Re: TPC-OPER: Re: flexfax: Large number of errors with Hylafax and ZyXEL Omni modem

[Steve Williams <steve@genie96.com>]

> 
> On Thu, 2 Apr 1998, Steve Williams wrote:
> 
> > The USR Sportsters, one of the most popular modems sold, are agreed by
> > EVERYONE, that for commercial use, the ARE JUNK!!!.
> 
> That is a pretty harsh statement. For commercial *FAX* use, they may be
> junk, but they make damn good data modems. In my experience, I've
> had many customers replace a variety of different modems with sportsters
> and seen much improved data connection reliability and connect rates.
> 

Perhaps I should have defined "commercial" use as high use.  

Yes, it is a harsh statement.  I have very intimate personal experience
with them in a "high use" environment.  I am a volunteer for a Unix Users
group in Calgary here.  When the internet first really got going, we installed
80-100 USR Sportsters for our dial in pool.

Another ISP in Calgary installed about 120 ( we shared office space at the 
time ).

THEY caused no end of grief, trying to serve about 600 members, and that was
all DATA use.

They have since all been replaced with USR Courier modems.  That was a VERY
expensive lesson to learn, as we are a low-budget Users's group.   It cost
us the cost of all those USR Sportsters, because we couldn't use them.

The Courier Modems, we were paying $800 for when we first made the switch,
but well worth the price difference, they JUST WORK!!

I have only seen the posts on the HylaFax & mgetty+sendfax mailing lists
regarding Sportsters for fax, and it would appear that they have no 
better reputation.

Other people's experiences may have been different, but mine has been 
and the other ISP that bought even more than we did is pretty negative.

Take Care,
-- 
	Steve Williams, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
	Genie Computer Systems Inc.
	steve@genie96.com

"A man doesn't begin to attain wisdom until he recognizes that he is 
 no longer indespensable."
- Admiral Richard E. Byrd ( 1888-1957 )