Index

Overview

Quick start

Y-axis scale box

Options button

Run/stop button

Automatic mode

On screen measurement

More on modems

What the numbers mean ?

How to register


Modem Speed-meter overview
Overview

Modem Speed-meter is a utility program used to monitor your modem.

A graphic window is used to display how many bytes are received and transmitted per unit of time. The graphic is constantly updated so that the user can see how his or her modem is working.

There is many reasons why even a fast modem may transfer a low number of bytes per second. Modem Speed-meter can help you to understand some of these.

The average modem speed can also been measured by probing two points in the graphic window.

Modem Speed-meter requires Microsoft® Windows™ 3.1 or 3.11.

Modem Speed-meter is a shareware. You are welcome to try it out for 21 days.  If you continue to use it past the trial period, you must register.


Quick start

1)	Press the [image]  button

2)	Choose the appropriate COM

2)	Press the run button

When running, the currently selected COM port is displayed in the window title.


Y scale button
Y scale

The Y-axis scale of the graphic display can be changed at any time. The choices include standardized modem speeds between 300 bps (bytes per second) and 57600 bps so that it is easy to see how does compare your actual transaction speed with your own modem specifications.

There is many reasons why you may get sometime a low modem speed. Want to see some of the reasons ?.

Also you may want to have a look to the definition section.


Option window

The option setup window allows to select :

The COM port to monitor. Choices are 1 to 4.

The sampling interval. The sampling interval sampling is the interval of time at which the graphic window is updated (and therefore the interval of time at which the modem speed is re-evaluated).

The step size. The step size is the number of pixels between each data point along the X-axis in the graphic window. The smaller the number, the more data you will get in the graphic window.

The register window.

When your copy of Modem Speed-meter is registered, your name appears in the option window and you are not bothered any more with the Warning! this is shareware screen.


Run and Stop buttons

The run button is displayed when Modem Speed-meter is idle. Once pressed, the run button transforms into the stop button.

The stop button is displayed when Modem Speed-meter is currently looking at the traffic flowing through a given COM port. When pressed, the stop button transforms into the run button


Automatic mode

When activated, the automatic mode allows to start and stop automatically to watch the activities of a COM port.

Modem Speed-meter starts to report when the COM port is opened and stops when the COM port is closed.

Practically, opening a COM port means: when a Windows® application takes the phone line and dial. Closing a COM port means that the Windows® application is hanging up the phone.


Sampling interval

The sampling interval is the interval of time between two graphic display update. The value you choose is not exactly what you get because of the way Windows® works. However Modem Speed-meter uses the exact elapsed time interval in its calculations.

During each sampling interval, Modem Speed-meter counts every byte received or transmitted. When the graphic display is updated, the numbers are displayed along with the resulting modem speed.

It is therefore important to understand that the displayed modem speed is a value averaged during the sampling interval. See examples and definitions for more details.


DCE

Data Connect Equipment : the modem


DTE

Data Terminal Equipment : the computer


What the numbers mean ?

baud or bps ?

The baud is how often the sound changes on the phone line. If your modem would use only two sounds: one for transmitting 0s and the other to transmit 1s, the modem speed in baud and in bps (bytes per second) would be the same. Modern modems use many sounds and transmit more than one bit per sound.

Some commonly implemented standards (as of january 1996)

V.21	300 bps

V.23	75/1200 bps (French Minitel, Videotext services)

V.22	1200 bps with fall back to 600 bps

V.22 bis	2400 bps with fall back to 1200 bps

V.32	9600 bps with fall back to 4800 bps

V.32bis	14400 bps with fall back to 12000 bps, 9600 bps, 7200 bps and 4800 bps

V.32terbo	19200 bps with fall back to 16800 bps and V.32bis

V.34	28800 bps fall back to V.32terbo

FAX standards

V.27ter	4800 bps with fall back to 2400 bps

V.29	9600 bps with fall back to 7200 bps and 4800 bps

V.17	14400 bps with fall back to 12000 bps, 9600 bps and 7200 bps

V.34	28800 bps

All the above numbers relates to the modem to modem transmission speed (also called DCE speed). When the modem is compressing the data, there is more data transmitted between the modem and the computer than between the two connected modems.

