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EQL Serial Line "Load Balancing"

From Jim Kjorlaug on Mon, 30 Nov 1998

I live in an area where ISDN services have been promised but no delivered. I had read a howto for EQL but can no longer find the documention on this method of ganging two modems together. Can you please let me know where I can find the source for this and the howto.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
Jim Kjorlaug

The README.eql (EQL Driver: Serial IP Load Balancing HOWTO) by Simon "Guru Aleph-Null" Janes (simon@ncm.com) doesn't seem to be in the LDP HOWTO Index. However it is included with the Linux kernel sources under

.../drivers/net/README.eql

... so that's probably your best bet. Naturally the sources to the driver are also included therein. This README doesn't appear to have been updated since 1995.

Note that this requires support from your ISP. In other words, to use EQL to effectively double you bandwidth, you need support for the same version of EQL load balancing at each end of the connection. Most ISP's are likely to be somewhat averse to this prospect (or to charge extra) since you'll be taking up two of their modems while connected over EQL.

Another thing to consider is the difference between latency and bandwidth. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted over a communications channel in a given amount of time. Latency refers to the propagation delay --- the amount of time before the first bits get to one end or the other of the channel.

EQL can provide more bandwidth. However modem latency is pretty high and nothing can improve that within the constraints of the current standards.

Copyright © 1999, James T. Dennis
Published in The Linux Gazette Issue 36 January 1999

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