From: dfr@usna.navy.mil (PROF D. Rogers (EAS FAC))
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Re: GTE CONTEL DUAT new features
Date: 7 Oct 92 17:29:17 GMT
Organization: U. S. Naval Academy

In article <1992Oct7.000926.12249@europa.asd.contel.com> system@gnd1.wtp.contel.com writes:
!In article <2229@usna.NAVY.MIL!, dfr@usna.navy.mil (PROF D. Rogers (EAS FAC)) writes...
!!In article <5314@rosie.NeXT.COM! amm@NeXT.COM (Alan M. Marcum) writes:
!!!John Stephens writes
!!!! I am not a regular user of the CONTEL Duat -- I am much more
!!!! familiar with ... DTC ...
!!!
!!!Why do I use Contel?  Because I can telnet to duat.Contel.COM
!!![131.131.7.105].  Period.
!! 
!!Since we seem to be `voting' on which DUAT service we like best
!!I'll add my vote. 
!! 
!!Currently I prefer DTC mainly because I like their user interface
!!somewhat better than Contel. DTC also seems to be a bit faster.

!In what way does it seem faster?
!
!Using procomm I logged in via plain 2400 baud connection to both 
!services. From the time I hit carriage return to the time I was 
!prompted for entry by the service was:
!
!	DTC      51 seconds
!	CONTEL   32 seconds
!
!Requesting a weather brief for a DIRECT flight from IAD to BOS 
!and using infinite scrolling, the time until the disclaimer prompt
!was presented was:
!
!	DTC 	50
!	CONTEL  49
!
!which shows no significant difference in that case.

First Marty notice I said seems. So it is my perception that is
important here. Second, unless you logged in several times (say more
than 10) over a period of time, then any comparison of login times
is of little use. It may also depend on where you are calling from,
what specific DTC/Contel number you are using etc.

!!Finally I have learned a trick with DTC that allows a very fast
!!download -- set cols = 24 rows = 999. (You might be able to
!!do the same thing with Contel)
!Yes you can! Set the lines per page to 0. (On DTC you should set
!the rows to 0 for infinite scrolling.) On contel, you should leave 
!the columns at 80.

Good, glad to have the info.

!!I use Contel from the office over the Internet but it runs at
!!about 1/4 to 1/3 speed in comparison to on the PC with a
!!2400 baud modem. 

!Most Internet customers find that the speeds are 2 to 3 times 
!faster because we run the service at 19,200 into the backbone.

!What is the speed of your connection to the backbone?

Directly via an ethernet connection to our gateway and thence over
a 56kb line to our milnet gateway.

Actually it does not matter what the backbone speed is. What I see
is what I get and the basis for my judgement. As always your milage
may vary.

!!Have not succeeded in getting the Telebit to
!!work with either DTC or Contel using Procomm.

!Contel now has 9600/4800/2400/1200/300 baud modems with MNP 5
!and V.42 available.

!It is possible that the Telebit modem defaults to settings that will
!not talk to our or DTC's modems. Call our help line at 1-800-345-3828
!to see if they have some suggestions.

ok, I'll do that but it is not a high priority item as I can currently
loggin, download and decode a complete briefing in 3-4 minutes. So
saving perhaps a minute on this is not that great since the bottleneck
is the decode. (Oh, for all you people that are going to say learn to
read the encoded form--I can and do, it's what I print and take in
the a/c with me. Still I prefer to read English when available.)

The bottom line is that I have chosen DTC as my preferred DUAT
supplier and have not seen anything yet to make me change my
mind. But I'm always looking and sure do appreciate having Contel
as a backup.

!!Dave Rogers
!----------------
! Marty Anilane, GTE Contel Federal Systems, P.O. Box 10814, Chantilly VA. 22021
! Internet: "system@gnd1.wtp.gtefsd.com"    (703) 818-4413
!----------------