#new supra 28K modem
41 messages in this thread
I just sent in for the Supra 28800 V.34 special (don't tell me now I shouldn't
have <G>).
Anything I should know about setting it up for both AP (& the Internet, new to
me) that's different from the 14400? I understand my link speed should be the
highest, other than that, any tricks? I have had no trouble with my old 2400 or
14K so see no trouble here.
Thanks
Gracia, on AutoPilot from Cooleemee, NC
> I just sent in for the Supra 28800 V.34 special (don't tell me now I >
shouldn't have <G>).
Did I miss the first part of this thread? Are you saying there is
something wrong with the Supra? And are you referring to some special
pricing somewhere? I am about to purchase a 28.8, and am eager for
information.
— Lowell
Lowell:
> Are you saying there is something wrong with the Supra?
Not from where I'm sitting. I just connected a Supra 288 to my A3000T. So
far, it has worked perfectly.
Wayne
You didn't miss a thing…I was just being cute because every time I buy a toy
something better comes out that I should have waited for but didn't know
about…The Supra sale is: buy from them direct & return your old Supra & get a
discount. Be sure & tell them you are an Amiga user & want the PC deal, it's
$10 cheaper at $189…only difference is software (it comes as a package).
Gracia, on AutoPilot from Cooleemee, NC
I can relate to your experience of having a better version come out of a
recently purchased item. Thanks for the info on the Supra trade-in. I
think for only $30 or $40 savings from mail order prices, I would rather
keep my old one as backup.
— Lowell
There is nothing wrong with the Supra 28.8… in fact, it is one of the best
v.34 modems I have seen (and I have seen or used nearly all of them). Make
sure it is the v.34 modem and not the v.fc.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
They just sent a flyer, $199 for MAC version (PC version than is cheaper than
MAC because of software…tel operator sold me the cheaper one, $189) if you
return your 14400, so I did.
I just added the "don't tell me" bit because as soon as I buy a toy something
better comes along <G>. Yes, I know they're all the same, just the software is
different & yes it's the V.34 & I already have GPFax.
Gracia, on AutoPilot from Cooleemee, NC
And just to make things even more interesting… Best Data is advertising v.34
modems (external) in two MAC mail order catalogs for $129. Includes cable and
software (MAC)… And it uses the same boiler plate design, chipset, and
firmware that every other Rockwell modem is using.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
Have you or anyone you know tried this modem advertised by Best Data? I would
be interested in knowing if there are any connection or other problems peculiar
to the model. Perhaps more difficulty with noisy lines, etc.
That does seem like an incredible price for 28.8k.
Do you have a telephone number for Best Data?
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
What many people do not understand is that in most cases, except for
modifcation made to firmware, all modems are basically the same that use the
same chipset. In this case, the Best Data uses the same chipset as found in
the Supra, Zoom, and other Rockwell houses. I expect to see v.34 modems drop
in price to the sub $75 range by years end. 14.4 internals already sell for
less than $30 for PC's.
I don't have the number for Best Data handy… they are located in Southern CA
somewhere.
DSVD v.34 modems are the next big thing and I expect that to take off big in
the coming 6-9 months. After that, v.34bis modems will be available (but not
that useful).
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
Yes, but is the ability to deal with line noise controlled by the firmware or
an inherent capability of the chipset? I am under the impression that the
firmware has more to do with this but don't know for sure as I've never seen a
complete listing of the firmware code.
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
The firmware (specifically training/retraining) can affect how line noise is
handled. Perhaps more importantly, quality of constructions and components can
affect how much noise gets to the chipset in the first place. I'd generally
avoid ultra-cheap modems unless I knew I was on a clean local loop and making
local calls, or I was on such a tight budget that I'd otherwise have to go with
a slower modem.
dale@iam.com, http://www.iam.com Intangible Assets Manufacturing
Good point. Yes, it is true that modem manufacturers can add features in
firmware such as additional forms of error correction, distinctive ring and any
other hack to program a fixed function DSP. Another differentiation is the
quality of components used. All of these things said, there is still no reason
a cheaply priced modem can't have all of the best advantages.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
Since it seems that all the companies/vendors insist that their products have
the best noise-handling capability and maximum compatibility with other modems,
do you have any idea how one could differentiate the actual quality of
components and/or noise-handling features of seemingly similar modems with
significantly different price tags, before actual purchase and use?
