Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uw-june!robertb
From: robertb@uw-june (Robert Bedichek)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Major Modem Woe: THE 9600B modem no good for interactive use
Message-ID: <7298@june.cs.washington.edu>
Date: 17 Feb 89 05:23:25 GMT
Sender: robertb@june.cs.washington.edu
Reply-To: robertb@uw-june (Robert Bedichek)
Organization: U of Washington, Computer Science, Seattle
Lines: 34

I just bought a pair of THE(r) 9600 baud modems and now find that
apparently they are unsuitable for interactive use at speeds above 2400
baud!  I wonder if any one on the net can shed light on my problem.

The problem is that they are half duplex and the modem takes a full
second to turn the line around.  The result is that response to key
strokes is delayed by a full second.

I called PC Network, the mail order company that I purchased from, and
they said they thought "that's just the way they work" and gave me the
number of the manufacturer, Fastcomm.  The guy at Fastcomm said "that's
just the way they work."  I said "so, these modems are not meant for
interactive use?", he replied "right."

I find it hard to believe that anyone would design a modem like the THE
9600, which is meant to be low cost ($400 apiece) and plug into PC's,
and make it not usable for 99 percent of the applications people with
PC's put their modems to.

I realize that the hardware to do 9600 in both directions at the same
time is expensive, but what's expensive about having the line be able
to switch directions in, say, 50 milliseconds (assuming a short-haul)?
Or having a low speed channel going the other way (I think that the
Telebit Trailblaisers have a 75 baud channel going the opposite
direction of the high speed channel)?

Am I really stuck?  PC Network is making noises like I can't return
these modems for cash, and perhaps not every for an in-store credit!

Can anyone recommend a 9600 baud modem that doesn't have this problem.
I'm thinking about getting the USR 9600 HST, which are $225 more per
modem, but which at least *work*.

	Rob "I'm-really-bummed" Bedichek