Re: [hylafax-users] U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Faxmodem and mgetty vs HylaFAX

[Lee Howard <faxguy@deanox.com>]

At 12:50 AM 4/2/01 -0400, Anthony Childers wrote:
>I am having the dreaded "Phase B" errors that are so talked about when using
>USR modems. I have read every post I can find but cannot solve my problem.
>
>The modem works great in Windows with WinFax Pro. I have read the posts that
>attempt to explain why this is so.

Yes, the infamous Class 2.0 (firmware) timing problems.  I know them well.
This is the explanation that both Dmitry and Harald gave when I ran into
these myself.  A sceptic, I insisted on continuing to use the modem in
Class 2.0, putting up with the occasional errors, until I *had* to change
it to Class 1 to get a particular fax through.  I never switched back, and
I never had those problems again.

>The modem also works great with mgetty. The modems sync up almost instantly
>and the fax is transferred.

I find it strange that the mgetty-sendfax site heralds the USRs as "great"
faxmodems.  For as little fax documentation as USR/3Com provides with them,
I can't see how it could be their intention for them to be a "great"
faxmodem in the first place.  I also find it interesting that the
mgetty-sendfax site boos at Class 1 protocol (for *timing* problems!) and
ironically quotes Sam Leffler as their support for that bias.

>How can the same modem with HylaFAX fail 100% of the time when it always
>works with mgetty?

Because HylaFAX isn't mgetty-sendfax; it's got different code and it does
the job differently.  I've had USR modems fail fax reception/transmission
with Windows software in Class 2.0 because of timing problems, too, though
- so I tend to believe that this firmware problem is real.  Given that, it
is my assumption that if mgetty-sendfax doesn't suffer problems because of
these timing issues, that the software has somehow compensated for the
problems with some workaround.  That could be done for HylaFAX, but nobody
has seemed to care enough to "fix" HylaFAX to work with "broken" modems.

>Honestly, I am at a loss. I have spent a solid 48 hours of reading and
>tweaking and still cannot solve the problem.

Have you tried using the modem in Class 1?  Re-run faxaddmodem and choose
Class 1 instead of the 2.0 default.

>My modem is as follows:
>56K Voice Faxmodem
>Firmware Version: 4.9.1
>Firmware Date: 2/24/98
>
>Would upgrading the firmware fix my problems? If so, how can I do that. The
>USR website is absolutely useless. They insist I use the Modem Upgrade
>Wizard which doesn't recognize my modem.

Upgrading the firmware would fix the problem if the firmware upgrade
doesn't have the timing issues any more.  I've never known the non-Couriers
to have upgradable firmware, though, without sending the modem in to the
manufacturer.

Lee.



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