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
Quality difference between modems? Boy, the answer to that would be VERY
subjective. There are tests that could be run, but I don't think anyone has.
The reviews in the magazines are not scientific at all, so I would not trust
anything they have to say. A good way to find out is to see what their signal
to noise tolerance is and what they consider recommended and preferred
conditions of a line measured in dBm.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
Byte did a good survey with good scientific testing of v.32 modems about two
years ago. It'd be nice to see the same tests for v.34…
dale@iam.com http://www.iam.com
Intangible Assets Manufacturing
>>A good way to find out is to see what their signal to noise tolerance is and
what they consider recommended and preferred conditions of a line measured in
dBm.<<
Although this does make sense, I don't recall ever seeing this information on a
modem package. Do you know if modem mfrs would provide it upon request? I
guess there's really only one way to find out…Alex, are you watching?
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
What is the DSVD V.34 you mentioned, and what will it do for performance?
It probably won't take until the end of the year for the current 28.8
modems to drop below $75 as you predict. They will probably do so 2 weeks
after I buy one for $200+ 🙂
— Lowell
Please do the rest of us a favor and buy one right away, then! <vbg>
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
DSVD is one of the several emerging standards that will allow full duplex audio
simultaneously with data. Essentially allowing you to hold a conversation
while sending and receiving data.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
>>What many people do not understand is that in most cases, except for
modifcation made to firmware, all modems are basically the same that use the
same chipset. In this case, the Best Data uses the same chipset as found in
the Supra, Zoom, and other Rockwell houses. I expect to see v.34 modems drop
in price to the sub $75 range by years end. 14.4 internals already sell for
less than $30 for PC's. <<
yes and no..comparing a Supra to a Zoom or a Best Data is like comparing a
Courier to a Sportster.
The changes that we make in our modems are HUGE..We do not use the
base/straight Rockwell code like many other companies. We pay the big bucks to
our firmware engineer and we spend the time fixing bugs that we find in the
Rockwell code.
Alex Johnson Supra Corp.
Alex,
I'll stand by to confirm that. The Supra 28.8 I have is by far a
better modem than my Practical Periph and USR 28.8 v.34 modems. On the same
connection the Supra connects at 24000 90% of the time while the PP and USR
modems connect at 21600 90% of the time. This is on the same remote, so there
are no differences in line, remote modem, etc.
If it's the Best Data Smart One 2834FX, PC Mag gave it a bad review in their
March 14th issue. Otoh, that was considering the list price of $339 – what did
you see it for? Still, I'd think that Supra's modem, with a list price of
$230, could be found cheaper. No?
Mr. Zombie – now 76375,1776
I didn't see it for anything but Jonathan Blackwell indicated that he saw it
advertised for $129 in two MAC catalogs. As for Supra's modem, I would think
that it could be had for less but haven't scrutinized the mail-order ads.
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
Wow, that is cheap. Too bad it's not much of a modem. But I guess you get
what you pay for, and that's a good price for people who otherwise couldn't
afford a 28.8k modem. Depends how much the Supra is, really.
Mr. Zombie – now 76375,1776
Yeah, I agree with you but I think sticking with Supra is the way for me. I
have gone from 2.4k to 14.4k with Supra and have had almost none of the
problems that I've read of others having so I am rather pleased and satisfied.
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
Nothing wrong with Supra to be sure, especially at the price. I've got a
USRobotics Sportster 14.4 that I got for $75 that gives me excellent
performance, so even though it's not as feature-laden as I might like I've been
happy with it. If and when I make the jump to 28.8k I'd like to get the
Courier, but it'll depend on the price – too much, and I'll go with the Supra.
