Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 20:10:31 -0800 From: Justin D. Bukowski Subject: [*] Fax modem answers I received several responses to my questions about Fax modems for the Macintosh. I've compiled them in the following report, and I've included another report written by Mark Scrivener, a poster on comp.dcom.modems, about a poll he took between the Supra V.32bis and the ZyXEL U-1496 (also V.32bis). Mark, in turn, included a report from Paul E. Platt on a modem "shootout" between the Supra, ZyXEL, Gateway Telepath, and Zoom. Also discussed in Paul's report are the Practical Peripherals, Courier HST Dual, AT&T and Motorola modems, though he didn't test them. Thanks to Yoshio Turner for sending me Mark's report. My original post to the digest follows: >Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 23:45:53 -0800 >From: Justin D. Bukowski >Subject: Fax modem info/reviews wanted > >I've become interested in purchasing a modem with at least >send fax capability. Receiving might be nice, too. I'd like a >source of information and/or reviews on what's available. I've >looked in the archives and found some recommendations but I'd like >to know more. Some specific questions: > >How are fax modems different from normal modems? Software only or >do they have special hardware? (ROMs, etc?) >Are they reliable for transmission? What about receiving? >How does speed compare to a stand-alone fax machine? >What software is available? Recommendations? >Can a modem be set up to pick up on incoming calls, scan for a fax >transmission signal, and if none, let the call through to an >answering machine? If so, what software and hardware is required? > >Please reply through e-mail or to the digest. Pointers to discussions >on the net or in the Mac magazines would be appreciated. If I get >a decent amount of information I'll compile a report for the archives. > >Thanks. >Justin Bukowski jdb@ocf.berkeley.edu I was really looking for answers to my questions and not recommendations on what to buy, since there are already some reports in the archives on just that (/info-mac/report/fax-modems.txt, /info-mac/report/ inexpensive-modems.txt, also a nice report on modems in general is /info-mac/report/modem-guide-10.txt) but it seems that the offerings change rapidly so I'm grateful to those who included their opinions. First, the six responses to my post: (begin replies) ******************** >From: i6bk@odin.cc.pdx.edu (Brian Korver) > How are fax modems different from normal modems? Software only or > do they have special hardware? (ROMs, etc?) Both. That is, you need the firmware to communicate in the FAX modem format. Plus you need the software to print/receive faxes. > Are they reliable for transmission? What about receiving? Some people have no trouble, some people have lots of trouble. Whatever, you can get a FAX modem now as cheap as non-FAX modems so it doesn't make much sense to not buy one. The computer modem part of them should be just as reliable. > How does speed compare to a stand-alone fax machine? Slower, as fast, or faster, depending on the modem you get. The SupraFAX V32.bis goes at 14,400 (or whatever it is), which is much, much faster than most current stand-along FAX machines. > What software is available? Recommendations? A couple. I've only read bad reviews. I have FAXstf and I wouldn't recommend it except that it came with my modem (SupraFAX V32) and it was reviewed more favorably than others (lousy, as opposed to really, really bad). > Can a modem be set up to pick up on incoming calls, scan for a fax > transmission signal, and if none, let the call through to an > answering machine? If so, what software and hardware is required? Yes. In fact, Supra's next ROM upgrade will give you the ability to digitize _voice_ via phone so that you could drive one of those obnoxous "automated answering" things ("For the president, type 1... For the Vice President ...."). Okay, I realize this is totally in the bells & whistles category, but it shoes that Supra is on the ball at least. BTW, these ROM upgrades are free from Supra. ********** >From: Rick Gore I have been using a Zoom 2400 baud modem with 9600 baud send/receive FAX since this past summer. To answer your questions - yes, a FAX modem is a combination of special hardware and special software. My fax modem came with FAX stf software. (I had to upgrade the software for about $8 so that I could do manual sends) Since then I have been quite pleased with it. If you create most of the documents that you would be faxing on your Mac, then a fax modem is very useful. One really nice feature of fax modems is that they eliminate the scanning portion of the fax -- so that the faxes come out on maximum resolution on the receiving end and look really nice. Sending FAXes is pretty simple with my system -- you switch drivers, as if you were switching from a StyleWriter to a LaserWriter, and then your menus magically change from "Print..." to "Fax...". When you select that, you get a fairly complex dialog box that