If you can make a phone call, it generally works acceptable enough for a basic SSH session. Lock the session at 1xrtt (if using CDMA) if you still have problems (slow) and it will use what amounts to a voice channel. In the USA, Verizon 4g LTE also offers some better in-building penetration simply due to the spectrum used (700mhz). On the 3g deployment I did, I built an ipsec vpn to the provider and have a private IP assigned directly to the cellular device instead of individual VPNs per-console server. As for Equinox in particular, you might be able to use the house wifi instead for your VPN... Many vendors have 3g/wifi console servers (or both) that auto-vpn home. I can't see a good reason to use analog lines anymore unless 3g isn't serviceable at the location. If you can't afford a 3g device, you can roll your own with any cheap router running DD-WRT or OpenWRT + usb ports + usr/serial dongles. Use "ser2net" to handle the interface between TCP and a serial port (but one could connect and use screen/whatever if they wanted). On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 8:33 PM, Christopher Morrow <morrowc.lists@gmail.com
wrote:
On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 5:34 PM, Måns Nilsson <mansaxel@besserwisser.org> wrote:
Subject: Re: OOB Date: Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 10:14:21AM -0400 Quoting Christopher Morrow (morrowc.lists@gmail.com):
On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 10:03 AM, Paul Stewart <paul@paulstewart.org> wrote:
We do everything in-band with strict monitoring/policies in place.
what do you do if your in-band fails? if a router/switch/ROADM is isolated from the rest of your network? (isn't that the core point of the OP?)
Vendor C sells nice small routers with something like CAB-OCTAL-ASYNC _and_ a 3G modem instead of the BRI port. The 3G modem keeps its connection up (our telecom provider has true flat rate on domestic 3G, YMMV) and VPN's to the head office much like any other telecommuter. This cuts through all telco stupidity with firewalled or NAT'ed 3G phones etc, especially if one uses the break-out-from-hotel-LAN functions of the VPN system. The router of course actively keeps the VPN up and reestablishes it if needed.
how well does that work inside a big metal box like equinix?
You are, of course, just making a singular point: "Find something to make yourself an OOB network, hey this thing does vpn over 3g, neato!" I agree, it's neat.. it may not fit all square holes, sometimes you need a round or triangle shaped plug.