Rod, at 07:37 on Feb 03 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> A few relevant extracts from the Courier on-line manual...
BG> ==========================================================
BG> Data Rates

BG> The modem can be set to a fixed or variable serial port rate.
BG> A fixed rate sets the modem for the highest possible throughput
BG> and provides the best performance.  A variable rate allows the modem
BG> to switch to match the more limited rate on the phone connection.

RS> Nothing unusual about the USR here.

Oh sure, and I haven't even read most of what I posted to Paul anyway. 
Just grabbed anything vaguely relevant to the serial port, and imported the
lot.

BG> This setting is not affected by the &N setting.  However, the
BG> serial port rate must be equal to or higher than the &Nn rate.

RS> Note that this is the DEFAULT and that there is NOT A MENTION of
RS> &W at all. And when I dont believe that the AT standard actually
RS> does specify that the &W speed should be used in that case, rather
RS> than the speed of the last received AT command, it looks very much
RS> like a USR quirk instead. And an undocumented one at that.

Rather than simply suggest that you don't believe the command is meant to
work that way, it might have been better to provide some hard evidence
either way.  Conjecture is becoming pretty pointless at this late stage.

BG> &B2  Fixed for ARQ calls/Variable for non-ARQ calls. Answer mode only.

RS> Note this ISNT the mode he is using.

Yeah, I realise that.

RS> You could be forgiven for thinking that USR intends the comment
about &W to 
RS> apply to ONLY this config.

A bit cryptic, I'll agree, but that's still not the impression that I get.

BG> When the modem goes off hook and connects in ARQ mode, it shifts
BG> its serial port rate up to a user-specified rate, for example,
BG> 38.4K bps. If the connection is not under error control, the
BG> modem behaves as if it were set to &B0 and switches its serial
BG> port rate to match the connection rate of each call.

RS> AND this is clearly talking about AFTER the connect, NOT the RING.

Pardon me for asking what may appear to be an obviously silly question, but
under what circumstances would you expect the RING response to be seen at a
different port speed to that locked by the modem and the terminal ?  If my
modem's serial port AND term are both set to 57600 (which, I might add,
they are), why would data arrive at the port at a speed other than 57600
anyway ?

BG> To implement this feature, first set your software to the desired
BG> rate.  Then send the modem the AT &B2 [other settings] &W command.

RS> Again, it appears to be saying unambiguously that
RS> this only applys to &B2 and not the default &B1.

Funny how intepretations can differ then, as I'd imagine otherwise.

BG> This setting is not affected by the &N setting.  However, the
BG> serial port rate must be equal to or higher than the &Nn rate.

RS> Note not a word about &W at all.

No, the use of &W to store the port info is actually mentioned elsewhere.

BG> &B2 Fixed for ARQ calls/Variable for non-ARQ calls.  Answer mode
only. When
BG>             the modem goes off hook and connects in ARQ mode, it shifts its
BG>             serial port rate up to a user-specified rate, for example, 38.4
BG>             bps. If the connection is not under error control, the modem
BG>             behaves as if it were set to &B0 and switches its serial port
BG>             rate to match the connection rate of each call.

RS> Soorree, either dud as designed, or dud documentation or both.

What's wrong with that then?  It's perfectly clear to me what they mean.

RS> Then there is the TINY matter that it makes no sense whatever
RS> to do it the way it does anyway, whatever they document. FAR
RS> too conterintuitive and no good reason to do it that way at all.

That's bordering on gobbledegook, Rod.  :)

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20