newton@CIT-VLSI.ARPA (Mike Newton) (12/18/85)
Hi --
Our CS dept. bought several Maxwell Smartmodems 2400. This is
both a brief summary of our impressions with them and a request for help.
In general, everyone that has used them likes 2400 MUCH better than
1200. In some ways the difference between 2400 and 9600 on a Vax running
Unix is very small, but 1200 and 9600 is very large. On the other hand, we
have had several problems with the modems. The documentation is a little
poor -- especially with regards to setting them up with terminals and with
trouble shooting. [Also, more documentation on the jumpers would be nice].
Our biggest complaint is the tendency of the modem to suddenly
decide the connection no longer exists. That happens rather frequently
(once an hour or so) on good days. On bad (rainy or windy) days it can
happen less than every 15 minutes. If any one out there knows of a fix/
workaround/??? we would VERY MUCH (!!!!) appreciate hearing about it.
There is also a tendency to transmit long series of "D"D"D"D"D...
every now and then. This may me tied to the hang up problem.
At 1200 baud they seem to work as well as our old Vadics.
Thanks,
- mike
Caltech 256-80 {newton,fig,root}@cit-vax.ARPA (or cit-vlsi)
Pasadena CA 91125 ucbvax!cithep!cit-vax!{newton,root}
818 356 6771 (noon-midnight) ????? hamlet!cit-vax!newton.BITNET