Which modem? N2, GPL, etc.

some of the cheap modems use the cpu for compression etc which you don't want with GPL. I turned in my cheap modem for a USR Sportster internal and was getting 100 ms pings in quake over 26.6.

No, no, NO!!! Avoid the Winmodem at all costs!!! The WinModem, and any Software-based Modem (they ain't real modems), use _considerable_ horsepower from your processor to _emulate_ a real modem in software. IMHO, they suck, but they are cheap to build and bundle, and that's why it happens. For heavens sake don't spend _your_ money on one :) You will get very, very inconsistant performance, from the modem _and_ the game, because they are both fighting for the processor... By a _real_ modem instead. -Larry > I'm about to purchase a US Robotics 56k WinModem. Will this work with GPL, > N2, and/or any future Nascar versions? Someone told me a "WinModem" will > only work for/in Windows.

Not unless your lines are rock-solid... A poorly running 56k modem, suffering from massive retries, will perform much, much worse overall than a 28.8 modem that has a good, solid connection with few retries. -Larry > I'm interested in getting into online racing with GPL (VROC). I presently > have a 28.8 external USR Sportster, and AT&T for ISP. Would it be > worthwhile to upgrade to a 56K modem? I've held off, because so far, I > haven't seen a compelling reason to do it.

I totally agree with this. For GPL online, you need all the CPU power you can get. I'd avoid a Winmodem like the plague. I'm having fantastic results with a MultiTech USB modem. Yesterday I raced for many hours online on a host in California (I'm in New England, about 3000 miles away). It was incredible. Early in the day, I had some frame stuttering, which I think was due to a couple of busy routers at the host's ISP. Later in the day, it was just about perfect, as good as anything I've seen on a LAN - and I've raced on Papyrus' office LAN with over 15 players. Yesterday, with the USB modem, connected to the GPL host in California, we had as many as a dozen players. Stability was so good that I was running nose to tail with the host, sometimes less than a car length apart, for lap after lap - at Spa, at speeds approaching 200 mph! When we collided, it was due to a mistake (usually mine), not warping. Most of the other players' cars were rock-solid as well. When I was using a serial port modem, this was unheard of; usually cars were hopping around and winking out like mad. This can still happen if routers on the route get busy, but it's not being introduced by the modem/serial port combination, and therefore happens much less often and tends to be a lot less severe when it does happen. Also I can run with more graphics details turned on and still get 36 fps. Now come the caveats. You need a USB port in your computer, and you must be running either Windows 98 or Windows 95C (also known as OSR 2.5). Win95B, even with the USB update, won't work. Also, at this time you need to be using a Rendition card (or possibly using the GPL OpenGL patch; I'm not sure). I'm using a Hercules Thriller, which works great with GPL and the USB modem. However, apparently there is a problem with GPL running on a Voodoo card (either Voodoo 1 or Voodoo 2) when the USB modem is active. There is a significant frame rate hit in this case. Papyrus and MultiTech are aware of this problem, and I am hoping they will find a solution. Meanwhile, if your hardware/software platform meets the above requirements, and if my experience is any indication of what others will experience, the USB modem is a must-have piece of hardware for online racing (unless you have cable, ISDN, or ADSL available). You can read more about the USB modem and GPL at my Web site: http://nh.ultranet.com/~alison/gpl/ Go to the GPL Online FAQ, where you'll find a link to my USB modem report. Alison

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>No, no, NO!!! >Avoid the Winmodem at all costs!!! >The WinModem, and any Software-based Modem (they ain't real modems), use >_considerable_ horsepower from your processor to _emulate_ a real modem >in software. IMHO, they suck, but they are cheap to build and bundle, >and that's why it happens. >For heavens sake don't spend _your_ money on one :) >You will get very, very inconsistant performance, from the modem _and_ >the game, because they are both fighting for the processor... >By a _real_ modem instead. >-Larry >> I'm about to purchase a US Robotics 56k WinModem. Will this work with GPL, >> N2, and/or any future Nascar versions? Someone told me a "WinModem" will >> only work for/in Windows.

Alison Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~alison

I agree with this, although some 56k modems can be forced to run using the v.34 protocol, and thus perhaps avoid the retries which happen on bad phone lines at the higher speeds. Also, 28.8 is perfectly adequate for joining races in GPL, even those with fairly large fields (ie over a dozen). The only advantage in GPL with anything faster is in being able to host perhaps one more player. In GPL, the upload speed is the determining factor for the number of players you can host, and since the max upload speed for a 56k modem is 33.6, there's not a huge advantage there for GPL. However, using a USB modem (which implies 56k, since that's the only speed of USB modem being made, AFAIK) can be a big advantage. See my related post in this thread. Anyway, I'd hang onto the 28.8 modem and get the 56k modem from a vendor who will allow you to return it if necessary. Strongly consider a USB modem if you've got Win98 and a USB port. Alison

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>Not unless your lines are rock-solid... >A poorly running 56k modem, suffering from massive retries, will perform >much, much worse overall than a 28.8 modem that has a good, solid >connection with few retries. >-Larry >> I'm interested in getting into online racing with GPL (VROC). I presently >> have a 28.8 external USR Sportster, and AT&T for ISP. Would it be >> worthwhile to upgrade to a 56K modem? I've held off, because so far, I >> haven't seen a compelling reason to do it.

Alison Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~alison

Let me add a "me too" to the anti-WinModem thread. WinModems are very bad news, for exactly the reasons you suggest. Viper Racing is a total disaster over a WinModem. If I could detect a WinModem and disable modem and internet play for that device, I would. Code submissions accepted! Dave Broske MGI

This is exactly what I do with my USR Courier V.90. For anyone that's interested, the Courier V.90 command string to force V.34 is ATS58.5=1. Yes, there IS a period in there! -Larry > I agree with this, although some 56k modems can be forced to run using > the v.34 protocol, and thus perhaps avoid the retries which happen on > bad phone lines at the higher speeds.