** 2 page modem review / 1199 words **

Surfin' 56K...

Shiuming Lai splashes about...

** MODSURFR.JPG here **

This may sound daft, but if modems weren't quite so staid or tacky 
in appearance ("...cream coloured Stylophone look of its 
predecessors" - Al Goold, USR Sportster review AC#3) I'd have 
bought one years ago.

** MODEM.JPG here **

Things have changed considerably. Thanks to sleeker designs, 
boasting improved technology inside, coupled with the rather more 
sensible argument of being connected and informed, I succumbed to 
the guilt of not exploiting my computer's potential and took 
remedial action for its state of isolation.

Straight in the muck - as with all software bundled by 
manufacturers of peripherals, the disks and CDs in this pack from 
Motorola serve no purpose to Atari owners. Given the overwhelming 
dominance of the PC platform in the consumer sector this is only 
to be expected, but it also means we can't actually use the modem 
straight from the box.

Apparently the modem's country needs to be configured, for reasons 
not explained in the manual, and an entire high-density disk is 
dedicated to the set country utility. Did I say we can't use the 
modem straight from the box? Well actually we can, due a a design 
"feature". See the boxout for more details.

In common with its siblings in the 56K range, the external 
ModemSURFR features K56 (see boxout), fax capability and 
Motorola's proprietary automatic adaptive transmission rate system 
- this accounts for the maximum speed of the modem on the other 
end of the line as well as actual line conditions when making a 
connection. Last but not least, it's prepared for 
videoconferencing, requiring a "PC with sound card, video capture 
card, video camera and H.324 videophone software" but have you 
guessed which Atari machine is ideally suited to this? Yes, the 
Falcon easily meets the functional requirement of first criterion, 
has a very good quality add-on for the second in Titan Designs' 
Expos‚ (though the advent of digital camcorders begs the 
possibility of a Firewire direct digital interface adaptor for the 
DSP port), and if you've seen this in action under the cracking 
Apex Media/Alpha you'll know the software should certainly be 
possible. How about it, Black Scorpion?

Other useful bits and pieces in the package include a power 
supply, all the necessary connecting leads and, thoughtfully, a 
DB25 to DB9 converter for computers with the old style 25-pin 
RS232 port; perfect for 520s, 1040s and Megas.

Buying a modem these days is more to do with personal taste, 
budget and desire for additional bells and whistles like number 
memories and speakerphone (I dare say the greatest hurdle you 
might encounter is installing a new telephone socket). Standards 
have become tighter and the Hayes AT command set is now 
universally adopted. This modem is no discredit to the Motorola 
name and I heartily recommend it.

** J_OFFICE.GIF **
** Caption **
Try Junior Office (available from CyberSTrider) for Class 1 fax 
modems.
** end caption **


** Boxout **
56K transmission: the facts

** K56_FLEX.GIF here **
** USR_X2.GIF here **

A few years ago, 28.8KBPS modems were considered to be at the peak 
of standard telephony data transmission, a belief quickly 
shattered by the arrival of 33.6KBPS. No sooner had the excitement 
from that died down than 56KBPS reared its head in two, 
incompatible forms. There is US Robotics' x2 system, competing 
against K56 Flex, more usually referred to as just K56. At the 
moment K56 has the strongest manufacturer support but the 
important point to remember is check your service provider can 
transmit at 56K, using the same 56K standard as your modem. 
Zetnet, currently gaining popularity among Atarians, had this to 
say, "To begin with we will be supporting the USRobotics X2 
standard. It would be too costly to dispose of all of our modems 
and change them for the K-Flex. The K-Flex standard may be 
supported in the future, but we, in technical support, have no 
firm details on that." Beware, don't interpret "x2" to simply mean 
twice as fast as existing 28.8!

Another limiting factor is the quality of the telephone lines, as 
is the computer you connect the modem to. Machines from the Mega 
STe upwards, include enhanced SCC serial controllers, which can 
handle these higher speed modems; earlier ST models need a 
hardware modification.

** End of boxout **


** Boxout **
Setting up the ModemSURFR

If you find yourself experiencing an engaged tone about 95% of the 
time don't despair, it's unlikely the ISP's lines really are that 
busy. Take this tip from Zetnet tech support, "This is a problem 
with the modem itself. I have heard that Motorola are actually 
withdrawing them from the market, but that hasn't been confirmed 
yet. The solution is to configure the modem to be in America 
rather than the UK. The cause of the problem is slightly to do 
with the 0845 that we, and many other ISPs, are now using. The 
first tone is a slightly longer tone than normal and in the 'out 
of the box' state the Motorola modem picks this up as an engaged 
tone. Changing it to the American configuration clears this."

** End of boxout **


** Boxout **
The "Analogue vs Digital" chestnut

You may have heard of ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) 
which is basically the digital equivalent of a standard analogue 
telephone line, but with a scaleable bandwidth (in multiples of 
64KBPS depending on how many channels you are prepared to pay for) 
and better reliability, crucial for electronic data transmission. 
So why am I not suggesting you rush out and get a line installed? 
At the moment BT is making small efforts to promote ISDN and then 
only at a very business-oriented level. Its printed literature 
makes no mention of residential services, although it will 
actually install one, subject to a site survey. If you apply for a 
residential ISDN line now you'll be charged at the same rate as 
commercial establishments, so it's clearly still in its infancy in 
some respects.

Terminal adaptors (which sit between computer and line socket like 
a normal modem), are readily available and theoretically there 
should be no problems using your existing comms software, as the 
interface between computer and modem/terminal adaptor is digital 
thus external terminal adaptors use AT commands just like their 
modem counterparts. It's the actual method of transmission which 
differs and already there is an alternative to ISDN, called ADSL 
(also digital), undergoing trials. This eliminates the need for a 
special line as it can use your existing analogue socket.

Modems are easier for beginners and light users, and at their 
current prices and specification it's no big investment to get 
on-line. If you're struggling with 14.4KBPS (or slower even) and 
want a quick upgrade, one of the latest modems will provide an 
effective stop-gap until a new electronic communications standard 
is well and truly established.

** End of boxout **



** Product boxout **
Product name: ModemSURFR 56k Internet Solution
Manufacturer: Motorola
Contact: Motorola, Midpoint, Alencon Link, Basingstoke RG21 1PL
Tel: +44 (0)1256 790308
URL: http://www.motorola.com
RRP: œ120
Requires: Free RS232 port
Pros: Five year warranty
Cons: Can only lie flat (no upright mounting stand), no volume 
control, only Class 1 fax
Score: 85%
** End of boxout **

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