terminal server recommendation?

[Ken Rossman]

On Apr 18, 2005, at 11:37 AM, Noah wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:03:25 -0500, Pettit, Paul wrote
>>> Noah wrote:
>>>
>>> well I am needing some more remote control to my machines at my colo
>>> facility.  can you possibly recommend a really nice terminal server?
>>
>> If your only looking to have remote control the best thing to do is
>> to simply use SSH and have an account on the target server(s) with
>> the needed rights (or just 'su -' to root after you are connected)
>> to do what you need to do. Once in it's like you are at a terminal.
>
> actually I am looking for a hardware device.  this is not a software 
> solution.
> I am wanting to be on the console port when I am upgrading kernels.  
> also want
> a spot to dialin to to look at the console port in case my machines are
> unreachable.

Although they are not cheap, I rather like the Cyclades TS family of 
terminal
servers.  They are actually Linux-based, and can be remotely managed via
either web management or via linux command line operations via either 
telnet
or ssh remote login (as "root").

In truth, I hardly ever had to do anything to the several Cyclades 
terminal
servers I managed at a previous job, other than to occasionally log in 
to
force-drop a line to free it up.

Not sure what you might be able to do for a dial-in solution, but if 
you can
get on an Internet connection (VPN or otherwise), the Cyclades solution 
is
a very nice one:

   http://www.cyclades.com/products/2/ts_series


Ken Rossman
rossman at columbia.edu