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From: bert@helix.nih.gov (Bert Tyler)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Overseas Connections with high-speed modems
Message-ID: <1018@nih-csl.nih.gov>
Date: 26 Feb 91 21:42:45 GMT
Sender: news@nih-csl.nih.gov
Organization: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
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A few days ago, I posted a few questions concerning high-speed
modem connections between the UK and the US.  I received many
helpful replies.  Some specific points that were made, most by
several responders independently:

Many people pointed out that there are both legal and practical
problems with purchasing a modem in the US, shipping it to the UK,
and then using it in the UK.  Several people pointed out that it
could be done with a small amount of technical expertise, but that
little niceties like repair service and modem upgrades would be
problems for the life of the modem.  It turns out that the folks in
the UK had not realized all that was involved, and you've apparantly
convinced them to purchase their US-bound modem in the US and their
UK-bound modem in the UK.

Several of you also had [bad] experience with V.32 connections
and  overseas calls, particularly those to and from the UK.  This 
being primarily a Unix-based conference, most of you who suggested
using alternate high-speed protocols recommended Telebit and its PEP
protocol (most of those who responded to a similar question on the BBS
networks suggested a USR and its HST protocol).  They may go with one
of the "multiple-standard" (has that phrase been copyrighted yet?)
modems that include both V.32 (or V.32/V.32bis) and a proprietary
protocol, so that they can make both high-speed connections to the
general business world and clean connections in the UK<->US calls.

Apparantly I did not emphasize enough that these folks will be
using MS-DOS machines and MS-DOS-based software (in fact, the US
office just found out yesterday that they will be using a package
called TRAX, which is sold in the UK and is something like
Close-up/Carbon-Copy) for their file transfer.  I received several
responses about the advantages of Telebit's "spoofing" capability.
While V.42bis compression looks like a very handy feature for this
application, Telebit modems won't find any protocol to "spoof".

(BTW, which software will be used was [note the tense] a decision made
in the home office in the UK - suggestions about switching software
would be met with a "just get this package working, thank you very
much".  The software they have chosen may be fantastic, and it may
be abysmal - either case is beside the point, and good consultants
know when it's time to just get the $#@%&! thing working.)