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| Thread ID: 44425 | 2004-04-19 02:50:00 | Modems. Buy a good one. | JJJJJ (528) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 230380 | 2004-04-19 02:50:00 | Recently in this forum somebody said that "all modems are the same.Speed is controlled by your ISP." I'm afraid I'm going to prove him wrong. For the past year I have used a D-Link and an Ambient external modem. Both of them connected to Ihug in the 49/50 kbps and they downloaded at about 5 whatevers. I have now purchased a US Robotics Messenger external modem. At the moment it is connected at 52.6 Kbps. Downloads run at about 7 whatevers.. I'm very satisfied. Before someone asks it cost about $215. So put that in your Lucent and smoke it. Jack |
JJJJJ (528) | ||
| 230381 | 2004-04-19 03:57:00 | Thats not the best of attitudes Jack, especially when neither of you are 100% on IMO. The speed is limited by line conditions etc. Both you and your ISP have 56k Modems, correct?! Therefore, your phone cable is likely the cause of any slow-down. Buying "Rural" modems helps too, as they are less sensitive to line noise. Download's as "7 whatevers"... 7KB/s you mean? That's good speed for Dial-up. Heck, 5 is.... I averaged 4-5 KB/s (8 bits in a byte, so 4x8 = 32kbps + overhead and whatever else I was doing online at the time.. I used to connect at average of 49kbps). If you're downloading at 7KB/s then you're theoretically maxing out the modem's capabilities..... Could Godfather, Billy T or somebody else comment on the theory of this? It just seems kinda sus. to me... Chill. |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 230382 | 2004-04-19 04:22:00 | Connect speed (and sustained speed) of 52 . 6kb gives a theoretical data throughput of 6 . 58 kB . Add some error correction and handshaking overhead (say 10%) and that drops to 5 . 97 kB . Now add the unknown factor of compression of the file as it is downloaded . Anything from no compression to 3 times depending on the file content, which will vary by file . Usually closer to 0 than 3 though . Gives anything from 5 . 97 KB to 17 KB . Now factor in dropped packets due to noise, as these packets must be resent . Gets too hard to calculate now as there are just too many unknown variations . Truth is, local line conditions often give download speeds of 4 KB Does a more expensive modem work better? Probably, else what are you paying for? If you had the cheapest modem, lived close to the exchange, had a perfect line, then there would be no difference . The more expensive modem *should* have better line noise tolerance and deliver more consistent results . Otherwise you have been ripped off . Just like the Dynalink Rural Modem which costs $500 . It works where others would just give up, so money doe$ buy $omething . |
godfather (25) | ||
| 230383 | 2004-04-19 05:41:00 | Thanks for the comments. I'm well aware that it was too dear, but I'm satisfied with the results and that's what mattered. I took a run through PC Pit Stop and for the first time ever I got a perfect score on internet connection. In fact I got a perfect score on everything so I'm happy. :-) :-) :-) Jack |
JJJJJ (528) | ||
| 230384 | 2004-04-19 06:33:00 | would it not have been cheaper to get a DSL or wireless conection? | Pete O'Neil (250) | ||
| 230385 | 2004-04-19 17:52:00 | Not available where I live. | JJJJJ (528) | ||
| 230386 | 2004-04-19 21:31:00 | Not to mention the processing cycles you are saving your computer by not using a PCI modem, oops, I mentioned it! If you are lucky enough to have an ISA slot then you have an opportunity to slot in a good old hardware modem much like your serial external ones, if you can find one that is the real McCoy, that is . USR/3Com are a good bet there as well . |
Murray P (44) | ||
| 230387 | 2004-04-20 03:39:00 | Just add a little stir :) I proved to my own satisfaction by borrowing modems from my local shop a few years ago and trying them in the same computer on the same phone line, that US Robotics modems with their own chipsets outperform Rockwell/Connexant/Lucent. I would even go so far as to say significantly outperform, but I dont have the download figures now, except to say that reported connection speed to ISP was 52Kbps consistent for external US Robotics as against ~48Kbps for all other makes, both internal and external. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 230388 | 2004-04-20 04:30:00 | Just adding some more stir :-) Unless you are checking the connection speed at the end, the initial reported speed is pretty meaningless. 52K could be dropping back almost immediately to <45 where the 48K stays at 48. A few years is a long time to stand still as far as development goes, I would try a new Lucent /Agere DSP internal at around $30 before resorting to ISA or a gold plated external. |
PaulD (232) | ||
| 230389 | 2004-04-20 05:25:00 | Thanks for the support. I,at one time, had an internal USR in an ISA slot that also out-performed all others. In fact I remember PC World giving first place to a USR Sportster in one of their tests a few years ago. And I have tried Lucent at $30. I trust you are joking. No, USR might be expensive, but if you want the best you've got to pay top price. Jack |
JJJJJ (528) | ||
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