From: paul@tct.com (Paul Levin)
Subject: My experience w/ my new ZyXel 1496E
Organization: TC Telemanagement, Clearwater, FL
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 14:58:28 GMT

Well, I got my ZyXel 1496E modem in last week.  I skimmed through the
manual, and through the document on the diskette.  The manual talked 
extensively about the detailed commands to the modem.  I was impressed.
It also talked, in a high level, about the features implemented by the
modem.  Again I was impressed.  The documentation on the disk was 
about the included software.  The documentation was minimal, but then
again, so is the software.

I found the command to get the firmware version number (it was a fax
command, why ?).  I just got the modem, and it had version 5.02 firmware.
Isn't the latest 5.04 ??  I would think, it should have come with the 
latest firmware !

Using the configuration ZyXel provided for Telix (modem software), I 
managed to use the modem with no problems.  I was connecting to a 9600
site, so I could not test the 14.4 (or 16.8) speeds.  The modem worked
flawlessly.  Telix was running in a VDM under OS/2, on COM1 with a 16550 UART.
It did about 1100 cps with no errors, if I did nothing else on the PC; and
with very few errors if I did disk I/O in other OS/2 sessions.  I hope to
try TE/2 (a native OS/2 program soon).

QUESTIIONS:
	Can someone tell me the phone number to ZyXel USA's buliten board ?
	I assume they have a ZyXel modem there, and I can test the 16.8.  
	Also, I want to download the latest firmware.  How is that done ?  
	Does anyone know which EPROM chips are in the 1496E ?

I was not as happy with the fax.  I started with thier zfax program in
an OS/2 VDM (ok, a little daring).  It didn't work.  It also wouldn't tell
me that it didn't work.  Then I looked in the transmission log, and sure
enought, errors.  Ok, drop to DOS.  Zfax worked fine under DOS, but I
was really not impressed with it.  I really miss the cover sheet provided
by Bitfax.  I only tried an ASCII text file.  I hope it will transmit
a TIFF file as well.  Actually, since I did not see the resulting fax
at the destination, I'm not really sure it worked.

I tried Bitfax under DOS (with out changing the S39 register as the book says).
The software timed-out waiting for a connect.  I tried the S39 register
changes.  The fax/modem would go off-hook, but when it started to dial,
the phone line gave dial tone again.  (I have call waiting, and conference
calling, so it may have changed to the other out-going dial tone).  Returning
to Zfax, it did the same thing a few times, and then started to work.
I did a "return to factory defaults" reset.  Bitfax then started to dial
and connect correctly.

I started to send the 2 page fax I needed to get to NY (from FL); with 
BitFax, under DOS.  Each time, of 3 tries, it died (stopped transmitting) 
part of the way through the first page.  I finally sent the stuff with 
Zfax, because I had now spent 3 hours on it and needed to get it done.

QUESTION:
	What is wrong with the fax on this thing ?  Has anyone else used
	Bitfax with the ZyXel ?

I looked at the rest of the Zfax program, though didn't use it.  I did
use the fax viewer part of Zfax, and was impressed.  The viewer in Bitfax
is very slow, where as the Zfax viewer seems much faster.

As a side note, Bitfax did not work at all with the ZyXel, from an OS/2
VDM.  Previously I had a Zoom 1200/2400 external fax/modem.  Bitfax
worked fine with it under DOS, and even worked well from an OS/2 VDM.
Maybe the S39 register settings might effect this; but they also
seemed to effect the dialing problem mentioned above.

QUESTION:
	Is there any shareware fax software for OS/2 ??

In conclusion, I'm not impressed right now.  I'll play with the S39 settings
again, and see if I can get Bitfax to work with it.

-- 
From:  Paul Levin   paul@count.tct.com   813-532-2239 (work, 9-5 EST)
    --> Jesus loves you, and died for you; thank Him today. <--