[hylafax-devel] Re: Hylafax's Goals & Suitable Modems

[Robert Hardy <rhardy@webcon.net>]

On 18 May 2000, Dmitry Bely wrote:
> Robert Hardy <rhardy@webcon.net> writes:
> > I keep trying to send a fax out but it keeps failing. Does anyone have any
> > ideas what I can try next or where the fault lies?
> 
> [...]
> 
> > The details of my modem, a session trace and config file are available here:
> > http://www.webcon.net/~rhardy/hylafaxdetails.txt
> 
> Class2.0 in USR modems is too buggy and does not reliably work under any
> fax software. Try to use Class1 or get other modem (personally I recommend
> Zyxel or Multitech).

8o/ If this is true in general (instead of only with the USR 33.6K
voicemodem) then why not indicate this in the documentation to prevent
others from wasting weeks of banging their head against HylaFAX!?

I'm not trying to be negative here. Please don't take this message as
criticism of HylaFAX or its developers. Sorry if this turned into
ramblings...

I've been trying off and on for the last ~2 years to get a reliable
maintainable server based linux fax solution going. Even some of the
existing commercial products have problems. 

IMHO, the bottom line for your average new HylaFAX user is they need
something reliable and low maintenance. Hylafax seems to have been
originally designed with this in mind. The current website isn't structured
to service this basic requirement.

One of the first things I read was the FAQ. Going back now, I see: 
>From FAQ Q002: "HylaFAX supports a wide variety of modems and is designed to
support any Class 1, Class 2, or Class 2.0 modem without modification to the
source code."

I think Hylafax is great software, I love the open source concept and the
fact that I am able to have this discussion at all. I'm trying to make
suggestions to make Hylafax useable for a wider audience. We REALLY need to
split Hylafax's purpose into two sections: 1. Existing purpose: Works with
any modem if you spend enough time hacking it. 2. Stability: Works 99%
reliably if you use modem X, Y or Z which you can still buy new.

Please understand that I'm a bit frustrated at this point. I'm on my third
or fourth modem from a couple of different manufacturers which were readily
available (at the time). (USR 33.6K External (clearly a bad choice),
Practical Peripherals 28.8K external, USR Sportster 56K internal w/ latest
roms and others...)

The modem section on the website is incomplete and full of historical
information on modems which are either no longer available (i.e. Circa 1993)
or simply not sold by vendors in my area (Ottawa, Canada). Some of the
information which is listed is unclear. It is difficult to tell if the
information from the old models listed still applies to current ones.

Given that Hylafax's goal should be stability, IMHO this section 
should be reorganized into three categories:
1. Stable class 2/2.0 modems which work nearly flawlessly with HylaFAX
2. Hack modems w/ bugs which will work @ 75-90% if you fight with them enough
   i.e. USR Modems, Practical Peripherals Modems, Class 1 based modems etc.
3. Modems which simply don't work -> Winmodems

>From an maintenance/return on time invested point of view it would make
sense to simply indicate "If it isn't listed in 1. assume 3.". Obviously one
would want to fill 1. ASAP. This would be alot less work than trying to
handle info on every modem on the planet.

After a lot of discussion/reading (and reading between the lines) I gather
the following:

-There are no fully compliant class 2.0 modems suitable to a multiuser
 server. (See Zyxel exclusion below.) Surely this can't be true!?
 I'm hoping there are several of them which are simply not listed yet.

-Zyxel modems don't support trailing @ symbols and should be excluded for
 high volume environments. See FAQ http://www.hylafax.org/HylaFAQ/Q318.html

-Class 1 isn't suitable for a server based fax solutions due to strict timing
 requirements. This eliminates about half the modems listed.

-USR modems do not work properly in class 2.0. 

We have now have either no information on or have eliminated IMHO the most
common modems out there. This leaves Multitech & Telebit brand modems in the
FAQ which actually listed as suitable. Both of which seem to be hard to find
here and cost significantly more than others which are readily available
here.

I'd be willing to do a one off re-write of FAQ Q003 or even write a FAQ
Q00X "Which modems are suitable for building a stable fax server?" if we
can get the information out of the users/developers. This information is
badly needed.

I'm obviously mostly interested in the currently available modems.

Here that list includes modems from: Acer/A-Open, Creative Labs, Diamond
Multimedia, D-Link, GVC, Jaton, Motorola & of course USRobotics/3Com.

Does anyone have this information already?

Regards,
Rob

--
----------------"Linux the choice of a GNU Generation!"-----------------
Robert Hardy                                          C.E.O. Webcon Inc.
rhardy@webcon.net      PGP Key available by finger        (613) 276-6206


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