allows you to add to a phone list of where you want to FAX to. You can change from fine to regular resolutions, and select from a variety of cover pages. You can then immediately transmit the fax, or you can have it create a FAX file that you can manually send later. If you tell it to immediately transmit, the FAX modem does everything -- picks up the phone, dials the number, establishes the connection, sends the FAX, confirms that the other machine got the FAX, and then hangs up the phone again. (I need to send international FAXes charged to an AT&T credit number from an on-campus phone line, so I usually end up sending my faxes manually -- First I create the FAX file, then I do my dialing shenanigans by hand to get the receiving faxes tone, then I tell the computer to connect and start sending my fax. Works very well) Receiving Faxes is somewhat more complex, especially if you don't have a dedicated phone line. However, my software allows you to manually receive a fax as well, so if you get a phone call and instead of a human you hear a bunch of beeps, if the computer is up and running and the fax modem turned on, you can select the FAX DA and tell it to "manually receive." That means it will pick up the line and make the appropriate connection noises. Voila. Received fax. Be advised that received faxes are graphic documents -- if you want to be able to manipulate them like a word processing document, then you will have to run them through OCR software. They print out legibly enough though, even on an ImageWriter I, (which I used over the summer) but much better on a StyleWriter or LaserWriter. Considering that a FAX modem doesn't cost very much more than a regular modem, I would say go for it. If you only have one phone line, and don't anticipate receiving faxes, you might want to look into one of the send-only FAX modems out there. ********** >From: hallofjustice!bursik@uunet.UU.NET (Dave Bursik) My recommendation is to buy a Supra. I have bought 3 of them and have been very satisfied. To get the complete setup, you'd want to order the "Mac pack" that includes the hardware-handshake modem cable, FAX software, and terminal emulator (Microphone 1.x). The Microphone software is nearly worthless as far as I'm concerned[*] but the FAX software (FAXstf) is pretty good (even though it lacks one or two features I would like to have [**]). The FAX/data modems have different hardware from a data-only modem, but most of the ones on the market use a common chipset from Rockwell. Supra has been doing some programming enhancements to the basic Rockwell software, and is apparently selling/giving their improve- ments back to Rockwell. The Supra modems are very small, have a "normal" (rectangular) shape, sturdy metal cases (dissipate heat), and have been highly rated. They are also much less expensive than comparable data modems from Hayes, Telebit, and UDS (Motorola), but are somewhat more expensive than the "cheapie" FAX/data modems (Zoom, Quicktel). I currently use my 2 V.32bis Supra's to dial up my Sun (office) from my Mac (home) at 38400 bps. My first FAX/data modem was a "cheese wedge" Quicktel, and I ended up returning it. The software didn't work right with my Mac (they have since changed to the same package Supra sells) and the modem itself didn't work right (problems setting registers, etc.). Also, the general construction of the Quicktel's is poor (all plastic) and I found the cute little icon indicators on the front panel far less useful than the letter abbreviations/dynamic matrix display on the Supras. Whatever you decide to do, I would _not_ recommend buying a Quicktel (full name: Logicode Quicktel Xeba) modem. As for speed, FAX modems are at least as fast as stand-alone FAX machines since there is no mechanical paper scanning involved (if you are FAXing from an application). Also, since the incoming FAXes are saved to disk, you can print as many copies as you want (without resorting to a photocopier). If you want to be able to FAX hardcopy documents, however, you will need some sort of scanner. [*] I bought the (discounted) Microphone II upgrade and didn't like it, either. Both versions of MP are very slow (i.e., unresponsive) when compared to VersaTerm. [**] It doesn't have a way to "bundle" multiple documents into a single file for transmission (but there is a workaround for this) and it doesn't have a way to convert existing documents to FAX format -- you have to print from an application. ********** >From: ekeller@ul9000.unil.ch (Eric Keller) For a year, I used an Interfax modem. I was reasonably happy with its send fax capacity. The only problem was faxing printed material which occured more often than was originally foreseen. I was *not* happy with its receive capacity. Originally I had reserved an old MacPlus for this, but it turned out to be too slow and it missed many incoming faxes. When I put the modem on the IIcx, things improved, but there were still too many missed faxes for my taste. I also tried different phone lines and different exchanges