If your modem is using a data compression protocol (like V.42bis, MNP5, MNP7 or MNP9) chances are that the modem speed as seen from a Windows™ application would be higher. This is called the DTE speed and is the only one that Modem Speed-meter can see.


More on slow and fast modems

You may want to have a look to the definition section now.

Modem Speed-meter hooks itself on the Windows™ communication functions to watch how many bytes are received from the modem and transmitted to the modem. The numbers are totaled during the sampling interval. The displayed values are averaged by the duration of the sampling interval.

If the amount of data to transmit is very low, the transmission speed will appear low (even if the data are actually transmitted very fast) because the modem will spend an appreciable amount of time without having anything to send.

The transaction speed may also be low when performing a large number of small transactions. Below is a typical example of connection to a BBS to read the subject line of each of about 100 message. Even with a good phone line and a 14.4 Kbps capable modem, the average speed is low. The main reason of that is that the BBS server is spending more time to seek and read the data than sending it.

With the same 14.4 Kbps capable modem, the graphic below has been made when downloading a large file from a CompuServe forum. Unfortunately, on this particular day, the peak transfer rate didnt exceeded 9600 bps. It is very possible that so many users were connected at the same time that it was not possible to get a 14.4 Kbps connection.

The transaction speed may also be low because of a bottleneck on the lines. The example below has been made on a busy day during the transfer from an Internet server of the first 30K of a 300K GIF picture. The very small amount of data transmitted at regular interval give a resulting very low transmission speed. Modem Speed-meter may help you to identify this kind of situations where the transaction speed does not depends any more on your own modem performances (and where you would save by connecting at a later time...).


On screen measurements

The left mouse button is used to position a marker in the graphic window.

The right mouse button removes the marker(s).

When two markers are present, the bottom section of the window changes to report on the data between the markers. The bps is the number of bytes received or transmitted divided by the elapsed time in second.

There is two ways to move a marker :

1)	By clicking anywhere in the graphic window: the nearest marker jumps to the mouse cursor position.

2)	When keeping the left mouse button pressed, a marker can be dragged in the graphic window.


File distribution and installation

The Modem Speed-meter package contains 7 files :

modmmetr.exe	Main executable file

modmhook.dll	COM port hook routines

modm_res.dll	Resource file

modmmetr.hlp	Help file

readme.wri	Program description and installation instructions

lisezmoi.wri	French version of the readme.wri file

bwcc.dll	Borland library

Modem Speed-meter will create a file called modmmetr.ini so that it reminds your last settings. This file will be located in the directory where resides modmmetr.exe. It is not necessary to distribute this file.

Modem Speed-meter may be installed in any directory on your hard disk. It is suggested to install all the files in a new directory called C:\MODMMETR or C:\UTIL\MODMMETR or whatever you want.

The Borland library bwcc.dll must be installed in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory if not already there.

Once all the files are on your disk, all what you have to do is to put the Modem Speed-meter icon in your program manager window.


Registering Modem Speed-meter

You are welcome to try out Modem Speed-meter for 21 days. If you want to use this program past the trial period, you must register and pay 15 US dollars or 75 FF for a single license.

As a registered user, you will receive a registration code that Modem Speed-meter will use to stop bothering you with the "Please register" reminder screen.

CompuServe registration :

To have the registration fee added to your CompuServe bill, type GO SWREG. The ModemSpeed-meter id is 10535

Ordering by check :

The payment must be in French Francs.

Send a check or an international postal money order to :

Vincent VALLET
34 rue des Coquelicots
91540 MENNECY
FRANCE

Feedback and comments :

Even if you do not register, your comments are welcome. My e-mail address is :

76017,1425 from CompuServe

76017.1425@compuserve.com from Internet.