[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.] 56 k anyone? - THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA
Wed, Jul 27 2005 18:56 bradley

56 k anyone?

<disclosure -- I think anyone on dial up is insane and a glutton for punishment...but..>

From the mailbag today comes the question if you can connect an SBS box to the Internet using a dial up modem.  All he has used is a high speed connection.

Remember .... dial up was the way we 'used' to set up SBS and it's only been recently that we use broadband.  It's really no different.. you can use an internal or external modem device...and just run the wizard.  Just don't pick broadband.

Now, sir..let me sit you down a moment.  I don't think you can properly protect a computer...let ALONE a business network on dial up these days.  Patch Tuesday comes along and all of a sudden, even with WSUS in the mix, that network will want to yank down patches.

These days the following gets updated pretty much automagically in my office....or with my intervention..but the point is I'm yanking down stuff all the time...

  • Antivirus
  • Antispyware
  • Security patches
  • New programs
  • Updates to programs
  • Buying software online
  • And every blasted phone home to some third party vendor to update program will be firing up that Internet connection.

Not to mention, once you get them on email..people think nothing of sending huge files.

So Nicolas... I had no problem understanding your question...yes you can quite easily use a dial up modem in the server to offer up Internet access, but if you can... plant the seed that they should be on Broadband.  I don't think you can protect your network without it. 

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# re: 56 k anyone?

Thursday, July 28, 2005 1:23 PM by bradley

Well, I was in the same situation where I had a client who wanted their new network set up, but would not wait for their broadband to go live, and of course, email was critical and a MUST HAVE!

Setting it all up was a doddle, but and here is the real WATCH OUT, the modem would not drop the line after doing basic email checks. I never could find a solution on why this was the cae, but my "theory" is that SBS just hammers the Internet for so many things that the modem just does not get given the chance to drop offline... there is too much traffic around!

The solution was... pull the modem cable out after sending and receiving the email!!!! Pathetic I know, but there really wasno telling these people that they should have just waited!!!!

All sorted now, but a nightmare while it lasted!!!