around town (this was in Montreal), but I still had communication difficulties with a fairly large number of fax machines. I then got a standalone fax machine: what a relief! It meant I could turn off the computer again at nights, which was much better on the ears. It was surprising how much one got to dislike the continuous hum of the ventilator. Also, the communication difficulties were distinctly fewer. Of course, sending printed material is much easier. Recently I got a PowerBook fax modem. I like this addition to the standalone. It lets you send with better quality print, and you don't have to print something out if you don't want to. I don't like the address book facility that comes with it, though. It won't let you distinguish between frequently used and rarely used numbers and it gives you a teeny selection box. In general I've found that a lot of people found the incoming capacities of fax modems very much lacking, no matter what manufacturer you use or which type of computer it runs on (Mac, IBM-compatible). ********** >From: kkirksey@world.std.com (Ken B Kirksey) JB> I've become interested in purchasing a modem with at least send fax JB> capability. Receiving might be nice, too. I'd like a source of JB> information and/or reviews on what's available. I've looked in the JB> archives and found some recommendations but I'd like to know more. Well, I'll try to give you more. :) My experiences are with the old AppleFax modem and the new Supra v.32bis/Fax modem. JB> Some specific questions: JB> JB> How are fax modems different from normal modems? Software only or JB> do they have special hardware? (ROMs, etc?) All the Fax is handled in hardware. A number of new modems, including the Supras, use the Rockewell ASYNC144 modem chipset which handles all modem modulation, compression, error correction, and fax functions. JB> Are they reliable for JB> transmission? My supra v.32bis Fax has proven reliable in both transmission and recieving. JB> What about receiving? How does speed compare to a JB> stand-alone fax machine? Well, on the sending side, if you're just sending a memo or letter you typed in your word processor for instance, it's faster. Most fax software will let you "print" the document to your fax modem just as you would send it to the printer. On the recieveing side it can be a little slower, especially if you have a slow machine. The software must convert from the Fax format to a format that can be displayed or printed. On a slower machine, this can take a while. The speed is quite acceptable on my SE/30 however. JB> What software is available? JB> Recommendations? I don't know if BackFax is still available, but if it is, don't get it! FaxSTF come bundled with the Supra modems, and is the best fax software I've seen. My recommendation would be to get the Supra v.32bis Fax with software and cable. I've seen it advertised for as low as $350. JB> Can a modem be set up to pick up on incoming JB> calls, scan for a fax transmission signal, and if none, let the JB> call through to an answering machine? If so, what software and JB> hardware is required? Supra just sent out a ROM upgrade for their modems that addresses this issue. The modem answers if it detects fax carrier tones, but doesn't pick up if it doesn't, passing the call to your answering machine. JB> Please reply through e-mail or to the digest. Pointers to JB> discussions on the net or in the Mac magazines would be JB> appreciated. If I get a decent amount of information I'll compile a JB> report for the archives. A recent MacUser (october or november I beleive) had a roundup of High Speed fax modems. You might want to check it out. Again, my recommendation is going with the Supra. According to MacUser, it's the best modem value for the buck. I've owned Supras for over 3 years now, and have yet to have any problems with them. All my friends that own supras have had similar experiences. Hope that helps. ********** From: morgio@loop.ausom.oz.au (Moreno Giovannoni) Netcomm in Australia make a nice Fax Modem, the Auto FaxModem 24. Comes bundled with Microphone and FaxSTF software. Both very good and work excellently in Australia. Fax side is excellent for sending. If you intend to receive a lot of faxes consider a machine. Printing the fax is a pain and slow and holds up the Mac. ******************* (end replies) I posted a quick summary of the first five replies, saying that the Supra seemed to be favored (although the sample size is small). I received a letter from yoshio@CS.UCLA.EDU (Yoshio Turner) who wanted to know why I hadn't considered the ZyXEL U-1496E and the honest answer is that I hadn't ever heard of it. It seems that comp.dcom.modems has seen tons of traffic on modem comparisons and Yoshio forwarded the results of a poll conducted by Mark Scrivener on the Supra V.32bis and the ZyXEL U-1496 (also V.32bis). Mark's article follows, including the results of a modem "shootout" between the Supra, ZyXEL, Gateway Telepath, and Zoom conducted by Paul E. Platt. The long and short of it is that the