🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sun, 24 Mar 1996, Shane Cook wrote:

> I'm considering setting up a BBS system and want to connect 4 V34
> internal  modems. I need each modem to work on a separate IRQ and port
                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why?  Are you using regular 16550 (or emulated 16550 on internal modem) 
ports?  If you need to run 4 modems on a BBS system it's generally MUCH 
preferable to cough up the cash to buy a serial port card that was 
actually MADE to do the job.  One of those digiport whatevers...  Before 
you buy one make sure that if you're using DOS, you can find a fossil 
driver for it, if you're using Windows, you can find a windows driver for 
it, or if you're using linux, that it's supported.  Such cards generally 
use one port and IRQ and run better than multiple 16550 ports.

> address. The modems must also be good at answering calls and NEVER
> drop the connection (dropping down the speed is ok) due to line noise.
> 
> I am considering 4 internal sporters as they will run at 33K. Is this
> a good idea? I've been reading a lot of conflicting opinions on the
> sporters.....

 IMHO Internal modems are a decidedly BAD idea.  If you're someone just 
fooling around with modem communications, calling the local boards, 
connecting to an ISP, etc. with one modem, they can be good.  But you get 
a lot more flexibility (and, especially in the case of modems like Supras 
with alpha displays) information that can be VERY helpful if you're 
trying to figure out what's wrong with one node while three others are 
running.  running 4 internal sportsters, as far as I know, WILL work, if 
they're good modems and don't have any quirks about that sort of thing, 
and most internal modems these days are well-configurable enough that you 
can set the port and IRQ to one of four, maybe more.  Then it's a matter 
of configuring the fossil driver (or windows, or whatever) to the base 
and irq.  
   But is it a good idea?  Not really.  It's an OK idea.  It will 
probably work, if you're a good enough tinkerer.  But what's a GOOD idea 
is buying external modems, so you can see what's going on, buying a 
dedicated serial card, so you don't need to worry about multiplexing 
problems (multiplexing -isn't- a problem) and run that.

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