Connectivity Providers Database

From: John Sheppard <johnux@ZIMBIX.UZ.ZW> To: Multiple recipients of list AFRIK-IT <AFRIK-IT@IRLEARN.UCD.IE> Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 09:57:42 ZST Paul O'Nolan writes: > > > email in Malawi > > Assuming some kind of phone line is available some of the time.. what's > the best modem to use these day? Comments anybody? > Hi all I am certainly no expert on the black art of modems but for what it's worth my modem experience is roughly as follows: This host, zimbix, at the University of Zimbabwe, has been running a email-only, dialup link to the Internet via Rhodes University in South Africa since about Sept 1991. The modem used for the first two years was a Hayes Smartmodem 2400 - no error correction - and it worked pretty well over the Zimbabwe telephone lines, despite pretty bad line quality. I did try a Nokia ECM Quad (V22 bis/V22/V23/V21//MNP5 ) but the Hayes was much better. Line quality varied enormously - not only on a day to day basis, but hourly. Sometimes almost nothing would work. At one stage - after the PTC had changed the international link over to a modern digital setup - I tried about 8 modems and the only one that would maintain a link was a GVC 2400 Hayes compatible. Later I obtained a Telebit WorldBlazer to replace the Hayes - it should have been much better but it was not much of an improvement until the local exchange went digital and then for the first time I was able to reach higher than 2400 - sometimes even a genuine 9600. Unfortunately the WorldBlazer is ill and awaiting repair. Opinions on Telebits vary - either you love them or you hate them. I love them. I am now using both a Black Box 144FX and a US Robotics Sportster 14400 V32 vis with V42 bis. > line. Suffice it to say that I failed. 4,800bps was the highest connect I > ever managed and it proved so unreliable that it was better to just put up > with a reliable (when available) but slow 2,400bps link. Most of the time I have to lock the Robotics at 4800 - especially over weekends. > Telebit Trailblazers are popular in some places in Africa and I have just > had an email from telecoms guru in Germany who reckons that nothing on > the market will touch Telebit's PEP or TurboPEP protocols which will work, he > says, "on anything remotely resembling a phone line". In fact, I'd used the > original Trailblazer T2000s about 6-7 yrs ago and was very happy with them. > They were the fastest things around then but I'd assumed that the market had > caught up. I'm told it's NOT SO. The Trailblazer (there are now other blazers > -- Worldblazer and a Qblazer, the latter is small and shaped like a cube) > works in half-duplex mode so it's not suitable for all protocols. > I have had a WorldBlazer in my office talking to a Telebit T2500 - also in my office - but via the local telephone exchange - at 57600. The WorldBlazer talking to another WorldBlazer or other Telebit is very efficient. But they are expensive. My advice is to go to a modern, external V32 bis/V42bis modem with the error correction in hardware. Makes - Zoom, Practical Peripherals, Black Box, US Robotics, Zyxel (supposedly very good over bad phone lines), - - - - Most modern modems should be fine. I have over 70 hosts dialling into zimbix - the most popular modems are the USRobotics and Black Box. Many sites are using PCMCIA modems - several different makes. (The software most are using is SNUUPM). Cheers John Sheppard -- Prof John G Sheppard University of Zimbabwe johnux@zimbix.uz.zw Director P.O. Box MP 167 Phone: +263 4 303211 xt 1378 Computer Centre Harare, Zimbabwe UZim FAX: +263 4 333407 and +263 4 335249