Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!pyrdc!pyramid!csg From: csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: Telebit TrailBlazer overseas Message-ID: <8676@pyramid.pyramid.com> Date: Wed, 21-Oct-87 12:39:46 EDT Article-I.D.: pyramid.8676 Posted: Wed Oct 21 12:39:46 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Oct-87 11:37:45 EDT References: <99@sda.atexrd.UUCP> Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA Lines: 36 Keywords: telebit trailblazer uucp overseas germany In article <99@sda.atexrd.UUCP> sda@atexrd.UUCP (Stephen Ayers) writes: >Has anyone tried using Telebit's Trailblazer on overseas >dialup lines? In particular to Germany, England and Italy. >What has been the actual throughput? Well to begin with, the Trailblazer is not legal in most European countries; I believe they are approved in the UK and Sweeden, but few besides that. Telebit has indicated that they have no hopes whatsoever of being approved in Germany. The Trailblazer has been used successfully between the U.S. and Australia (10Kbps), Japan, Venezuala, Argentina (6Kbps), Canada (12Kbps), and Mexico (12Kbps). Actually, from here, Mexico and Canada seem to be much better than New Jersey. :-) We tried the U.K., but the two modems refused to synch up. That was on firmware rev 2.0; the situation today would be different. >How would the cost compare between dialup and X.25? I dunno if you've done the arithmetic or not, but if you do you'll be shocked. X.25 Public Data Networks are horribly expensive. Call the U.K. via plain ol' AT&T direct dial using a Hayes 1200, and if you can get a reliable connection you'll be sending bytes much cheaper than via Telenet or Tymnet.* Of course, the catch phrase is "reliable." From anywhere in the U.S. to anywhere in the U.K., getting a usable call out of Bell 212A is a less than 50-50 shot. We use Telenet, and connections are always flawless; the cost is worth it to us. Going the other way, from Europe to the U.S., X.25 is a much better deal -- because their telephone rates are four times AT&T's, and their X.25 rates are typically 10% to 30% lower. But even still, if the Trailblazer gets anything over 500cps, you're still way ahead. *For the curious: X.25 to the U.K. costs $12 per kilosegment, which is 64K bytes under ideal conditions. AT&T direct dial is $.99, $.75, and $.60 per minute daytime, afternoons, and nights, respectively. So the break-even data rates are 90cps, 68cps, and 55cps. This ignores startup charges for bok bk