Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!cheme!suresh From: suresh@cheme.caltech.edu (Suresha Guptha B.A.) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm Subject: Summary of 9600 V.32 bis modem info Message-ID: <1991May30.000326.22453@nntp-server.caltech.edu> Date: 30 May 91 00:03:26 GMT Sender: news@nntp-server.caltech.edu Distribution: na Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Lines: 154 Originator: suresh@cheme Hi fellow netters, before I had requested information about 9600 V.32bis modems. I got enough replies for my posting and wish to thank all of them. US Robotics V.32bis modem and Prometheus Pro modem ultima were some of the choices mentioned in the responses that I got. US Robotics was mentioned because of the reputation of the company and also its performance. Prometheus because of its fax capabilities, price/performance. I am including both my original posting and the responses that I got below. *******My original posting****** I am considering buying a 9600 V32.bis modem. Fax capabilities of the modem are not important to me. Could some one suggest a good modem that I should purchase ? I would appreciate if you can share the experiences you had or the reviews you have read about the available 9600 baud modems. If I get enough replies I will summarize it to the net. Thanks in advance. *******Responses that I received********* ************** I have tried using ProModem Ultima from the Promotheus. It is capable of sending data up to 14,400 bps and Fax Group III at 9600 baud It is v.32 compatible, and I think this is a great Modem. However, I personally have problem with its Fax Software. The interface is not very user-friendly. Besides, its capability is only for not-so-fancy fax-document editor. The editor allow me to include the cover page for every document I want to send. And I did try receiving and sending document from/to overseas' node. I have heard from people around me that the best modem is the USRobotic Courier HST Dual Standard which is also v.32 compliant modem. However the price is very expensive. What you get, though, is a good modem with the backup from a reputable company in the modem industry. USRobotic usually give 2 year warranty for their modem. It is not a FaxModem, but its throughput is usually higher than the other modems. If you have access to the computer magazines like Macworld or MacUser, try looking at their issue on Nov. 1990 issue of MW on page 190 about High-Speed Modems, and on Jan 1990 issue of the MU on page 180 about Modems: 9600 bps and counting. I think they are doing a good job in describing the technology and the products as well as the measure of performance of several different modems avaiable on the market at that time. Off course, time has change and the price for the modems listed on those articles are not accurate anymore. They are getting cheaper all the time. ************* I use a US Robotics Courier V.32 modem. I can get the free upgrade to V.32bis but I haven't. This modem actually belongs to the government and I will have to return it to them some time so I will have to buy one of my own. This modem does V.32 and V.42bis. With the free upgrade it will do V.32bis. This modem does one thing that the others don't do. It has the ability to negotiate the speed in the two directions (transmit and receive) separately (if both modems are from US Robitics). I am sure that at some time you have been talking on a long distance line and asked the other person of they could hear another conversation in the background or a funny sound. And the other person has said that they hear nothing strange. This is where this is important. This way either the transmit or the receive speed will slow down but not both. AGAIN, this *only* works if both modems are from US Robotics. US Robotics made their money providing proprietary, high speed modems before V.32 was inexpensive enough. These modems were asymetric. They transmitted at 14.4Kbps in one direction and 300bps in the other and worked better (and *considerably* faster) that Hayes V series modems which ran at 9600bps but only one direction at a time (and achived throughput of about only 4800bps). They are using this technique to add additional abilities to their modem. This is good for the government because we will be out in the Australian outback with several of these modems. It is very important that we get the best possible speeds. US Robotics also sells HST modems (Their proprietary pre V.32 modems which are in wide use at BBS sites across the country). They also sell a Dual Standard modem which has V.32 and HST for maximum compatibility. This is for the person who wants everything and can afford it. For myself, I may purchase the Promethius Ultima modem (V.32bis, V.42bis, and send/receive FAX). I think that it would be neet to be able to FAX a quick message to some fax machine without going to the office. But I might just have the other person fax it to the office so I can pick up the paper printout there. If you don't already know: V.32 = 9600bps, 4800bps V.32bis = 14.4Kbps, 12Kbps, 9600bps, 7200bps, 4800bps V.42 = MNP 4 and LAP/M modem to modem error correction V.42bis = LAP/M and 4 to 1 data compression. MNP 5 = 2 to 1 data compression. MNP = Microcomm Networking Protocol (Proprietary to Microcom) LAP/M = Link Access Protocol/Modem. bps = Bits per second. Kbps = Thousands of bits per second. NOTES: A V.32 and V.32bis modem will work together. V.32bis will be able to speed up or slow down to more speeds. If 9600bps is to fast for the noise on the line, it will try 7200bps rather than dropping to the much slower 4800bps. V.42bis data compression is not only twice as good at compression, it also checks to see if the compression is doing any good. For files that are already compressed (e.g. StuffIt or CompactPro) the modem compression will actually make the file bigger to send *and* it may even crash the link. V.42bis will check and not compress the file on the fly if already compressed, MNP 5 won't do this and may crash the link. ************** > I am considering buying a 9600 V32.bis modem. Fax capabilities I have a Hayes 9600 UltraSmartModem v42bis (read 38.4k throughput) modem. I'd definitely go for v42 as it allows 4;1 compression vrs 2:1 allowed by MNP5. I paid around $800.00 for it and have been thorougly pleased with it's performace. I use White Knight as the modem program. I can get _real_ throughput of about 22K with other v42 modems during transfers of files that were already compressed (.sit.hqx). The documentation is excellent. Learned more than I ever needed to know about modems. ************** My impression is that the current V.32bis modems aren't very reliable yet. I'm still buying V.32/V.42bis only. Note that V.32bis is 14Kb, not just a 9600b modem. ************** Try the new US Robotics V32.bis. It is state of the art and runs as low as $575 (I think?). ************** -Suresh