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An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

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Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#21

Post by reaperducer »

nitwit005 wrote: post #16

I can recall people being very impressed at unix systems being able to handle many clients, and being personally confused at the idea of a computer only being able to handle a single user.

I can recall people being very impressed at unix systems being able to handle many clients

That seems odd to me, too, because before DOS and the Commodore 64/Apple ][ era, multi-user systems were everywhere.

Not just mainframes and minicomputers, but there were many dozens of multi-user systems based on CP/M, MP/M, and other operating systems. Even Tandy had them.

The revolutionary part of the "personal computer" era was that it was your "personal" computer. You finally didn't have to share it with anyone.

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#23

Post by jacquesm »

The OS that was running on these is irrelevant, the important part is the BBS software.

And these usually ran quite a few lines per box, sometimes they would use external racks of modems, but I'm not seeing that here so maybe these were using internal modem cards, so maybe 6 per box, but if they were using external modems it could easily be 12 or more, with the PC cards hosting multiple serial ports, 4, 6 or even 8 per card.

Typically a card would have a single large connector at the back and then a pigtail with a DB9 or DB25 (yes, I know) for every modem.

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#24

Post by nickdothutton »

mcculley wrote: post #3

I am surprised by the assumption that each box could only handle one modem. I seem to remember that some DOS BBS packages could handle multiple modems/users concurrently and only needed multitasking operating systems for “door” programs. Am I misremembering?

Even for a standard PC, you could buy a 16 port serial card and hook it up to 16 modems, either discreet devices or the dedicated ISP kit which might support dozens of incoming calls (possibly on a single bearer) via various means. Telebit netblazers and then ascend maxs were common in those days.

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#25

Post by jacquesm »

ryandrake wrote: post #20

I remember thinking that I would reach absolute peak-coolkid if I could start and run a BBS. I even installed WWIV and DesqView to fuel the fantasy and prepare. But my parents didn't understand technology and couldn't grasp why I wanted to hook up (and pay for) a second phone line for the house. So, unfortunately I would remain a mere luser until I went off to University where the Internet was just getting popular an…

Cool Kids run T1s ;)

Really Cool Kids T3s...

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#28

Post by EvanAnderson »

icedchai wrote: post #6
mcculley wrote: post #3

I am surprised by the assumption that each box could only handle one modem. I seem to remember that some DOS BBS packages could handle multiple modems/users concurrently and only needed multitasking operating systems for “door” programs. Am I misremembering?

I'm fairly certain you are correct. I remember the MajorBBS could handle multiple lines on its own. I knew a couple of local DOS BBSes that ran multiple lines with PCBoard under DESQview.

For sure. I knew people who ran multi-line BBS's on DOS PCs under DESQview, just like that (running Searchlight BBS, in my case). I know of a four line that was just using multiple external modems and non-standard IRQ's for COM3 and COM4 (since, by default, COM1/3 and COM2/4 share an IRQ).

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#29

Post by icedchai »

kstrauser wrote: post #18
icedchai wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember DigiBoard from my early ISP days. We attempted to turn a mid 90's-era Linux system (Slackware) into a terminal server. The Linux drivers for DigiBoard weren't quite up to it so we wound up going with Telebit Netblazers, I think.

I think we used RocketPorts for a while until switching to Livingston Portmaster 3s, which you plugged a T-1 into.

Portmasters were very popular. Later on the ISP I worked with moved on to Ascend boxes which had digital modems (T1 / PRI lines.)

PRI was a huge step. The "individual modem" days were a mess. Each modem had a serial cable, phone line, and power brick. I remember doing some maintenance in one of the POPs. There were at least 100 modems, stacked on a cheap plastic shelving unit. The shelving unit was sagging from the weight and heat of all the modems.

This early POP was haphazardly built, so no cable management. I remember a river of phone cables coming out of the wall. The power bricks were also crazy. We had power strips 2 or 3 levels deep, making it a hazard to even get behind the rack without tripping on something.

Re: An old photo of a large BBS (2022)

#30

Post by Vaslo »

I remember trying to set up a bbs on my pc in the 80s and I didn’t have a separate phone line so I just put it on while I slept. Then people started calling and annoying my parents with daytime modem calls, because I was like 10 and I didn’t think through any of this.
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