These 28,800 bits/second (bps) set the new high-speed standard for modems using regular analogue phone lines. They can send data 12 times faster than a 2,400 bps modem. With the built-in data compression capabilities of most of these new modems, this can be increased to 25 times faster for text files.
However, to get a 28,800 bps connection requires a super clean phone connection. These modems utilize almost the complete bandwidth of a telephone line. A connection will be slowed down if the wiring in your building is not perfect, if the telephone exchange cannot provide clean connections, or if there is noise on any part of the line between your PC and the host you use. In Russia, isolating all these problems is almost impossible. Maybe there are people in this city who have managed to get their modem to show the magic 28,800 bps, but I've never met them.
On a good line in Moscow, the best you can usually hope to achieve is a 14,400 bps connection. In many offices and probably most apartment buildings, 9,600 bps is a more realistic maximum. If you are buying your modem just for use here, then it may be worth buying a good brand-name 14,400 bps version. This way, you will save money on functions that you will never be able to use. This of course especially applies to anyone considering using a modem from his or her apartment.
Avoid the cheapest high-speed modems. In Russia, what is most important is not the maximum speed you can achieve but the ability of your modem to sustain a good connection when line conditions are bad. Well-known name brands tend to be better at this. Also, with these modems you can be confident that they support all of the necessary protocols.
Make sure that you do not buy a modem in which error correction and data compression are implemented in software rather than, as is usual, in hardware. These modems (sometimes called RPI modems) restrict the range of software that you can use and perform much less well under bad line conditions.
When buying a new modem, choose one with fax capability. This extra functionality costs virtually nothing, and I have seen very good results -- even on bad lines -- with good fax modems. The newest models can also handle voice messages. This means you can use your modem as an answering machine or for voice mail if you are prepared to leave the PC hooked up all of the time.
At 28,800 bps, modems have just about reached the maximum speed achievable on an analogue telephone line. The future of high-speed data communications is digital, and its mostly likely incarnation is something called ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). ISDN is available now in Moscow, but it is expensive and requires a hefty investment in equipment.
For most of us, this means putting up with the hiss and crackle of Russian telephone lines for the foreseeable future.
Robert Farish is the editor of Computer Business Russia. Internet e-mail: [email protected], fax: 929 9958.
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