ZyXEL is great but somewhat more expensive than the Supra. One of these two should fit your budget, but go with the ZyXEL if you can afford it. Many people on comp.dcom.modems complain that the Supra has trouble making and keeping connections on noisy lines where the ZyXEL has no problems. This is especially true for those using the modem to receive calls (running a BBS and so forth) so the Supra may be OK if you're only dialing out. (begin Mark's article) ******************** From: scriv@angmar.llnl.gov (Mark Scrivener) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: RE: Straw Poll of Supra and ZyXEL Keywords: Straw Poll, Supra, ZyXEL Message-ID: <140718@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> Date: 5 Nov 92 19:30:18 GMT Sender: usenet@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV Organization: UC LLNL Lines: 349 Nntp-Posting-Host: angmar.llnl.gov Well the results are in! I'd like to thank everyone who took time to respond. In my initial post, I asked people to rate the Supra and the ZyXEL modems on a scale of -10 (worst) to +10 (best). Here are the results: Total responses: 40 Total Supra: 27 Total ZyXEL: 13 (Note: some people scored both modems, for purposes of the total I counted this as 2 responses.) Supra average: +5.8 Supra SDev 4.1 ZyXEL average: +8.2 ZyXEL SDev 1.2 A histogram of responses follows: Score Supra (#) ZyXEL (#) ----- -------- -------- -10 0 0 -9 0 0 -8 0 0 -7 0 0 -6 1 0 -5 0 0 -4 1 0 -3 0 0 -2 1 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 4 1 0 5 3 1 6 3 0 7 5 1 8 5 4 9 3 7 10 3 0 Those persons who scored both modems ALWAYS scored the Supra LOWER than the ZyXEL (the lowest ZyXEL score was a +5, and this person gave the Supra a +1). It seems that the Supra is a good modem for the money, but it has some flaws (gets hot, latches up, sometimes has problems with connections,etc). If you have good phone lines, don't plan on unattended operation, need special protocalls, and are willing to tollerate the ocasional glitch, then the Supra might be a good deal for you. The ZyXEL, however, appears almost bullet proof. If you want the next best thing to perfection and don't want to pay out the nose for it, buy a ZyXEL (or so say our survey respondants). Other benifits of the ZyXEL included better customer support, instant free ROM upgrades via down-loadable ROM images (provided you can burn your own ROMs), and a 68000 with 2 DSP chips (providing a much more flexable engine than the Rockwell ASICs in the Supra). I've included a response I got that gave a nice comparision of several modems, including the Supra and the ZyXEL. The respondant (sorry, don't know his name) tested each modem and then ranked it on the -10 to +10 scale. His results agree with the survey. -Mark P.S. I've decided to buy a ZyXEL (E+ model). >From pep@cypress.com Tue Nov 3 23:34:54 1992 To: Scrivener%llnl.gov@meson.cypress.com ~Subject: modems Cc: pep@cypress.com I did a one on one comparison of Gateway, Zoom, Supra, and ZyXEL. Here is rough cut at data. I called several hard to connect to systems both local and long distance. Modems were rotated and the calling sequence cycled through approximately 5 times. As an example of the variance, Gateway never connected to ZyXEL BBS. Rarely to R&E. Rarely (once? - don't have my notes with me) to work. ZyXEL connected to Supra, ZyXEL, USR Dual, PPI reliably. Gateway never got 14400 connect to PPI. Only ZyXEL, and PPI (seperate test on PPI - not one on one) connected all of the time. PPI droped carrier or had UUCP problem depending on PROMs used. PPI wasn't tested under as adverse conditions as the others were. > Anyone interested in a comparison test against other > modem brands? I have the ZyXEL, can borrow a Zoom. > The Supra MAY be able to be borrowed again. > RESULTS OF THE FIRST Paul E. Platt MODEM SHOOTOUT Gateway Telepath - Model tested had the latest PROMs as of September 1992. This modem is cheap ($199) and comes with the best software bundle. END OF GOOD NEWS. This was the worst performing modem BY FAR. It does not like to renegotiate and when it does renegotiate it sometimes screws up. This modem works well if you live in an area with perfect phone lines and only call others with perfect lines. Documentation was the worst of the bunch; it consisted of a brief command listing and not much else. Call up Zoom and get their manual. The commands are the same. The command set for the FAX and modem are pretty comprehensive.This modem will sometimes lock in a state where it is outputting a tone and where it refuses to accept ANY commands. The only way to exit this condition is with a hard reset of the computer. doesn't help. Neither does diconnecting the modem from the phone line. The plug for a regular phone is unswitched. Hence that phone stays connected during modem usage. This is both good and bad. On the plus side, I sometimews used it for monitoring call progress up to the time a tone was received. This was very useful with the Telepath since it would return a BUSY response when it got a voice