kenk@tellab5.tellabs.CHI.IL.US (Ken Konecki) (07/06/89)
Yet another mega-discount ad came to the mailbox on Saturday - this one
for the Zoom 2400 baud modem for $139. Since I am in the market for a
2400 baud modem (these ads are really quite timely), I am seeking
opinions on what people who have one think about these modems. Since
modems are essentially the same, the key points I'm seeking information
on are: succeptibility to line noise, reliability, and customer support.
However, I'll take any information you can send.
Thanks in advance,
-Ken K
--
Ken Konecki
"Eat well, stay fit, and die anyway"
e-mail:kenk@tellab5.UUCP -or- ...!uunet!tellab5!kenk
U.S. Mail: 1271 Portchester Circle, Carol Stream, IL 60188milne@ics.uci.edu (Alastair Milne) (07/07/89)
kenk@tellab5.tellabs.CHI.IL.US (Ken Konecki) writes: >Yet another mega-discount ad came to the mailbox on Saturday - this one >for the Zoom 2400 baud modem for $139. Since I am in the market for a >2400 baud modem (these ads are really quite timely), I am seeking >opinions on what people who have one think about these modems. Since >modems are essentially the same, the key points I'm seeking information >on are: succeptibility to line noise, reliability, and customer support. >However, I'll take any information you can send. I too was very taken with the $139 offer, since the best price on 2400-bauds that our department's purchaser could find was $100 higher. So I tried it. I don't know about modems being essentially the same. This is what I've noticed about my Zoom (didn't anybody cringe when that was suggested as a company name?) 2400 baud. It seems to have full Hayes command compatibility -- that is to say, the "AT" -initiated set of commands that Hayes uses. If there is a correct name for this convention I don't know it. It doesn't remember things. If you change any of the S registers, then turn it off, the changes are gone. I seem to remember that the Franklin modem I've been borrowing from our lab remembers certain changes. I've had problems with its establishing the CCITT (sp?) handshaking when initiating a 2400 baud connection. I've had the speaker on while it was making the connection: the modem at the other end answers, the carrier tone starts up, and sometimes the modem answers it, and sometimes it just sits there, and eventually drops the line. I've had some cursory looks through the manual to see if there are any settings that deal with this, but so far nothing has come to light. I'm afraid the manual is rather on the amateur side, though certainly not short. I have not attempted to get technical help from "Zoom". The speaker has some volume discrepancies: if you have it on while dialing, the tones as it pulse-dials shriek at you, but when the other end starts sending things, they're very quiet. On the brighter side, there's a volume control on the back, though obviously it's not going to level out 2 different volume levels. The modem is smaller than most, and comes with a couple of heavy adhesive pads. It could easily be stuck on the side of the Mac, though I'm too fond of my Mac II's surface to try it. It comes with all the cabling you need, I'm glad to say, both an RS232 cable and phone lines. It also comes with a communications program, with special arrangements for such things as Dow Jones reports, logging onto the Source, etc. -- none of it of any use to me. I'm continuing to use MacKermit, though I can't immediately remember why I had no interest in their program -- probably poor terminal emulation. I suppose there's a possibility the connection problems would clear up if I did, though it doesn't seem very likely. Will, maybe I'll try their technical line and see if they know about the connection problem. Alastair Milne