From: l9ux@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: FAQ on modems, contacts, 800 numbers and Supra Price Listings
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:13:03 EDT
Distribution: comp
Organization: Cornell University


A sorta-but-not-really FAQ for modems, with highlights on the
SupraFax Modem 14.4K v.32bis and some GREAT prices!

In my search for a modem 9600 baud or higher, I've received the
following responses.  Thanks a lot for all the people that 
responded.  It's helped a lot in my search for a good modem
at a good price.

*Some places to call for modems other than individuals selling them:
J&R Computer World 1-800-221-8180
BFJ Enterprises    1-800-932-4712 <--- although no one has been answering
S&W Computers      1-800-874-1235
MacZone		   1-800-258-0882
Tenex Computers	   1-800-776-6781
Mac's Place  	   1-800-367-4222

*SUPRA PRICELIST for a few companies:
	   SupraFax 14.4K   SupraFAX 14.4K	
Company	   stand alone	    with cables,software   shipping cost
-------    --------------   --------------------   -------------
S&W	    $279 		?			$forgot to ask
MacZone	    $319		$379			$3.00
Tenex	    $309.95		?			$12.95
Mac's Pl.   $322 		$378			$3.00 overnight
ACR			   	$349 call 607-277-2239  $?

*Some individuals selling the SupraFAX modem 14.4K at this time:
Mark Margolis, FNOX@Vax5.cit.cornell.edu, $290 includes shipping
Mubashir Cheema, mac1@Ra.MsState.edu, (601) 324-7324, $265
Robert Myhre, myhre@plains.nodak.edu, $275 stand alone

*************************** R E S P O N S E   1 ***************************
I got a PPI 14400FXSA and have had NO problems w/ it.  You might check the
back articles to this group.. the thing that turned me away from Supra
was the high volume of traffic about it.  I've successfully sent/rec'd
faxes with my modem and have been able to connect at every speed listed.
---> from Seth Bromberger, sabrom@cebaf.gov

*************************** R E S P O N S E   2 ***************************
Well, I have a Boca internal 14.4K fax/modem.  It's pretty good, though
setting it up could be a pain in the butt...
But for $229 (at JR Music World - don't have the 800 number) it's not a bad
deal at all!  [ed. note: the number is 1-800-221-8180]
---> from Ricardo Stella, stella@gandalf.rutgers.edu, stella@remus.rutgers.edu

*************************** R E S P O N S E   3 ***************************
You may want to check out comp.dcom.modems.
Supra's aren't very popular with the folks there...
---> from Ross, ross@turock.psych.upenn.edu

*************************** R E S P O N S E   4 ***************************
The nicest of the crop are also the most expensive.  For BBSing I like the US
Robotics dual standards (both there propritary HST mode at 16,800 bps and 
V32bis at 14,400 bps).  I suspect you can pick one of them up in the net for 
under $800.  I own three of them, and I can vouch for how nice they are.  
Second runner up is the telebit worldblazer.  Built like a rock, solider 
then the USR, but you pay a lot for the PEP mode thatr many people never use.  
I have two PEP modems (older trailblazers) and if you can make a 
connection over PEP modems it is the nearest thing to a wire I have ever seen.  
The worldblazer has both super PEP and V32bis.  
If you are looking for an inexpensive V32 modem, I had a practical
peripherals V32 modem I liked a lot (as far as the cheepiest 
for $250 a while back, and the guy who bought it still uses it regularley w/o
any problems.  It is only 9600 baud though.
---> from Matthew, matthew@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu

*************************** R E S P O N S E   5 ***************************
        Digicom Scout Plus V.32bis fax modem

        V.32bis, V.32, V.22bis, V.22, V.21, Bell 212A
        14,400, 12,000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, 1200
        data compression V.42bis and MNP 5
        error correction V.42 and MNP 2, 3 and 4 using LAPM
        Group 3 send/receive fax, Class 1 compliant, V.29, V.27ter, V.21
        Dosfax Lite, Winfax Lite and Qmodem software
        adaptive handshake, auto line monitor and retrain
        5 year warranty
        57,600 baud maximum DTE rate
        internal version has 16550 16 byte buffer

        internal: $299       List: $530
        external: $310       List: $545

        The Scout+ is based on the Analog Devices 2105 DSP chipset. It has
        two EPROMS: one with 128 kbytes and one with 64 kbytes.
        There are enough Scout Plus modems available so far that I can ship
        once I have received payment. This may change however. Please
        include 2nd day UPS shipping. Please send your cheque to:

        Wolfgang Henke, 774 Wildwood Lane, Palo Alto, CA 94303
        (415) 856-9037  voice
        (415) 328-7518  fax
        wolfgang@netcom.com

        International orders are welcome too. They will be shipped with a
        220 Volt power supply with a three pronged US style plug for the
        external modem unless indicated otherwise. For Germany it will be
        shipped with a 240 Volt powersupply and a two pronged German plug.
        Please add airmail postage of $35 for Europe and $40 for Asia or
        Africa. Shipping is by US Postal service (Airmail). Please send
        only a cheque drawn on an US bank.