message saying "We're sorry but your call did not go through as dialed. Please check the number and dial again". At one point I thought a BBS was very busy only to later find out I was dialing the wrong number! On the downside, all phones connected to a line degrade the connection. For that reason, most modems disconnect the regular phone. In fact, the Gateway Telepath was very sensitive to other phones on the line. Disconnecting all phones made a big improvement in the reliability of connections. No other modem showed such extreem sensitivity to associated equipment. PROMs are soldered in so upgrades mean returning the modem. Tech support is helpful and they have an excellent BBS. However, they do tend to say "It's a problem with the phone line" to cover up the problem the Gateway has with noisy lines. The engineer who answers most of the hard questions (a nice and knowledgeable person) just bought a ZyXEL. Zoom - Works better than the Telepath by a good bit even though based on the same Rockwell chipset. Nice lights and a reasonably attractive case. Relatively cheap. A very rich modem and FAX command set. The problem is in performance. This modem tries to connect at 14.4K even when it shouldn't. It then locks in the negotiation phase. The result is CARRIER 14400 and then nothing. This is similar to the Gateway but requires more marginal lines for it to happen. Users with excellent phone lines will probably think this is a great modem. I don't. I like the manual. The AT, FAX, PROTOCOL and S register chapters have a command summary at the start and each command is then listed in more detail. Word on the street is that upgrades to the firmware are few and far between. Tech support is near impossible to reach. Zoom ati3 V1.200 TR14-Jxxx-001 049 Supra - A very attractive package. This modem is TINY. It reminds me of a small radar detector. The display is very informative and better than all but the PPI and the ZyXEL with the LCD. The speaker is the worst sounding modem speaker I have ever heard. There have been reliability problems with the speaker but they are supposedly fixed. This modem worked well. It tends to try for a fast connection. However, it does a much better job than the Zoom or Gateway of getting through the negotiation phase. Still, it can be made to exhibit the same CARRIER 14400 and then nothing response as the other Rockwell based modems. All in all, not a bad modem for the price ($265 here, $199 at the BBS Con One convention). This modem runs hot so reliability is a question. Keep it well ventilated. Case has an expensive look. Much nicer than the ZyXEL (especially E model) or Zoom. There is a front panel power switch (YEAH!). As with the other Rockwell based modems, a very good modem and FAX command set. Several stored factory setups designed for Mac, Mac with DTR, PC - a nice touch. I couldn't get the F2 default to be recognized however (user error??). The F0 and F1 defaults worked. Caller ID is being added and voice is promised. The Supra BBS looks fairly good. Supra has a reasonable update policy with fixes being free and new features (caller ID etc.) being about $30. All in all, this is a reasonable modem if bottom line dollars are a first priority. The quick reference card is the best I have seen. The manual is ok for beginners but lacking in depth of coverage. The modem is available with various software packages. The PROM revision number was V1.200H. I believe this is the latest rev. without caller ID. Since these are the original PROMs, it is interesting that caller ID hasn't been added to the shipping product. Practical Peripherals - Based on the AT&T chip set this one is hard to call since I didn't have it available for direct comparison. However, I was able to spend some time with it and have a preliminary opinion. The size and shape make placement a bit awkward. This modem really wants to sit beside your PC and not on top of it. The display is GREAT. Only the LCD model ZyXEL is better.Once you have used a modem with this kind of display you won't want to go back. In some areas it is better than the ZyXEL. The ZyXEL will just say DIALING..... The PPI will say DIALING then FAR RING to show that it is getting a ring at the other end of the line. There are several other messages not displayed by the ZyXEL. The modem is easy to update and the past policies of PPI have been very nice. PROM changes are sent free of charge. All they ask is that the old PROMs be sent back in the supplied mailer. The quick reference card is very good. Slightly below that of the Supra and the ZyXEL. It doesn't show the FAX commands. The manual is good for beginners but lacks the depth of the Zoom manual. Connections are, in most cases, easy to make. I was never able to connect to the ZyXEL BBS however. The PPI likes to make high speed connections and seems to stay at 14400 more than the ZyXEL. However, when it does renegotiate, there is a problem and the connection is more often than not lost. This is fixed in the latest PROM release (1.15m). However, the fix