Charley,
> How is everybody doing on this? I bought a 56K v.90 MODEM and the
I run an ISP so I can give you a little info. Eric in Adelaide probably
can too as he's some Tech Guru <G>. 56K is one of those Black Magic
things, ie it's amazing it even works at all. You are talking across
copper wire, miles and miles to an Exchange (in god knows what
condition, analogue or digital - and how overloaded??) which then
connects to a high capacity digital line through to the ISP. An ISP has
to have a digital line and digital modems to be able to even offer 56K -
very expensive. A modem, any decent modem, irrespective of speed lets
say, alters it's connection speed if it encounters a less than perfect
analogue line, or is talking to another modem with a different type of
compression, different handshaking etc. Most modems are not very well to
std, and most cheapies will not connect at a full 33.6K or 56K even with
perfect conditions. Cheap modems drop calls too, a little bit of of
resistance on the line and wham, they spit the dummy. Thats why you
should always buy an Austel (in Australia, don't know what the equiv.
is in the US) approved modem. The only modems I know of that will give
real reliability cost $$. Of course they only work under perfect
conditions too! On a really rainy, stormy day, you wouldn't believe how
many people call us saying they are getting disconnected etc. Nothing to
do with us, just how the copper network is affected by the conditions.
It happens. Can't explain why, just trust me, it does. <G>
The best US made modems to go for, for home use, IMHO are: US Robotics
or Hayes. Anything else I wouldn't bet my $ on. I run USR digitals at
work but there's a Hayes modem under my desk at the moment, besides
being reliable, they're indestructable. I never get disconnected when
using a USR or Hayes. Says something to me about their quality. BTW
Can't you folks get Cable Internet in the US? We do here, it rocks! Too
quick! <G> When it works that is! Mine has been down for two days -
Telstra!!!
BTW MG's are a lot more fun than Computers. I just use my Computer to
find out neat stuff about my MG's. ;) <G> Now if only I didn't have to
have this silly program ready by the morning I could go to bed!! :)
Cheers,
Neil.
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