NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/sys/amiga/networking/1120

Internet Message Format | 1996-08-05 | 6.9 KB

Path: nyx10.cs.du.edu!not-for-mail
From: [e-mail] (Robert Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.networking
Subject: review of Cardinal v.34
Date: 5 Feb 1996 08:16:09 -0700
Organization: University of Denver, Math/CS Dept.
Message-ID: <4f56vp$[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: nyx10.nyx.net
Summary: my reply to his reply of my review
Keywords: Cardinal v.34 Amiga Report
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #3 (NOV)


My review of the Cardinal v.34 modem apears in Amiga Report 4.02
and I got a comment on it already.
Here is my reply:



>Return-Path: <gb![e-mail]>
>Date: Sun, 4 Feb 96 16:56:51 EST
>To: [e-mail]
>Subject: RE: Review: Cardinal v.34 external modem - AR402

>I  was  just  reading  through your review in AR402, about the Cardinal
v34
>modems.   We  used  to  sell them at work (Wonder Computers...  well
you'll
>know  the  financial  situation  by now...) but discontinued to, because
of
>several reasons from complaints from customers, and personal useage:
>1)  Incompatibility  problems.   Sometimes  the  modems  will  not
connect
>properly with other brand-name modems.
=====
The one brand of modem with which my Cardinal does not communicate
properly is USR Robotics, specifically a Sportster modem.

>2) The modems default with carrier detect always on!!!
=====
Every modem I've ever had EXCEPT the Cardinal v.34 did that.  The Cardinal
v.34 defaulted to CD not set.  The Cardinal v.34 remains the only modem
(of six high speed units) which worked without parameter modification
on this Amiga 3000.

>3)  The  14400  version did not support v.42 bis compression!!!  You
needed
>software drivers on your computer to GET v42bis.  That's one reason why
the
>modem is avaiable at such a low cost.
=====
Umm, so?  What does that have to do with the v.34?  Several manufacturers
made those cheap modems.

>4)  The  modems  cannot  properly  handle  a low DTE rate.  If a
connection
>occours  over  the  phone line at a higher rate than the serial port is
set
>at, most of the time you will get garbage.
=====
I've not tried such a setup.  I shall never do so, because it make no
sense to purposefully set the modem to computer speed lower than the
modem to modem speed.

>Before  the  store  closed  down,  we switched brands from Cardinal over
to
>Practical  Peripheral  28800  modems.  We run our internet service
provider
>off of them.  They also have their down-sides:
>1)  Over-heating problem.  Both the 14400, and 28800 models tend to heat
up
>over  an  extended  period  of  time, and problems may arise as a result
of
>this.   I  noticed  connecting  to  them  sometimes  from various brands
of
>modems, the hand-shaking stage does not sound normal!
>2)  If  a  brief power-loss occours (like for about 0.5 seconds), while
the
>modem is still connected to another one, the modem will need to be
shut-off
>for  about  5 seconds then turned back on to properly reset it.
Unreliable
>for  continuous  use,  such as for BBS or ISP use, unless you have a fan
on
>these modems, or have an uninterruptible power supply attached to them
they
>should be ok.
====
In the city where I used to live, a BBS used Practical Peripheral
modems (eight modems).  I have never owned one.  Neither my Linklink
nor my Zoom 14400 bps modems would connect properly to the Practical
Peripherals modems.  My AT&T 14400 would connect to the PP modems OK.

>A customer who has an internet account with us had a LineLink 144e.  A
very
>fussy modem!  (at least the one this customer has)
>1)  Definately has a compatiblilty problem with other brands of modems!
It
>does not like to talk to Practical Peripheral modems at all.
=====
My LineLink would always connect properly to the PP modems at 4800 bps.

>A few seconds
>after  it  connects,  the modems just sit there and constantly retrain,
and
>after  about  30 seconds or so, they disconnect.  We tried replacing one
of
>our  incomming lines to a Supra 14400, it worked, but the modem
re-training
>still  occoured, but at a much less interval.  However, we tried hooking
my
>modem up, a USRobotics Courier, no sign of re-training at all (according
to
>the connection status info from the modem).
>Have  you  ever encountered a problem like this with your LineLink?  If
so,
>how did you fix it?
=====
I did not fix it.  I moved away and have not tried calling that
particular BBS.  The LinkLink works fine with all the other systems
I call.

<=======================================================================>

>Myself  personally,  I  owned a USRobotics Courier since the 14400 HST
came
>out.   Since  the  beginning  of  last  year,  I  now  own  2  USR
Courier
>v.everything  as  they  call  it.   I got a good deal on them, since I am
a
>sysop of a fairly popular Amiga BBS in the Toronto, Ontario area.  The
v34+
>is  an extension of the v34 protocol which enables speeds up to 33,600
baud
>(yes, that is right) over the phone lines.  A nice whopping minimum of
3900
>CPS on compressed files!

>All  of  the  above mentioned modems did not have any connectivity
problems
>with the USRobotics Courier.

>The Courier modems are definately pricey (I've seen it for sale, retail
for
>$630 Canada currency!!  Other brands may sell for anywhere between
$170-230
>Canadian),  but  if compatibility is an issue, then this is the modem to
go
>for.   It  is  software upgradable (flash-ROM), so if any new extensions
to
>the  v34  protocol come out that allow higher connection rates, USR
Courier
>owners will probably be the first to take advantage of the upgrade first.
=====
Cool.  But too expensive for me.  I cannot see spending an additional
$350 (US) to get a potential 10 per cent speed increase.  The Cardinal
v.34 is under $150 (US) in many locations now.

>However  the  USRobotics  Sportster modems are a scaled down version of
the
>Courier,  and  thus  cheaper.   They  do not support the old USRobotics
HST
>protocol, but it is still an excellent modem.  It is also upgradable to
the
>33.6k  v34+, except at a slight charge, because you have to replace the
ROM
>chip inside the modem.
=====
I do know three people, all (in my opinion) intelligent folks, none of whom
could get Sportsters working properly.  All three bought Sportster 28800
bps modems.  All three wound up taking them back and getting Zoom
modems.  The one type of modem which my Cardinal v.34 does not
connect to properly ... a USR Sportster on an IBM mainframe.

>I personally haven't had a chance to play around with a Sportster, because
>the one at work was being used to receive incomming faxes.
>My personal picks for brands of modems to buy are definately the
USRobotics
>modems,  and  the  Supra  Modems,  since  both  have  the  best  success
of
>connecting to other brands of modems with minimal problems.
=====
Examine the internals of the Supra and Cardinal v.34 modems.  Except
for the software in Flash-ROM, they are essentially the same modem.

--
[e-mail]     Robert (Bob) Davis
                   Amateur Radio K0FPC
                   Emporia, Kansas