[comp.sys.amiga] Modem Confusion! Dual Standard vs. Telebit

ghost@bucsf.bu.edu (Jay Adelson) (01/11/91)

Hey!  I'd love some well backed up opinions out there on which modem is the
best bet for the Amiga world of telecommunications!

The Dual Standard HST (USRobotics) or the T2500 (Telebit).

Which should an Amiga user who can afford either get these days?

-Jayzer

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[   Jay Adelson        | BIX: j.adelson   ]  [   T.G.C.                       ]
[   ghost@bucsf.bu.edu | Channel One:     ]  [   1039 Commonwealth Ave. #18   ]
[   GEnie: J.ADELSON1  |    Jay Adelson   ]  [   Boston, MA. 02215-1008       ]

jet@karazm.math.uh.edu ("J. Eric Townsend") (01/12/91)

In article <GHOST.91Jan10183628@bucsf.bu.edu> ghost@bucsf.bu.edu (Jay Adelson) writes:
>The Dual Standard HST (USRobotics) or the T2500 (Telebit).
>Which should an Amiga user who can afford either get these days?

Depends.  If you plan on calling nothing but PC-d00d BBSes, you might
be better off with the HST.  If you know folks/sites with Telebits,
then buy it *now*.  The Telebits use a protocol called PEP that splits
your data into a little over 500 separate channels, each running
independent of the other.  It's driven by a 680x0 and a DSP (our T1000s
are effectively 5-7MIP computers :-).

What this means is that Telebits are rock-solid data links.  Our local
Telebit dealer did the following demo:

Hooked a telebit onto my Sun sparcstation, putting a phone *between*
the telebit and the wall jack.  Normally, one plugs the phone into
the modem (and you should for regular telebit use :-) so that the
modem can take the phone "off line" while using the phone. However,
she had a reason..  She then dialed the Telebit in her office,
logged in, and started up a game of nethack.  While I was playing,
she picked up the phone (one the wrong side of the modem, remember)
and started saying "la la la" very loudly into the phone.  She then
proceded to beat the receiver on the table, and repeatedly switch flash.

All that I noticed was that NetHack was starting to slow down, as
if I were playing at 2.4kbps instead of 9.6kbps.  A little bit after
she stopped making noise on the phone, the speed went back up.

Way fucking cool, IMHO.  I know have one at home for dialing into
work (we bought a bunch there :-).  I *never* have line noise in a
PEP connection, but a normal 2.4kbps connection is so noisy I can't
use vi...

The T2500 also does V.32, if I remeber correctly, so you can talk
to non Telebit 9.6kbps modems.

--
J. Eric Townsend     Internet: jet@uh.edu    Bitnet: jet@UHOU
Systems Mangler - UH Dept. of Mathematics - (713) 749-2120
Motorola skates on Intel's head!

rjc@wookumz.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) (01/12/91)

In article <1991Jan12.044731.9120@lavaca.uh.edu> jet@karazm.math.uh.edu ("J. Eric Townsend") writes:
>In article <GHOST.91Jan10183628@bucsf.bu.edu> ghost@bucsf.bu.edu (Jay Adelson) writes:
>>The Dual Standard HST (USRobotics) or the T2500 (Telebit).
>>Which should an Amiga user who can afford either get these days?
>
>Depends.  If you plan on calling nothing but PC-d00d BBSes, you might
>be better off with the HST.  If you know folks/sites with Telebits,
>then buy it *now*.  The Telebits use a protocol called PEP that splits
>your data into a little over 500 separate channels, each running
>independent of the other.  It's driven by a 680x0 and a DSP (our T1000s
>are effectively 5-7MIP computers :-).
>
>What this means is that Telebits are rock-solid data links.  Our local
>Telebit dealer did the following demo:
>
>Hooked a telebit onto my Sun sparcstation, putting a phone *between*
>the telebit and the wall jack.  Normally, one plugs the phone into
>the modem (and you should for regular telebit use :-) so that the
>modem can take the phone "off line" while using the phone. However,
>she had a reason..  She then dialed the Telebit in her office,
>logged in, and started up a game of nethack.  While I was playing,
>she picked up the phone (one the wrong side of the modem, remember)
>and started saying "la la la" very loudly into the phone.  She then
>proceded to beat the receiver on the table, and repeatedly switch flash.
>
>All that I noticed was that NetHack was starting to slow down, as
>if I were playing at 2.4kbps instead of 9.6kbps.  A little bit after
>she stopped making noise on the phone, the speed went back up.
>
>Way fucking cool, IMHO.  I know have one at home for dialing into
>work (we bought a bunch there :-).  I *never* have line noise in a
>PEP connection, but a normal 2.4kbps connection is so noisy I can't
>use vi...

 My UST HST does the same thing. I normally demonstrate this to friends
by picking up the phone and blowing into the receiver. No linenoise.
My downloads will drop to about 400 CPS, but normally I get xfer rates
above 1600 CPS. USRs are good if your going to call BBSs. USRs and Telebits
are both great modems. The deciding factor is which environment your going
to use it in. BBSs are dominated by HST's (atleast all the >2400 BPS
Amiga and PC boards I call)  While Usenet uses mostly Telebits for its
links.
  USR is supposed to implement v.32bis in their DUAL-STANDARD soon which
is nice (14,400 in both directions) which I need for things like DNET because
HST and PEP are technically not 'real' full-duplex.

>The T2500 also does V.32, if I remeber correctly, so you can talk
>to non Telebit 9.6kbps modems.
>
>--
>J. Eric Townsend     Internet: jet@uh.edu    Bitnet: jet@UHOU
>Systems Mangler - UH Dept. of Mathematics - (713) 749-2120
>Motorola skates on Intel's head!