Re: Re[2]: modems upgrade

Michael Whisenant ( mwhisen@airnet.net )
Fri, 27 Jun 1997 19:26:16 -0500

Well I have deployed x2 in over 14 POP's and have had no problem. Let me
point out some problems with my K56Flex tests. First the Flex folks
created an early ROM version of the chipset and later the RAM versions.
Those modems using the ROM (Hayes Accura) will almost never connect to an
Ascend 4048. Many other problems are also major ones that K56Flex needs to
work out. Yes everyone but USR, 3Com, (Supra), (Cardnial) have gone to
56Flex. That is three makers of the chipsets, (they interoperate, but
trust me they are not 100% compatible). Then you have dozens of modem
manufactures making either ROM or RAM versions of the modem chipset, and
then on the ISP side you have a few dozen makers making different firmware
data pumps, and you have a major screwup!

Yes USR tech support stinks. 3Com's has always been great. I have finally
found resources in USR that make it very easy to get support. With USR
making the modems and the terminal servers for the ISP the quality control
is much higher. Remember the first 9600's, the 16800's the 19200's,
etc.... IN EVERY CASE USR upgraded to the standard once the rest of the
world came around. x2 will have more to say about the ITU standard being
reached than you think. More ISP's are deployed with x2 than K56Flex
today, and the reason is simple. x2 works reliably and right now the smart
ISP is slowly deploying K56Flex and working their technical support staffs
to death with interoperability issues. Don't beleive it? Go ahead and see
for yourself. With x2 and USR the cost per port is lower and better
quality than any other.

One other point. Everyone is talking about upgrading via a flash upgrade
the modems to the standard once accepted. Would you and do you want to
trust a company that has never flashed upgraded modems in the filed or
trust USR that has been successfully upgrading Courier modems in the field
for almost 10 years? I know this is beginning to sound like a USR
commercial, but let me tell you if I were in your market, you would be
losing dozens of customers per week to me. Ask my competition!

At 03:51 PM 6/27/97 -0500, you wrote:
>USR and 3Com are now the same companies.
>
>The only problem I have with the K56 modems is I have still yet to see a
>single ISP side K56 modem. Nobody has released it yet.
>
>While X2 is out.
>
>Trust me I know USR all to well I had a USR 19.2 HST modem. That was fun.
>
>Anyway we will take all this into mind.
>
>Tom Willson
>
>----------
>> From: Robert C. Tranter <tranter@crusoe.net>
>> To: Adam Dillaplain <adam@calpha.com>
>> Cc: ntisp@emerald.iea.com
>> Subject: Re[2]: modems upgrade
>> Date: Friday, June 27, 1997 9:26 AM
>>
>> I would strongly advise you to look at K56Fkex rather than X2. USR has
>> pulled this competing standards crap before. Remember V.FC? At this
>> point the only major companies supporting X2 are USR and 3COM. Just
>> about everyone else is using the Rockwell/Lucent chipset.
>>
>> After the problems that I have had with USRs support and QC. I will
>> never buy their products again until there are fundemental changes in
>> support, interoperability and QC.
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>> Robert C. Tranter
>> Crusoe Communications, Inc.
>> tranter@crusoe.net
>> http://www.crusoe.net
>> 201 882-1022
>>
>>
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