Selecting a Modem

Selecting a Modem

A modem capable of at least 9600 bits per second (bps, sometimes referred to as "baud") is required for use with SLIP or PPP. However, at this speed, your link will be quite slow. A good modem choice is any modem that supports the V.32bis or V.34 standards and a speed of 14,400 bps or greater. A half-duplex modem can be used but is less desirable for interactive tasks.

Silicon Graphics does not manufacture these modems and cannot be responsible for changes to the modems. Silicon Graphics cannot guarantee modem compatibility or the quality of the telephone line used with SLIP or PPP.

If your modem supports both v.32 and PEP(TM) modes (or another batch-oriented mode), you can take advantage of these capabilities while using SLIP or PPP. The v.32 mode is preferred for most uses, but switching to PEP before using a file-transfer utility such as ftp or rcp yields higher performance.

If you are using a high-speed modem, be sure it supports hardware flow control using RTS/CTS. With such a modem, use the ttyf* device name.

Note: Silicon Graphics supports DSI(TM), Intel®, Telebit®, ZyXEL(TM), U.S. Robotics®, Hayes®, and most Hayes compatible modems. While many others work, configuring them may be much more complicated and their operation is not guaranteed. For instructions on installing modems and configuring modems, see "Installing a Modem" in IRIX Admin: Peripheral Devices.