Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rutgers!nysernic!itsgw!batcomputer!pyramid!octopus!pete From: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: Synchronous 9600bps Smart Modems? Message-ID: <290@octopus.UUCP> Date: Thu, 6-Aug-87 13:55:03 EDT Article-I.D.: octopus.290 Posted: Thu Aug 6 13:55:03 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 12:53:33 EDT References: <616@bbking.PRC.Unisys.COM> <3649@well.UUCP> <54@oresoft.UUCP> <6900@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> Reply-To: pete@octopus.UUCP (Pete Holzmann) Distribution: na Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino, CA Lines: 57 In article <6900@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> davidsen@kbsvax.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) writes: >please post. I am looking at the HST and need to know (a) if it is a >reasonably good 1200/2400 modem, and (b) if it works at 9600. I already >have a set of non-working modems, thanks. >-- > bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa) > {chinet | philabs | sesimo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen >"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me Well, I've been working with a couple of HST modems here. 1200 baud is 100 percent reliable, no problems ever. I've had some trouble with 2400 baud connections to a few nearby unix sites, but as we don't have a 2400 baud modem to compare with, I can't say that this modem causes the problem. 9600 baud is very strange. I can reliably connect from A to B if A and B are both at the same site. I can reliably connect from A to Chicago (USR tech support) and from C to Chicago, but not from A to C, even though C is only 10 miles away from A. I have *never* been able to connect A to C at 9600. USR Tech support is very confused (me too!). We're attempting a pile of modem swaps. There are a few things about the modem design that may be important. Most important to us is that, with all of its flexibility (3/12/24/9600, with and without MNP), it REALLY needs an option to force a return to a default pile of settings after each connection. Otherwise, there's no way to use a single modem for both dial-in and dial-out in a reasonable way. For example: to make a call to a non-MNP modem, you must disable MNP before dialing. But since UUCP (and every other modem-program I've heard of) has no post-call string to send to the modem, the modem is left in non-MNP mode. Thus, the next person dialing in can't connect if they need MNP (and 9600 baud *requires* MNP!). The modem has a speed translation feature: you can set the computer connection to any fixed speed you like (up to 19.2K baud); the modem translates everything and buffers it as well. We disabled this rather quickly: adding another layer of buffering in the modem makes it very hard on the poor user who wants to terminate a directory listing, or whatever! I can see that it might be nice in some situations, however. There is one other brain-damaged aspect: the '+++' command-mode aspect KILLS THE CALL IN PROGRESS if MNP is active (as it must be for 9600 baud). This is stupid. In terms of user-friendly other features, this modem is great. It has on screen help, Last-call statistics (counts of chars sent/rcd, errors, hangup reason, call time, etc).... SUMMARY: If I could call at 9600 baud from A to C, I'd be a lot happier. USR thinks others are not having our problems. If I could set the modem to reset to its defaults, I'd be REALLY happy. -- OOO __| ___ Peter Holzmann, Octopus Enterprises OOOOOOO___/ _______ USPS: 19611 La Mar Court, Cupertino, CA 95014 OOOOO \___/ UUCP: {hplabs!hpdsd,pyramid}!octopus!pete ___| \_____ Phone: 408/996-7746