Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!att!fang!tarpit!bilver!bill
From: bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: PPI PM9600SA failure rates
Keywords: PPI PM9600SA modem failure
Message-ID: <1991Mar20.154150.12687@bilver.uucp>
Date: 20 Mar 91 15:41:50 GMT
References: <284@dayton.stanford.edu>
Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL
Lines: 37

In article <284@dayton.stanford.edu> lma@dayton.Stanford.EDU (Larry Augustin) writes:
>We bought 8 PM9600SA modems in December.  3 have failed so far, all
>with the same symptoms - they can no longer go off hook.  Is this
>typical?  PPI has replaced all the failed modems reasonably quickly,
>but you still have to wonder about their quality control.  Don't they
>do any burn-in testing?
>
>Anyone else have similar problems?

I have had 4 instances of modems not going off hook in the past 10
years.    

The strangest was a Trailblazer that when I described it to TB's
tech-support they didn't believe it and had to call in to my modem
to confirm it.

The TB would get a ring signal.  The light on the front would show
off-hook, signals sent to the machine saying there was a call, but
still the modem was off-hook.

Every one of these failures was attributed to a failure of the
relay.   

I suspect the relay contacts fused.  All it takes is a good surge
on a phone line from anything from lightning to an accident
toppling a power pole onto a phone line.

Burning in won't detect that failure.   Could be they had a bad
batch of relays from a supplier.

Could also be that I am on the wrong track :-).

bill

-- 
Bill Vermillion - UUCP: uunet!tarpit!bilver!bill
                      : bill@bilver.UUCP