[comp.dcom.modems] Modem list manager

chris@spock (Chris Ott) (07/22/88)

     Okay, here's the modem list again. I would also appreciate comments
as to which modems have error correction, how long the guarantee is, etc.
This is the third time I've posted this article and I've still only got
comments from three people. Here is the article again with the comments
added.

     Just out of curiousity, does anyone know the difference between a USR
Courier and a USR Sportster? Also, does anyone have any information on NEC
modems? Someone asked for it, but I haven't even found any for sale in any
of the magazines I looked in.

     Okay, here's the list. By the way, all the modems on this list are
external. I don't have an IBM PC, so I can't use the the internal ones.
By the way, if anyone has any corrections or additions to make to this
list, just let me know.

Name                            Price
-------------------------------------

Anchor 1200                     $120
Anchor 2400                     $190
     Not too bad - seems to work here.

Avatex 1200e                    $70
Avatex 2400                     $180

Datatronics 1200                $120
Datatronics 2400                $220

Discovery 1200                  $89

Everex 1200 (Evercom 12?)       $99
Everex 2400 (Evercom 24?)       $189
     JUNK!!! bad!! For an outdial - ok. But when this modem answers at 1200,
     it will not answer again at 2400, until power is cycled, or ATZ is sent
     the modem - something Unix doesn't do.

Expert 12e                      $99
Expert 24e                      $189

Hayes Smartmodem 1200           $274
     Ok.

Hayes Smartmodem 2400           $419

Multitech 1200                  $225
Multitech 2400                  $449
     Very good. You set the talk rate to 9600 bps, and the modem will
     translate to 2400/1200/300. Makes /etc/gettydefs easy. As well, with
     the MNP 5 I have been able to get 380 cps out of this modem - not bad
     for a 240 cps device!

Packard Bell 1200               $89
Packard Bell 2400               $169
     Both models seem to be very good.  I purchased mine 6 months
     ago, and both seem to be going strong.  The 2400 is used on
     my unix box at work, making about 40+ calls a day. The 1200
     is used home on my Apple //e to dial into all sorts of
     machines in the area. The only problem I have had is getting
     the two to talk to each other, but that is a setting problem
     in my 2400, as I have talked to other PB2400's with the
     PB1200. I beleive that both modems have 2 year warrenties.
     I would recommend them.

Practical Peripherals 1200      $139
Practical Peripherals 2400      $199

QIC 2400                        $139

Smar TEAM 1200                  $90
     I purchased a SmartTeam 1200 3 years ago for use on the
     Apple.  It died about a year later, was sent in and repaired
     ( under a 2 yr warrenty ). It then died again just after the
     warrenty expired.   Not recommended.  ( I purchased it at
     $240+, just after the 1200bps clones had come out )

Smar TEAM 2400                  $190

Smart One 2400                  $169

THE 1200                        $99
THE 2400                        $159

USR Courier 1200                $159
USR Courier 2400                $299
     Not bad - seems to work ok here.

USR Courier 2400e               $339

USR Sportster 1200              $129
     I just bought one of these and it seems to work just fine. However,
     I've only had it for a couple of weeks  and it's really too early to
     tell if it can hold up to the test of time. One thing I particularly
     like about this modem is that it doesn't hang up when you disconnect
     or turn off the terminal. Most modems I have used previously would
     always disconnect.

Ventel 1200+                    $239
Ventel 2400+                    $359

Zoom MX 2400                    $159

Zuckerboard 1200                $99
----------

For their comments I would like to thank:
     Eric Schnoebelen
     (Two other people whose names I lost; sorry, but thanks for your comments)

Thanks,
Chris

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Chris Ott                           Internet: chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu
 Computational Fluid Mechanics Lab   UUCP: {cmcl2,allegra,hao!noao}!arizona!
 University of Arizona                       amethyst!spock!chris
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berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu (07/23/88)

So you're saying your USR modem doesn't respond to the DTR line
correctly?  That's hardly a "feature".  It sounds like a
deficiency.

			Mike Berger
			Department of Statistics 
			Science, Technology, and Society
			University of Illinois 

			berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu
			{ihnp4 | convex | pur-ee}!uiucuxc!clio!berger

root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera) (07/25/88)

In article <788@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu> chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu (Chris Ott) writes:
>
>     Okay, here's the modem list again. I would also appreciate comments
>as to which modems have error correction, how long the guarantee is, etc.
[...]
>
>Multitech 1200                  $225
>Multitech 2400                  $449
                                 ^^^^^
>     Very good. You set the talk rate to 9600 bps, and the modem will
>     translate to 2400/1200/300. Makes /etc/gettydefs easy. As well, with
>     the MNP 5 I have been able to get 380 cps out of this modem - not bad
>     for a 240 cps device!
[...]

I'm happy to see that Multitech modems are finally getting the recognition
they deserve.  The MT-224EH not only has MNP Class 5 support (error correction
and hardware based compression) and Speed conversion (allows use of a single
gettydefs entry), but also employs a very robust equalization scheme (which
improves noise rejection) and all settings & stored phone numbers are backed 
up by battery.  
 
The price quoted by Chris is competitive, as the current suggested retail price 
is $649.  But, as a service to the Un*x community, I market these excellent
modems for $799/pair or $410/each.  Hope I don't get flamed for making this
public knowledge.

Larry Dighera




-- 
USPS: The Consultants' Exchange, PO Box 12100, Santa Ana, CA  92712
TELE: (714) 842-6348: BBS (N81); (714) 842-5851: Xenix guest account (E71)
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UUCP: ...!uunet!turnkey!conexch!root || ...!trwrb!ucla-an!conexch!root

chris@spock (Chris Ott) (07/26/88)

Mike Berger writes:
> So you're saying your USR modem doesn't respond to the DTR line
> correctly?  That's hardly a "feature".  It sounds like a
> deficiency.

     Okay, to you this may be a defect, but I have two computers and two
terminals and sometimes there is a need to switch from one to another in
the middle of a call. On the other modems I've used, the call would always
be disconnected, making it impossible to use. Also, some computers use
DTR for handshaking (instead of XON/XOFF) maybe not any REAL computers
but some lesser-known ones do.

     Also, no one at all has responded to my third posting of the modem
list. I'm beginning to think about forgetting the whole thing. It just
doesn't seem like there is enough demand. Does anyone out there think
it's useful at all?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Chris Ott                  Internet: chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu
 Computational Fluid        UUCP: {allegra,cmcl2,hao!noao}!arizona!amethyst!
   Mechanics Lab                   spock!chris
 University of Arizona
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff) (07/26/88)

In article <790@amethyst.ma.arizona.edu> chris@spock (Chris Ott) writes:
>     Also, no one at all has responded to my third posting of the modem
>list. 

I responded to the first posting of the list, and about two weeks (!) later
my mail was bounced back by arizona.edu :-(

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 
::  Boyd Ostroff, Technical Director   :: System Operator, "The CallBoard"
:: Department of Theatre, SUNY Oswego  :: - Serving the performing arts -
:: Internet: ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU :: (315) 947-6414, 300/1200 baud, 8N1
::        Voice: (315) 341-2138        :: UUCP ...sunybcs!oswego!cboard!ostroff
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

chris@spock (Chris Ott) (07/26/88)

     Boy, do I feel stupid. I totally forgot about the DIP switch on the
back of my modem (the USR Sportster) that tells the modem whether or not
it should pay attention to DTR. The user himself selects the modem's
response to DTR. The modem CAN be set to hang up when DTR drops. Sorry
about the confusion.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Chris Ott                  Internet: chris@spock.ame.arizona.edu
 Computational Fluid        UUCP: {allegra,cmcl2,hao!noao}!arizona!amethyst!
   Mechanics Lab                   spock!chris
 University of Arizona
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------