Mr. Zombie – now 76375,1776
Jonathan,
Having now had experiences with three v.34 modems, Supra, USR, and
Practical Peripherals, I can definitely say there's v.34 and then there's v.34.
Of the three the Supra is least expensive ($239, vs. $239 for PP and
$269 for USR), has a nice visual display of connect info, speed, protocol,
etc., which the others don't have, and provides the most consistent and
maintainable hi speed connections. On the same connection the Supra connects
at 24000 90% of the time, while the other two connect at 21600 90% of the time.
I vote for the Supra, based on my experience.
There is nothing special about using a Supra288 on AP but the highest
speed node available here is 14400…does anyone have 28800 nodes yet? A
link speed of double the 28800 is sufficient, so 57600 is good for that.
Tom
alternate: jonest@hfsi.com
I never met a man I didn't like…Will Rogers
Actually, to take full advantage of the DTE speed and compression capabilities
of a v.34 (28.8) connection, you would need a port capable of buffered 115k DTE
speeds.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
I use the MFCII+ dual port serial/par board myself. Even with a 33mhz '030
accellerator with 16mb mem I can feel the system loading down when 28800
file downloads are taking place, I can imagine the problem a 68K would
have feeding that MFCII. But I haven't detected any improvement when
setting 115K DTE speed versus using 57K, in practice.
Tom
alternate: jonest@hfsi.com
I never met a man I didn't like…Will Rogers
The problem is that the MFCII nor the native Amiga serial ports are capable of
the needed buffering required for reliable 115k DTE speeds.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.77. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
Jonathan..
I use the standard Ami port in my 3000T all the time at 115k..Had to get rid of
serial.device but..
Any and all..
Depending on what you are transfering and what you are connecting to, most
people wouldn't even notice the difference between 57.6 and 115.2. Most of the
files that people up/download are already compressed and you would only see a
small improvement between the two DTE rates. The big difference comes when you
are jumping web sites or transfering text files..
Just so you are aware the a new rom update (1000-15) has been posted for the
V34 modems (current VFC code is 1000-04). It is posted on our bbs, ftp site,
and probably our CIS forum (GO SUPRA) although I don't know for sure..if it's
not there yet it probably will be soon.
Alex Johnson Supra Corp
So, when is Supra gonna send me two for testing so that I can mention them in
the next edition of my book and/or the next telecomm article I write?
🙂
dale@iam.com http://www.iam.com
Intangible Assets Manufacturing
I was actually already going to ask you that, but you already planted the bait.
When is the next edition of your book due out? <g>
Paul (aka Mr. Zombie)
There is no decision to do it, yet, much less a schedule. There are still
quite a few books left from the first print run of the first edition, and a
second edition would mean a sizable investment in time and money. I'll have to
see what the trends are in another couple of months (when stock on the first
edition is on its way out).
I've been lucky enough to get a lot of good press and a lot of good
recomendations. In that regard, I'm much better off than many Amiga publishers.
Even at that, sales still aren't where I thought they might be.
Despite a small number of very dedicated users/customers, the Amiga market is
in desperate straights.
dale@iam.com http://www.iam.com
Intangible Assets Manufacturing
Well, I'm sorry to hear that your book isn't doing as well as it might,
although given the current Amiga situation you're probably lucky that stock
will even be on its way out. Certainly I expect that if SOMEONE will just
manage to buy the Amiga there'll be more of a market for such books as yours,
which I'm finding _quite_ useful as I begin the long and painful journey
towards Internet connectedness.
Mr. Zombie – now 76375,1776
And what replaced serial.device?
//daniel
\X/ AP 1.77
Alex:
> I use the standard Ami port in my 3000T all the time at 115k..Had to get rid
of serial.device but..
What do you use in place of serial.device? Can you multitask without
transmission drop-outs?
Wayne