🚀 go-pugleaf

   Yeah, Jim, thought that might get your attention!

   Some time back I reported that BT had changed my line, and that I 
   would report back on progress. Well, I can confirm that the line change 
   *did* work, in that I no longer get dropped connections, but it did
   nothing to help my initial connect problems (but more of this later).

   So, it seems tha I owe you an apology, and as I have been pretty voluble
   in my cricticisms, I will be equally voluable in my apology  -
                       
                         I APLOGISE FOR DOUBTING YOU

   Anyway, it transpires that the street outside our house was struck by
   lightning some years ago (before we moved in) and my neighbour's son
   has since told me that their 'phone lines are always noisy (the neighbour
   himself had said there was no problem!). On speaking with some BT engineers,
   they confirmed that the symptons I was getting was consistent with a damaged
   insulaton that would break down anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes after the
   call was initiated, depending upon temperature and moisture conditions
   in the underground trunking (which would appear to bear little correlation
   to surface weather conditions). Since the new line was installed, I have
   had no problems of this type. Why didn't it show on BBS and other ISP calls?
   I don't really know, except that maybe they are using modems tht are less
   susceptible - I think most of the BBS's use Couriers, and certainly the 
   Ascends' volume levels seem lower that those on a modem, so the noise was
   obviously more of a problem.

   OK then, one problem solved, but still 2 to go.
   
   I often received a connect/none response, followed by a whistling tone.
   I took {R}'s advice, and addded &M5 into my init string. This 'forces'
   an ARQ connection, rather than allowing the far-end modem to determine it. 
   This worked in about  one third cases, but my failures to connect went up
   by the remaining two thirds, and I could virtually never get onto an Ascend
   finch.

   Finally, I saw posting by Ian Clough and  Dave English, who advised that
  the modems be forced to VFC mode. I did this, and voila! bliss! low BT bills!

  For all other USR sportster modem owners out there, the complete string that
  works for me at 28800 is

                           AT&F1&M5S32=24S33=32

  This forces ARQ on, forces VFC mode and disables 3329 symbol rate. I for
  one am happy to 'crawl' at 28800 rather than go for the dubious pleasure
  of reduced bandwidth on the Colt lines at 33600


  So, to recap:

     Apologies to Jim Segrave
     Virtual pints to {R}, Ian Clough and Dave English
     Advice to Demon  - change the ascends FAQ  
         if S32=18 does not work consistently, use S32=24 and &M5

-- 
John McGinlay (reserving the traditional British right to argue from a position
                  of ignorance, even with an American)