Rod, at 12:44 on Jan 27 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> How do you explain the vast majority of calls which actually
BG> start out at the maximum link rate of either 28800 or 33600 then?

RS> I'm not convinced that the 'vast majority' actually do.

I was talking about MY outbound connects, and believe me when I tell you
that 90% of them connect at 28800/28800 straight up.  To me, that certainly
is the absolute VAST majority.  And no, I'm not complaining.  :)

BG> In fact, on those calls which have started low, I used to do
BG> an ATY11 line frequency response dump, and it was quite obvious
BG> that the high end was marginal for full speed connects.

RS> Yes, but thats a separate question to whether you would expect
RS> the line conditions to generally IMPROVE during the call. You
RS> would normally expect that it was just as like to move down as
RS> up with a session which is marginal for full speed connects.

It may well do, but logged stats don't show this to be the case.  One of
V.34's greatest advantages is its ability to speed-shift instantly and
transparently (not at all like the abortions that V.32bis retrains are), so
there's no way of knowing exactly what is happening during a call. 
Judicious use of the on-line ATY11 dump shows that line conditions do vary
quite considerably, even in the space of just a few seconds.

RS> Even sillier with a V32bis call, the modems negotiate a 14400
RS> connect fine, and then the damned USR virtually IMMEDIATELY demands
RS> a retrain, on every single call I have made so far. Nuts IMO.

BG> Have you called many (or any) other USR V.34s?  What happens with those?

RS> Should try I guess. Not too many that I can recall.

07-3868-1597.  That's David's Courier.  Worth trying IMO.  Poe is closer,
but he's had problems with his lines since moving (possibly fixed now,
dunno).

BG> which could indicate that his lines are not 100%

RS> Sure, but again, thats got SFA to do with demanding an immediate retrain
RS> on a V32bis call which is nothing like as demanding as a V34+ call.

Of course, it couldn't be your Supra's ROM at fault, could it?  :)

RS> Clearly its no surprise that your dont get full speed every
RS> time with V34+, most people dont even if you do with Dave.

BG> (not surprising in a block of units anyway).

RS> I'm not convinced that units are relevant. It is after all
RS> basically copper pairs back to the exchange, the fact that some
RS> of its not in the ground isnt that likely to be that significant.

In units, the lines are all terminated in a large junction box, and given
Paul's previous problems with TV antenna wiring, I wouldn't be at all
surprised to find that somebody has run the twisted pair alongside, for
example, a mains wire, which could easily induce 50Hz into the phone line. 
I have no faith at all in the builders' ability to get it right in such
edifices.

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20