
 
1. Move to new premises completed.
 
Early yesterday morning , (Friday 14 Feb 1998), all of the mlb.planet computers,
router and ethernet network were relocated to the new house in Witherlea.
 
The actual move took about two hours to complete. This was longer than expected
as five of the telephone jacks and cables at the ex-Golden Micro premises
had to be recovered for use at the new location. Apparently the relocation
of the lines does not include new jacks and wiring to the main junction frame
(Krone Frame) installed in the house.
 
After the Telecom contractor (GEC) worked most of Thursday trying to figure
out how to move the DDS link (Digital Data Service link that connects to
Telstra in Auckland via KC Computer Services) he arrived about 8am and moved
the DDS and five phone lines.
Only five phone lines could be moved as there were only eight line pairs
available and two were used for the PRI (see below) and one for the DDS.
 
As expected we had less than ten minutes actual notice that the DDS and phones
were being moved so there just was no opportunity to warn everyone that the
system was going offline.
I know several people were rather abruptly disconnected when everything was
powered off.
 
From just before midday the main systems were all available although only
five dial up lines were available.
The numbers reconnected were:
577 9820  (pilot)
577 9826
577 9818
577 8240
577 8154
The first four numbers are the first four in the hunt group but the fifth is
out of order so was only available after several people were ringing and
keeping other lines (without modems) busy.
 
From mid next week only the first 4 lines will be available and 577 8154
will be disconnected.
 
 
 
2. New Primary Rate ISDN (PRI) dial-in
 
This new circuit was also made available last night. After near two weeks
of finding suitable cables and testing the various feeders the PRI was
finally commissioned yesterday afternoon.
 
This PRI connects into a Cisco modem server and provides (initially) twelve
dial in lines that have Microcom K56flex modems.
The number for the PRI is 5209026
 
I managed to get the dial ins to the PRI working late last night after some
help from various people (thanks Mike) and this morning I have seen several
people actually connected and moving data.
 
You should try calling this number and see if you can connect. It should be
good with 28k8 and 33k6 modems although the Microcoms can have difficulty
with older 14k4, 9k6 and 2400 baud modems.
If you have, or are planning to buy a 56K modem then remember it has to be
of the K56flex type (most are!) using the Rockwell k56 chip set.
X2 56k modems will NOT connect at speeds above 33k6 and the X2 protocol is
not compatible with K56flex.
 
If you do connect with a 56K modem then you should get a connection speed
above 33k6, the 56Kflex technology allows speeds in increments of 2000
starting at 34000 (ie 34000, 36000, 38000, ..etc.., 48000, 50000, 52000,
54000, 56000.)
 
These new higher speeds are only possible where there is only one analogue
tail circuit between the two ends of the connection. The rest of the circuit
has to be digital. This is what the PRI and Cisco 5200 modem server provide
a mlb.planet - by using PRI we have a digital connection right into the
5200 where the interface to the Microcom modems is also digital.
 
The analogue tail will be your modem connection to your voice phone line
and the length of this tail depends how far you are from the exchange.
The farther then the less likely you will be to get close to 56000 connections,
you will more likely see 42000, 44000 speeds.
 
 
3. Contacts.
 
If you experience problems with you connection to mlb.planet after this
move then in the first instance you should call Brendon Price.
His numbers are:
03 570 5276 and 021 224 0593, listen to his answer message and if necessary
leave information for him to contact you.
 
If you want to know more about the modems or have any questions concerning
the technical issues of mlb.planet changes then you can contact me via email
dgd@kcbbs.gen.nz
 
Over the last couple of weeks several people have sent me email concerning
billing and payments. Sorry I generally know nothing about this. The
contact person for such enquiries is Alan Marston, email him at
alan@mars.ak.planet.gen.nz
 
 
---
 
end    mlbusers-list.2 (15 February 1998)
 
 
~


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