jdg@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Jim Griggers) (01/23/89)
Does anyone have any experience with the Packard Bell PB2400PLUS modem? Yesterday I bought one from Service Merchandise and found it very intermittent in going on-line. Once carrier is detected however, it works fine. So today, back to the store for another one. Same story. The last time the modem dialed a number, part of the way through the sequence it changed to pulse dialing (without being told to do so). I am afraid this may be a result of an immature design on Packard Bell's part. I plan to call their technical service number tomorrow and get some advice. Any recommendations for a (reliable) 2400 BPS modem would be welcome. -Jim Griggers jdg@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM
nick@aimed.UUCP (Nick Pemberton) (01/25/89)
In article <4102@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM>, jdg@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Jim Griggers) writes: > Does anyone have any experience with the Packard Bell PB2400PLUS modem? > Yesterday I bought one from Service Merchandise and found it very > intermittent in going on-line. Once carrier is detected however, it works > fine. So today, back to the store for another one. Same story. The last > time the modem dialed a number, part of the way through the sequence it > changed to pulse dialing (without being told to do so). I am afraid this > may be a result of an immature design on Packard Bell's part. I plan to > call their technical service number tomorrow and get some advice. Any > recommendations for a (reliable) 2400 BPS modem would be welcome. H'mm - I'd try some other types of modems first in the same conditions before writing off the PB2400. While I've never seen a modem switch from tone to pulse dialing, I have seen them miss carriers, usually due to a weak remote carrier or noisy phone line. We use the PB2400 in a number of situations: one is on this machine, 'aimed', as the dial in/dial out line for receiving news and mail. This is with SCO XENIX on an AT. We also use it on our ADDS Mentors as dial in/dial out, and as the remote end of several clients dialing in to rack mounted gandalf modems (the SAM 24s). I had a little trouble setting one up for this box, but that was my own misunderstanding of how to set up a modem for use under XENIX (I'm a PICK hack by trade), and not trouble with the modem. All of them have operated fairly reliably. Since clearing up the troubles with XENIX (I hadn't set the modem to track the remote carrier properly), we have no trouble (right brian? :-) ) Hope this helps, Nick -- Nick Pemberton UUCP: !{utzoo,utai}!lsuc!aimed!nick AIM, Inc Bus: (416) 429-4913 Home: (416) 690-0647
pokey@well.UUCP (Jef Poskanzer) (01/26/89)
In the referenced message, jdg@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Jim Griggers) wrote:
}Does anyone have any experience with the Packard Bell PB2400PLUS modem?
I have had this device for a few months now, and I'm very happy with
it. A couple of the reasons are: built like a tank (one-piece extruded
aluminum body), and low price (< $150). I have not had any unreliability
problems such as you describe.
The only problem I had was the speaker volume: even at the lowest of
the three settings, it was way too loud. With the board removed from
the one-piece extruded aluminum body, the volume was fine; but when the
board is inserted, the speaker is firmly pressed against the one-piece
extruded aluminum body, and the whole thing resonates.
The solution, courtesy of Captain Happy (the Hardware Commander), was
to solder a 60 Ohm resistor in series with the speaker. Now it's just
right.
---
Jef
Jef Poskanzer jef@helios.ee.lbl.gov ...well!pokey
"Now is the time for all good men to come to." -- Walt Kelly