Planning for modem use

For an IBM® Domino® server to communicate with a remote Domino server by modem you can install one or more modems on the calling and receiving servers, configure the communication port, and create a network dialup connection from the calling server to the receiving server.

Domino uses a Network Dialup Connection to communicate with another server over a modem. IBM Notes® and Domino support PPP using either Microsoft™ Dialup Networking (DUN) or Remote Access Service (RAS) for network dialup. In addition, you can use any IETF-compliant PPP communications server to dial into the network on which the Domino server resides or though which the server can be accessed.

Note: Support for direct dialup modem (X.PC) connections is available only in releases of Domino earlier than release 8.5. You may continue to use Domino Administrator 8.5 to configure and maintain direct dialup modem support, but only on servers running releases of Domino earlier than 8.5.

When installing modems, the number of modems that you can use on a server is dependent on the operating system and system resources -- for example, the number of available communication ports. Each modem needs its own communication port.

If you expect heavy dialup use, install additional modems or install a multiple-port communication board to connect multiple modems to multiple communication ports on a single board.

Use these questions to help you determine the number of modems:
  1. How many users and servers do you want to be able to use the server simultaneously?

    The number of modems that you install on a remote server determines the number of users and servers that can access it simultaneously. Consider the expense of purchasing more modems against server accessibility.

  2. Do users take advantage of workstation-to-server replication when accessing the server?

    To reduce server demand, encourage users to keep local replicas of databases on their workstations, work on them without a connection, then connect to the central server to exchange new and updated documents with the central server's database.

  3. What types of users connect to this server?

    If the server supports a high number of users who connect exclusively over dialup connections -- for example, when a server's primary users are field personnel who are always on the road -- dialup demand for the server is higher than on a server where users only occasionally use modem connections.