From: west@ntmtv.UUCP (Andrew West)
Subject: Re: Why is Supra able to sell?
Originator: west@herald
Organization: Northern Telecom Incorporated
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:45:45 GMT

From article <1992Nov16.114600.13310@phillip.edu.au>, by t9114145@phillip.edu.au:
> In article <17375@mindlink.bc.ca>, David_Hunter@mindlink.bc.ca (David Hunter) writes:
>> I have a Supra v.32bis.  I purchased it about 6 months ago based on its
>> impressive list of features, price, and that the only things I had read in
>> computer magazines were positive.  I was not reading net messages at that
>> time.  Over the last 6 months I had many difficulties and have been able to
>> eventually work around them at a considerable cost it time, money and
>> frustration.  I am now at the point where I am getting what I want from my
>> modem, but its performance was so far from "plug and play" it is ridiculous.
> 
> It's not a "plug and play" modem, no. It does work if you take the time 
> to learn a bit about modems, but it's not the modem version of a Mac, and
> the price reflects this. Would you be happier if you had paid a bit more
> and got larger glossier manuals and lots of extras?
> 
> Hypothesis: People who write for magazines generally use lots of different 
> products and can make things work even if the manual doesn't spell it out.
> People who have been complaining heaps about their modems either can't work
> it out without detailed, step-by-step instructions and lots of hand-holding,
> or just like to whinge a lot. That's my idea anyway. My Supra has caused no
> trouble. I have had prompt replies from Supra in all my dealings.
> Basically I don't understand how some people have stuffed things up to the
> extent that they report here.

Get a life...

The two biggest problems I have seen with the Supra are (when using
the default Mac init string (&F1 and optionally W1) and 1.200H ROMS:

1) The modem very often won't establish a connection to other modem
   (i.e. tone, several phases of hash, one modem gives up, local modem
   continues to send tone until computer or phone company times out).
   This was 100% reproducible on the Supra BBS until Supra upgraded
   their phone lines--I still see the same behavior on other systems.
   The Supra phone reps agreed that the modem is very sensitive to
   line noise during the negotiation phase (even though a Hayes and a
   Telbit Trailblazer will connect without problems).

2) Even with the improved Supra lines, the modem still has problems
   *staying* connected.  After initially connecting at 4800 (note that
   S109=62 default) to the Supra BBS, the modem retrains upward to 12K
   or 14.4K--and then loses the connection...

Although I don't fully understand why, both of these problems are
eliminated--or at least greatly reduced--by setting S109=60.  This
forces the modem to begin negotiations at 7200.  I have been able to
connect to systems which previously failed to link up and, with the
Supra BBS, the modem stays connected after it reaches 12K or 14.4K.

I've also had to set S110=0 (as opposed to =1 or =3) when trying
to connect to some 2400 bps modems. I assume the older modems get
confused by the extra negotiation present for V.32bis.

> The net may be more honest, but just how reliable is it? You would think
> that on the net lots of computer professionals would make opinions more
> reliable, but there are heaps of Mac-using humanities-stream people here
> too. (Not me though!)

I've met a lot of humanities-stream people who seem pretty
knowledgable about their computers.  Furthermore, a lot of them aren't
pompous jerks...

There are also a lot of technical-stream people on the net as
well--some have had problems with the Supra and some haven't.  In
either case, I usually have more respect for those who talk about
specific problems and solutions than those who make make broad
comments about "people who need a lot of hand-holding or just like to
whine a lot" or belittle what people do for a living.

> 
>> on what works and what doesn't.  My Supra seems to be working now, but it has
>> taken a bunch of fiddling and tweeking and whenever I dial a new system I
>> cross my fingers until I am connected!!
> 
> Right, so it works now. Exactly what did you have to do? Modify an init string?
> Get the right cable? What was it that stopped the modem from working?

I'll be interested to hear also--and and least now you're asking
the right question.

As I described above, I finally ignored the Supra manual--and all
those who kept saying "the defaults work fine"--and played around with
settings until I found one that worked (or at least reduced the
problems).

> 
> Adam Eberbach    Computer Science student, RMIT.   t9114145@phillip.edu.au
>                "We don' need no stinkin' signatures!"

Andrew West
Northern Telecom    UUCP: {ames, amdahl, hplabs}...!ntmtv!west
Mt View, CA   USA   Internet: ntmtv!west@ames.arc.nasa.gov  or
			      ntmtv!west@ames.arpa

Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems