Linux-friendly PCI dialup modem?

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Wed, Aug 02, 2006 at 08:50:35PM -0400, James Knott wrote:
> I bought my USR Courier about 15 years ago.  It started life at 14.4K
> and was then upgraded to V.42 56K.  It's flashable.  I recall
> downloading and installing the various "almost" V.42 updates.  I also
> received a free upgrade daughter board.  I still have that modem
> connected to my computer, but rarely use it these days.

Those modems had some serious overkill.  I believe the flash chip is
512KB, and they have quite a lot of ram too, and the DSP is either 20 or
25MHz depending on the model (probably slower back on the 14.4 models
before they were upgraded).  Modular circuit board to allow upgrading
just the components that had to be upgraded for new features.

I remember one modem test I read many years ago when 56k modems had just
started taking off, and the v.everything had the highest throughput
(many other modems didn't have the processing power to actually do full
v.42bis compression at full speed doing full duplex, the courier did),
and when they simulated various line problems, including bad satelite
links, the courier had the highest connect speed, and was the only modem
that didn't drop the line on the worst tests (short of actually cutting
the line).  This only worked that well when it was two couriers
connected to each other of course, although even between brands, a
courier would often do better with another modem, than the other modem
would together with another of the same model.  ISPs loved them (except
the cost I imagine), but at least they were reliable which helped
justify the cost.

Now whatever happened to the HST protocol? :)

> p.s I bought that modem from Canada Remote Systems (anyone remember
> them?), for a few hundred $.

I downloaded SLS 1.03 from there back in 93.  Took forever at 2400.

I remember they used to have piles of couriers before switching to
digital lines with USR Total Control Hubs.

--
Len Sorensen
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