[techtalk] damn Windows

[Scott]

I tried, I really tried.  I work in a 100% MS shop.  I bagged my Linux 
distro recently
in favor of Win 2K Server to keep up with what I was doing at work.  I 
thought this
way I will not spend time with Linux and spend more time with Win 2K to 
improve my
work.  Phew--I was wrong.  I have wasted more time trying to get things 
running.
So, this is part story, part question.

I have a Win 2K box that has two modems attached to it.  They both dial my ISP
and do multi-link connections so I can get more than 56k.  They are both 
USR modems
and both are external.  The problem is, I had to add them manually to Win 
2K since
it thinks they are standard modems.

I dial my ISP and the second line kicks in to up the speed.  If one of the 
lines drops
I have to reboot the machine as Win 2K will NOT redial.  They admit that in 
the docs.
Once I reboot it wants to detect my USR modems again as standard, I let it 
do that
then I go in and remove each one, manually add them back in.  Then set-up the
connection to my ISP again--they dial and I have connectivity until one 
line drops
again.

Question 1- Can Mandrake 8 do multi-link?  Can it handle more than 2 modems?
Question 2- Is it me or is the TCP/IP stack more solid in Linux?  Case in 
point, my
favorite Real Audio station--I tune it in and often fall a sleep with it 
on, the next
morning it is still playing.  I have YET to have that happen with Win 2K 
being the
Internet Connection Sharing box.

Any thoughts, send them my way and thanks for reading.

-sap