Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!nic.MR.NET!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!ns!ddb
From: ddb@ns.UUCP (David Dyer-Bennet)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Major Modem Woe: THE 9600B modem no good for interactive use
Message-ID: <1149@ns.UUCP>
Date: 21 Feb 89 18:54:48 GMT
References: <7298@june.cs.washington.edu> <1407@mtunb.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: ddb@ns.UUCP (David Dyer-Bennet)
Organization: Terrabit Software
Lines: 27

In article <7298@june.cs.washington.edu> robertb@uw-june (Robert Bedichek) writes:
>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*.

The USR HST is the modem of choice for fidonet bbs use at the moment (i.e.
most 9600 fidonet systems are using the hst).  I've got one and can offer
some comments.  It's 9600 baud one way with a 450 baud back-channel the other
way, and it turns the channels around as needed; with the back channel, a
turn-around isn't needed for an "ack" in file transfers, at least.  It works
fine for terminal connections, obviously.  I can't give time for the turnaround,
but you don't see turnarounds much in normal use.  I've never noticed
the delay :-).  It also supports 0-300, 1200, and 2400, and it supports
MNP up through level 5 as appropriate; having one of these might give you
some performance improvements even with systems not equipped for 9600, since
mnp level 3 gives a "real" 20% throughput improvement (real meaning not due
to data compression; you get it even with .arc files).  There's a lot to
be said for waiting until the 9600 baud market settles down, but my HST
works well and allows a lot of people to connect to me with fast throughput,
so I can't complain.  The HST and the Telebit seem to be the current market
leaders; for usenet you want telebit, for fidonet you want hst.  For other
things you want to be sure you know what they support before you buy :-).
-- 
David Dyer-Bennet, ddb@ns.network.com
or ...!{rutgers!dayton | amdahl!ems | uunet!rosevax}!umn-cs!ns!ddb
or ddb@Lynx.MN.Org, ...{amdahl,hpda}!bungia!viper!ddb
or Fidonet 1:282/341.0, (612) 721-8967 hst/2400/1200/300