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MODEM NEWS: FEBRUARY 8, 1996
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In System News on January 23 we announced that 64 modems and 4 terminal
servers had been ordered to double the size of the 296-5500 modem pool. 
The good news is that they have arrived. The bad news is that the 64 new
phone lines needed to support the new modems have not yet been installed. 
Bell Atlantic reports that damage repairs necessitated by the recent snow
storms has delayed new installations by several weeks, so the additional
modems will not be usable as soon as we had expected. 
 
This morning we met with Bell Atlantic representatives to discuss ways to
facilitate the installation, and to plan for future expansion of our
dial-up service.  We cannot continue for much longer to bring in phone
lines on a one line per modem basis, so future expansion will be
accomplished via T1 lines which can carry 24 simultaneous calls per line,
using terminal server/modem combinations designed to support digital T1
telephone service.  In fact, there is a good possibility that we will have
the first example of this new equipment in service in the near future. 
Our 64 current lines, plus the 64 new lines, plus 48 lines carried via T1
will give us a total of 176 lines on the 296-5500 number, and additional 
T1s will be relatively easy to install for future expansion.
 
The Ascend Pipeline Max which serves as the modem pool and terminal server
on the 494-1199 number was brought back up about a week ago after several
days of down time, but it continues to give us fits.  As was explained in
System News on January 30, the Ascend is owned by the Sailor network, not
by BCPL.  We are working closely with Sailor's network engineer to resolve
the problem, and hope to have beaten the Ascend back into submission
within the next few days. 

We know that access to BCPL's Internet service has been pretty rocky over 
the past few weeks, with the 296-5500 number very busy most of the time 
and performance of the 494-1199 number unpredictable.  Most of our users 
have been very patient and understanding through this difficult period, 
for which we thank you sincerely.