NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/dcom/modems-part1/2439

Text File | 1996-08-05 | 3.2 KB | 69 lines

Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Path: lazrus.cca.rockwell.com!dtmedin
From: [e-mail] (David T. Medin)
Subject: Sportster Vi's still voicemail lemons
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: marley.cca.rockwell.com
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Originator: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Rockwell Avionics - Collins, Cedar Rapids, IA
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 21:04:41 GMT


Despite what it looks like, I do get tired about reporting Sportster
Vi bugs here and beating on USR for making me pay and wait to get tech
support for what is, in my opinion, a beta-stage product in regards to
voicemail. I would much rather that the modems be working and for me
to take a passive role in this group again.

Before I go on, several USR BBS people have lately exerted a special
effort to help me within their limits and with candor. I thank them
for that. I do think that the true things that need rectification lie
further up the management food chain.

I got my new ROMS for the 28.8 Vi's that I own. As I reported, my
voicemail VOICE ERROR:1002 messages went away, and the modem would now
accept 57K serial line speeds. I hoped problems would be licked. Now
that I've got some time on the modem with the new ROMs and what was
briefly a sample of 5 modems--all Vi externals of the 14.4K and 28.8K
variety with both the shipping version of QLMCW and the 2.2.2 beta,
the voicemail remains as buggy as it was before. It is especially
notable when multiple mailboxes are fired up. Callers may hear one or
more stuttering system messages without any DTMF input, may get a FAX
tone in the middle of listening to a message although they are not
whistling or making noise, get cut off when leaving a message while
still speaking, etc. The base of machines used for test was four, from
an HP Vectra DX4/75 to a 486DX2/80 clone. All exhibited the same
problem when we set them up in an environment with dual phone lines so
we could beat on them while in the same room observing what happened.

I had one more occurrence of the modem holding the line
indefinitely--this time just as it was receiving a fax. The QL Call
Manager had somehow moved to the "Waiting for Call" state while the
modem was left hung, on the line. I no longer let my Vi at my phone
line--the old cassette machine is back on.

If you're thinking about buying a Vi, I won't tell you what to do but
please don't ask me for hints later if you get one before these
problems have a solution. My suggestion, made today to a USR exec in
his voice mail, is to start to give buggy Vi owners some sort of
temporary toll-free support to make up for the indignity of having to
pay when chasing down USR flaws.

Low playback volume and noise in incoming messages is still a major
problem. No insight if USR is doing or is going to do anything about
this.

For the record, my data and fax work as expected, without any special
massaging. Voicemail is the problem. I don't have any special hints on
data and fax other than not using 57K serial line speeds on your 28.8
if you don't have the 10/13/95 ROMs.



--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
       David Medin            Phone: [phone]
   Rockwell Collins ATD          Internet:
     Cedar Rapids, IA           [e-mail]