resulted in the modem not working on uucp connections. PPI is serious about fixing this problem and they were asking to work closely with my friend who owns the PPI. It seems that at first they didn't know what uucp was. This looks to be an excellent modem once this problem is fixed. For the moment I would stay away if uucp is a concern. Also, make sure you have the latest PROMs (1.15m?) since otherwise you will get lots of dropped connections. I had trouble getting through my mail before being dropped. The street price for this modem is about $400. This is expensive for a modem with 9600 FAX (not 14.4K) and no caller ID or voice mail capability. Courier HST Dual - I didn't have one to evaluate but almost all BBSs use these. Some of this is due to their long standing discount program for sysops but I have heard only good things about these modems. Unfortunately, you pay a lot for the security. Probably a safe bet but costly. No voice or caller ID. No security features. The 16.8K mode is proprietary and is 16.8K in only one direction. The ZyXEL is 16.8K both ways. However, the HST mode is more widely supported. In many ways these are the "cheap" reference modems. AT&T and Motorola - Great reputations. Didn't have any to test. I wanted to mention them since they are the safe bets for a business. VERY EXPENSIVE. Generally no side features (FAX, caller ID etc.). The AT&T is able to download the update to its PROMs by dialing a special number. THE best way of doing updates I have ever seen. Most of these can be remotely configured (so can the ZyXEL) which aids the system administrator. There are now pre-v.fast modems available that transmit around 24K baud. If you really need high speed point to point over regular phone lines and you have $1800 to spend ($900 each end) then that is the way to go. Everything else is bush league. ZyXEL U-1496 (S & E) - The S model is usually listed without the S designator i.e. as U-1496. This is the LCD model. It has far and away the best display I have ever seen. Scope outputs are an option. If you can afford this modem then get it. I learned more about my phone lines in 5 minutes with this modem than from 2 visits by the local phone company technician. If nothing else, at least borrow one for a day. The feature set is too long to list here. Read the review in Boardwatch Magazine. The S model is physically very large and at the opposite end of the size range from the Supra. The E model is smaller than the S. It is slightly larger than the Zoom i.e. close to typical but slightly bigger. The E has the more traditional front panel lights and is similar to the Zoom in capability of the display. There are some extra display features over the Zoom with bliking lights telling you line quality etc. but I found that a little awkward. Both ZyXEL models have caller ID, voice mail, FAX and on and on. Performance was the best of the group actually tested (Zoom, PPI, Gateway, Supra). The ZyXEL is conservative. I got a lot of 12K connections where other modems connected at 14.4K. HOWEVER, under the line conditions that generated the 12K ZyXEL connections, the ZyXEL always connected while the others sometimes hung either during initial negotiation or renegotiation. All in all, this is my favorite modem and I wound up sending back my Gateway and buying a ZyXEL 1496S. Speed shifts are fast. Speaker sound quality is good. It has many rare features - DTMF recognition, distinctive ring recognition, security callback, leased line dial backup, front pannel programmability (S model). Negatives include a manual that's out of date and doesn't document many features (a new one has just been introduced), lack of support for some common AT command extensions, poor software documentation, & no Windows software. ZyXEL is excellent about issuing revised firmware. ZyXEL and Supra seem to have the most active update programs. ZyXEL's update policy is reasonable but not as good as PPI's. They sell the updated PROMs for about $20. The code is freely available for download if you want to save money and burn your own. ZyXEL dealers are few and far between. This is a shame for such an excellent product. Their BBS is reasonable and I have gotten fair responses. With the design staff in Taiwan, I doubt that techie questions will be as easily answered as on the Gateway BBS. Modem has a 16.8K mode. This is an extension of v.32bis and is not compatible with HST 16.8K. ZyXEL is placing the protocol in the public domain (thank you). Also, there are new + models coming out which extend this mode to 19.2K (not right now - a future PROM update). There may be some issues with 16.8K since there has been a problem with 16.8K connections not being clean or properly downshifting on noisy lines. I have not experienced this myself. Mine has worked fine. The 16.8K problem gets solved when one of the ZyXELs is restricted to 14.4K or slower. This brings up a connand set feature missing on many modems. It is possible to set v.22bis/no negotiation and connect easily to older 2400/1200 baud modems