Hello Rod!

Just to document what happened today.  Just as an aside, you got a
successfull V42bis connection, which transferred data without a hitch.

Ok, so I got my telephone extension, and you rang me.  I was using plain
DOS and Telix.  I sent you a file using Xmodem, and I had exactly the same
error, MR light flashing.  That was a V42bis connection from memory.  All
subsequent tests were also done on my voice number, which is on a different
exchange (AXEE).

Then I tried dialling you, to see if that made a difference.  It didn't.
Another bad V42bis.

Then you switched off V42bis and MNP, so that we could see what the
telephone line was REALLY like (any errors should be reported by Zmodem). 
I called you, and besides the initial burst of noise that you got (due to
my modem trying to negotiate V42bis or below), there wasn't a single error
at all.  The file transferred without any problems.

Next I wanted to test out the other protocols, so I dialled you back at
V42bis. Sealink caused the same problem with MR light flashing.  So did
Xmodem.  This disproves my theory that my modem was getting upset about not
being sent any data at all.  In fact, my modem couldn't send 128-byte
blocks of data, and 3 bytes of 'ACK' without a problem.

You connect with the City BBS using MNP4, so I am thinking along the lines
that your V42 is faulty.  For starters, I think it is highly unlikely that
*my* modem would report an error, seeing as it has no data to do a CRC on,
and find an error, at least with Zmodem.  It is likely a bug in your modem,
asking for the block to be resent all the time.  And it isn't a consistent
bug.  Now is there any way of getting information out of your modem, to
tell you that it has requested a resend?  I think that a bug like this is
more likely to be software than hardware.  I have had my Spirit's software
upgraded already, and even the hardware totally upgraded.  When was the
last time you had your software upgraded?  Can you ask someone if there is
any known bugs on your level of software that causes a request for
retransmission when none is required?  I will ask on the Spirit echo if it
is possible to get information whether my MR light is flashing because of
an error IT has discovered, or whether it is because it has received a
retransmit request.

I guess it can either be a bug in my modem that thinks it got a
retransmission request when it DIDN'T, or on your modem where it sends a
retransmit request for no reason, and then doesn't report it to you.  Since
we are both getting successful connects/transmissions with other people, it
is very hard to point the finger.  In fact, it is an intermittent problem
(we ourselves get good connects), so it must be some strange thing that
triggers it off.  And we don't know which modem it is that is being
triggered off, but I'd say it's more likely yours, because I've had my
modem overhauled VERY thoroughly.

What we really need is something between the modems to find out if you are
asking for the retransmission, or I am imagining I need to retransmit. 
Let's see, if you are asking for the retransmit, my modem should have
receive a specific sequence, like "hey I got a CRC check xyz instead
of abc".  Or "I got a timeout, he never sent me def".  I
don't know the details of V42, but clearly this is where the error lies. 
How about you write the questions I need to ask in the appropriate echos,
and I'll send them, saying "One of my users using XYZ modem got ABC
error".  BFN.


Paul

--- GoldED 2.40