Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: OS/2 2.0 and My Modem Blues
From: Steve.Withers@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 03:36:21 GMT
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange

In article <1hl5tiINN8cd@cae.cad.gatech.edu> chris@cad.gatech.edu (Chris McClellen) writes:
> 
> I did do things like setting IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 100, and IDLE_SECONDS
> to the max, but this doesnt work. 

This will only work for *one* DOS session. If you do this for all of
them....you get the situation you are describing. You can't give them *all*
top priority. Only one. Try making only your comms session the special one and
reset all the others to the defaults.....they will be slower....but they
should still run. 

> My modem speed is 2400.  this problem occurs at 300-2400 baud.  It is
> insanely ridiculous.  I have duplicated this problem on a 386/25
> with 8 megs ram.  When I have a dos comm prog going, and doing a download
> both machines perform about the SAME.  (wow!).  I am NOT over commiting memory,
> as my DOS taks have 0 dpmi mem, 0 xms, and 0 ems, and 640k of "regular
> mem".  It doesnt matter how many apps are open .. 2 or 10! .. the performance
> is the same:  extra slow.  Alot of OS/2 progs are fine, but like I said,
> some freeze until the transfer is over.

Why aren't you using an OS/2 comms program? They are far better. I use TE/2
v1.21 and HyperACCESS/5 v3.0. I have an NS16550AFN UART and download in the
background at 1700cps.....with no problems. HyperACCESS/5 is hard to beat for
features....though TE/2 seems to have a better VT100.

> This problem may cause me to get another OS.  I like OS/2, but I find
> it inexcusable that it does this kind of stuff at LOW modem speeds.
> I might have to get MSWin or something, because I have used it doing
> the same things, and I have no problem.  I wish ibm would fix this.

Why not just get a better comms program? It is in your power to "fix" this
yourself! BTW....I had no trouble whatever with a 14.4K modem using Telix 3.15
and the new 3.20.....both work fine. 
 
Maybe you have tweeked/fixed your system to the point where it no longer
functions properly. 
 
One of my favourite jokes is about the systems programmer who fixed the
problems with the system....now it doesn't work at all.....:-)

> Also, I have tried the SIO drivers, but they didnt work well.

They have a couple of problems.....but generally work OK for me....(v0.20)

> One possible thing I thought of is that the comm programs may write
> every block to disk, thus causing major device lags.  However,
> may HD light doesnt go off often enough for that.
> 
> Someone, please help, and Hopefully IBM will do something.  I am not going
> to spend hundreds of dollars to get a modem with nifty buffering chips/
> If OS2 cant handle modems that dont have 16550s even at 300
> /1200/2400 baud on a *486*, its not very good.

OS/2 works fine with a 2400 modem on my machine at work....but I use an OS/2
comms program. I have actually had two modems downloading simultaneously on
that machine while I was zipping up a hard drive to the network on the same
system - all in the background while I checking my CD-ROM for product info in
a DOS window.

> However, I am hoping there is something that can be done.

There is, and - best of all - you don't have to wait for IBM to do anything.
Get an OS/2 comms program.
 
Steve
 



-- 
Steve Withers - Wellington, New Zealand | On Sept. 19th, 88% of NZ voters opted
Steve.Withers@bbs.actrix.gen.nz         | for proportional representation. It
+64 4 478 4714                          | looks like we may get a more  
**** Happy user of OS/2 v2!! ****       | democratic system "real soon now".