home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
ftp.barnyard.co.uk
/
2015.02.ftp.barnyard.co.uk.tar
/
ftp.barnyard.co.uk
/
cpm
/
walnut-creek-CDROM
/
CPM
/
MODEMS
/
MODEM
/
MDMERR.WQ
/
MDMERR.WS
Wrap
Text File
|
2000-06-30
|
5KB
|
95 lines
.lh7
.cw10
Errors Bedevil Phone Data Transmission
by Matt Kramer
WASHINGTON- Thσá breaku≡ oµ AT&╘ anΣ thσ risσ oµ alternativσá long-distancσ ì
carrier≤á i≤ beinτ blameΣ fo≥ increaseΣ problem≤ witΦ transmittinτ datßá ove≥ ì
thσ publiπ phonσ system.
Thσá malad∙ ha≤ severa∞ symptoms«á Modem≤ ma∙ no⌠ establisΦá ßá connectioε ì
witΦá ß fello≈ computer¼á o≥ transmissioε qualit∙ ma∙ bσ poor¼á resultinτá iε ì
garbleΣá line≤á oµá text¼á erroneou≤á number≤ o≥ lonτá string≤á oµá "garbageó ì
characters.
Explanation≤ fo≥ thσ probleφ var∙ widely¼á bu⌠ fe≈ telephonσ systems¼ data-ì
communication≤ carrier≤ o≥ modeφ companie≤ arσ willinτ t∩ sa∙ wh∩ i≤ t∩ blamσ ì
fo≥ erro≥ pronσ communication≤ lines.
More Calls Per Cable
Somσá modeφ manufacturer≤ claiφ thσ phonσ service≤ arσ tryinτ t∩ pacδá morσ ì
voicσá call≤ int∩ transmissioε cables«á Telephonσ spokesmeε claiφ thσ publiπ ì
telephone network was not designed to carry data traffic.
Thσá complaint≤ oε transmissioε qualit∙ ech∩ concern≤ ove≥ thσá qualit∙á oµ ì
voicσá communications«á The∙ havσ mean⌠ ß growinτ buisnes≤ fo≥ softwarσá anΣ ì
modeφá vendor≤ whosσ product≤ monito≥ transmissioε t∩ assurσ it≤ freedoφ froφ ì
errors.
Still¼á transmissioεá problem≤á arσ no⌠ ß sourcσá oµá constan⌠á irritation« ì
"It'≤á ß ver∙ spott∙ problem,ó saiΣ Ro∙ Andersen¼á vicσ presiden⌠ fo≥ produc⌠ ì
developmen⌠á a⌠ Westerε Union¼á whicΦ relie≤ oε loca∞ telephonσ companie≤ fo≥ ì
custome≥á acces≤ t∩ it≤ packet-switchinτ datß network«á "Iεá certaiεá spots¼ ì
tryinτá t∩ senΣ 240░ bit≤ pe≥ seconΣ i≤ ß probleφ anΣ iε othe≥ area≤ 120░ bp≤ ì
i≤á ß disaster«á We'vσ haΣ somσ area≤ witΦ s∩ mucΦ linσ noisσá anΣá constan⌠ ì
garbled characters that we had to put in a dedicated line to the customer."
Man∙á oµ thσ complaint≤ havσ occureΣ iε thσ aftermatΦ oµ thσ breaku≡ oµ thσ ì
AT&╘ telephonσ monopoly« AlthougΦ thσ resultinτ competitioε ma∙ havσ lowereΣ ì
consume≥ telecommunication≤ prices¼ i⌠ als∩ mean⌠ morσ thaε onσ compan∙ woulΣ ì
be responsible for the transmission network.
"Wheε the∙ haΣ onσ compan∙ runninτ thσ system¼á al∞ line≤ werσ testeΣ ever∙ ì
1░á year≤ anΣ yo⌡ coulΣ pinpoin⌠ wherσ thσ problem≤ were,ó saiΣ Keε Krechmer¼ ì
ßá communication≤ consultan⌠ iε Mountaiε View¼á Cali«á "No≈ therσ i≤ n∩á onσ ì
company testing the lines and it's hard to track down problems."
Thσá lonτá distancσá carrier≤ havσ beeε thσ focu≤á oµá severa∞á complaints« ì
"Mos⌠á oµ thσ loca∞ loop≤ [operateΣ b∙ thσ regiona∞ telephonσ company▌ arσ n∩ ì
troublσá a⌠á all,ó saiΣ Harr∙ Newton¼á publishe≥ oµ thσá Teleconnec⌠á monthl∙ ì
magazinσá oε telephonσ systems«á "The∙ havσ reall∙ improveΣ thσá qualit∙á oµ ì
their service."
Newtoεá say≤ hσ ha≤ haΣ problem≤ usinτ hi≤ portablσ compute≥ anΣ modeφ witΦ ì
long-distancσ carriers«á "Thei≥ engineer≤ wil∞ tel∞ yo⌡ therσ i≤ n∩ problem¼ ì
bu⌠á wheεá I'vσ traveleΣ arounΣ thσ countr∙ witΦá ßá modem¼á nothinτá works,ó ì
Newtoεá said«á "Therσ i≤ s∩ mucΦ noisσ oε thσ voicσ linσ tha⌠ thσ modeφ doe≤ ì
not pick up the connection [to the remote computer]."
Othe≥ telephonσ official≤ claiφ somσ modem≤ ma∙ no⌠ bσ properl∙ designeΣ t∩ ì
work with the telephone switching system.
.cp3è "Wσ havσ se⌠ u≡ technica∞ specification≤ that¼ iµ met¼ wil∞ allo≈ equipmen⌠ ì
t∩á transmi⌠ ove≥ thσ switchinτ network,ó saiΣ Vaughε Williams¼á aε assistan⌠ ì
stafµ manage≥ a⌠ Ne≈ EnglanΣ Telephone«á "Somσ manufacturer≤ makσá equipmen⌠ ì
tha⌠á wil∞ mee⌠ mos⌠ oµ thσ genera∞ specifications¼á bu⌠ ß lo⌠ finΣ ß wa∙á t∩ ì
design the modem differently to cut prices."
Somσ phonσ companie≤ arσ usinτ ß ne≈ forφ oµ compressioε oε thσ phonσ line≤ ì
calleΣá adaptivσá pulse-codσ modulation--ß methoΣ oµ doublinτ thσá numbe≥á oµ ì
conversations one one wire from 32 to 64.
Compression Errors
"Wheε the∙ d∩ that¼ the∙ reducσ thσ bandwidtΦ availablσ t∩ eacΦ line,ó saiΣ ì
Mar∙ Schaller¼ vicσ presiden⌠ oµ marketinτ a⌠ Telebi⌠ Corp.¼ whicΦ market≤ aε ì
erro≥á correctinτá modem«á "Viocσá user≤á don'⌠ tenΣá t∩á notice¼á bu⌠á tha⌠ ì
[compression▌ especiall∙ present≤ ß probleφ fo≥ [modem≤ a≤ fas⌠ a≤ 960░á bit≤ ì
per second], which need every bit of bandwidth they can get."
Schalle≥á saiΣ high-speeΣ modem≤ incu≥ ver∙ higΦ rate≤ oµ erro≥ wheε testeΣ ì
over lines using adaptive pulse code modulation.
Thσá prospec⌠ oµ thσ cominτ IntegrateΣ Service≤ Digita∞ Networδ (ISDN⌐á ha≤ ì
man∙ user≤ hopinτ fo≥ bette≥ qualit∙ transmissions«á ISD╬ woulΣ replacσá thσ ì
curren⌠á analoτá o≥ tonσ baseΣ telephonσ systeφ witΦ aε al∞á digita∞á networδ ì
morσ orienteΣ towarΣ thσ digital-baseΣ computer« WitΦ ISDN¼ thσ digita∞ linσ ì
wil∞ carr∙ multiplσ voicσ anΣ datß service≤ betweeε offices«á Iε short¼á thσ ì
phone system will become a large local area network.
Bu⌠á somσ analyst≤ arσ worrieΣ tha⌠ thσ expansioε oµ digita∞ service≤á wil∞ ì
causσá problems«á "Noisσ wil∞ increase¼á especiall∙ fo≥ thosσ user≤ wh∩á arσ ì
stil∞á usinτá analoτá line≤á wh∩ won'⌠ switcΦ t∩ digita∞á righ⌠á away,óá saiΣ ì
Krechmer.