        Some background on Digicom: DSI is a leader in modem DSP design which
        allowed them the flexibility to introduce the first V.32bis modem
        with send and receive fax. Their V.32bis engine has won quite a few
        awards. A local silicon valley manufacturer.
---> from Wolfgang Henke, wolfgang@henke.sf-bay.org, wolfgang@netcom.com

*************************** R E S P O N S E   6 ***************************
get a fax modem
---> from Lily, lp@well.sf.ca

*************************** R E S P O N S E   7 ***************************
You may want to subscribe to comp.dcom.modems and ask whats good in the low
priced ones.  If you write comm software you can get a USR for a *very*
attractive price, but you need to have some stuff (software, manual, letterhead
and a business card..) to do it.  I got my new DS's for $250 a pop.
---> from Matthew, matthew@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu

*************************** R E S P O N S E   8 ***************************
|> DIGICOM SCOUT PLUS
|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> I've done very well with the Digicom Scout Plus. It worked first time
|> out of the box, and came with fax software to boot. I recently got the
|> ROM upgraded, and could connect to the one BBS in London that caused
|> me problems before.  The ROM upgrade also cured some fax compatibility
|> problems.
|>
|> On the down side, even with the new ROM, I couldn't get a fax
|> connection to a site in India after five or six goes, although my
|> dedicated fax machine (a mammoth Hitachi machine from days of old) got
|> through on the first try.
|>
|> TELEBIT WORLDBLAZER
|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> I bought a couple of WorldBlazers (no, not rich) for setting up an
|> international telcom link, and currently have firmware version
|> LA5.00W. I've been trying to get familiar with them before we set up a
|> host. The WBs have PEP and spoofing and synchronous mode and all that
|> good stuff, but I've had problems with V.32/V32.bis dialout from
|> standard software using near-factory settings.
|>
|> Telebit Technical Support are looking into it at present (thanks
|> guys!)
---> from Joel Roth, jroth%aegis.or.jp@jpnkyoto.bitnet (Int'l)

*************************** R E S P O N S E   9 ***************************
I have been using the Supra 14.4 Fax/Modem for about a month now and have 
found its performance to be questionable.  As a fax machine it is completely
unreliable.  I would say that my success rate in sending and receiving faxes
has been around 18 of 30 attempts.  As a modem it has also behaved oddly.  It
has managed to do things like reset itself to its default settings after I 
had changed them and wrote them to "nonvolatile" memory.  Also, I have been 
unable to connect to some systems at high speed and have had to force the 
modem to a lower baud to be able to get more than garbage on the screen
---you can't even connect to Supra at 14.4.  
	In addition, I have experienced crashes during file
transfers that never happened with my old modem.
I understand that Supra is working on another ROM upgrade to correct some of
these problems, but the ship date for this fix is constantly being moved ahead.
The shop that sold me my Supra (BTW the first unit wouldn't fax at all and I
had to exchange it) has offered to exchange it for another brand.  I am
seriously looking around for a comparable alternative myself.
---> from David Hunter, David_Hunter@mindlink.bc.ca

*************************** R E S P O N S E  1 0 **************************
|> >This is a list of modems I've culled from a PC Week review which I deem
|> >to be 'good' in that they are fairly low cost and do support fall-forward:
|> >(this is not a complete list)
|> >    Supra  $399
|> >    QuickComm Spirit II  $342
|> >    Computer Peripherals ViVa 14.4  $449
|> >    ZyXEL  $469
|> >    Hayes Optima  $479
|> >    Boca Research  $495
|> >    Best Data Smart One  $499
|> >    Digicom ScoutPlus  $545
|> >    Intel  $549
|> >    Practical Peripherals  $549
|> >    US Robotics Courier  $895
|> >    MultiTech  $899
|> This list doesn't distinguish between modems that actually sample
|> the line periodically and initiate fall-forward (like the Intel
|> 400/e), and those that will only respond to it (like the Supra).
---> from Mike Berger, berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
*****************************END OF REPSONSES********************************
For more info, check the newsgroup: comp.dcomp.modems

-Matt
================================================================================
Matthew C. Hutcheson		       | 	  Cornell University
H:(607) 256-1303     W:(607) 255-4689  |       Department of Statistics
Internet:  l9ux@vax5.cit.cornell.edu   |School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Bitnet:    l9ux@crnlvax5.bitnet	       |  358 Ives Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-0951
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