[net.dcom] Which modem would/did you choose?

derek (08/04/82)

There has been a little bit of activity in this newsgroup
regarding modems.  I saved everything.  I am looking for a
modem with the following features:

	- auto baud both in and out
	- 1200 and 300 bits per second 
	- an auto dial capability
	- auto answer
	- be able to pass commands to the unit
		over the rs232 line (if there are any)

>From what I have seen, the modems which will do the above are:

	- Datec 212
	- Racal-Vadic 3451PA
	- Ventel 212+

I could not determine if the following modems have the features.

	- Prentice
	- Novation
	- Cermetek


Could someone recomend a modem to me?  I'll summarize and post to
the net of course.

There is one further complication.  We have a Develcon Dataswitch.
I understand that the Ventel 212+ has a few problems with this beast.
In particular, when the modem is powered up, it raises control signals
which confuse the switch.  Does anyone have an autodial modem on their
switch which can be used for both dial in and out, with auto bauding?

  Derek Andrew
  U of Saskatchewan (in the Great White North, eh?)

mann (08/04/82)

Just to add to the confusion a bit, Hayes has recently come
out with a modem that may meet your specs.  It is 300/1200 baud
and has autoanswer and autodial, with both tone and pulse dialing, plus
a raft of other features.  It is controlled by commands sent down the
RS-232 line from the host.  Price is about $700.  This information
is all second hand, so it may not really be as good as I think it
is.  The modem is so new that it has not appeared in advertisements
yet.
		--Tim Mann

bstempleton (08/05/82)

Does anybody know much about the new HAYES smartmodem 1200?  It claims to
be 1200 baud 212 mode with 300 baud as well, including auto-answer and auto-dial,
with auto-baud on the answer mode.  Rs-232 control, and I have seen it
advertised in  INFO-WORLD for $609 Yankee.  Sounds pretty good.  The questions
are:

	1) How soon can I get it
	2) Is it reliable?  I have seen 212s that are pretty bad
	3) Is it smart about how it enters command mode.  ie. is it impossible
	   to do this during a conversation, or can you enter it by accident
	   if you send the wrong escape sequence.

	4) Can I get a bargain on it in quantity?