PICKING OUT EQUIPMENT

You may find that choosing equipment is the hardest part of all.

There is so much to choose from, and you need to be selective. You

have to find the right software as well as the correct hardware to

enable you to contact BBSes. You should ask friends, computer

retailers, and others for advice on what you should get. You can find

places that will allow you to test and try different programs to find out

which ones you are interested in. To call a BBS, you will need only

four things:

* A Computer

* A Modem

* A Communications program for your computer

* A Telephone Line

This section will show you all of the details and what you need to look

for when dealing with each of these items and programs.

Computers

Obviously, the first thing you will need is a computer. You will need to

find a computer with a keyboard, a display screen, and disk drive,

for entering and storing data. You may also wish to have a hard drive

so that you can store data in the computer instead of on disks. You

can use just about any computer for telecommunications.

Serial ports-- Your computer must have a serial port, also known as

a modem port. A port is a connector that is located in the back of the

computer that allows you to plug cables into it. The port accepts data

one bit at a time, and then places it on the screen. First, the start bit

comes through, then the data (information), and finally the stop bit.

Parallel ports-- Your computer probably also has a parallel port.

Unlike the serial port, which accepts information one bit at a time,

parallel ports accept information all at once, by using a multiple set

of wires.

Parallel ports will operate faster than the serial ports. That is

because all of the information is transmitted at one time, instead of

bit by bit by bit.

The thing to realize is that although parallel ports may be quicker,

they don't work any faster for BBSes. Most modems cannot send

information fast enough for you to tell a difference between the two.

Put simply, modems slow the transmission of data because they

only send information serially.

Chips-- There are chips on the market that will do "serial-to-parallel"

conversion. They build bytes serially and then transmit them in

parallel form; that way, all bits go through at once.

Put Simply-- Your computer needs to have a serial port for an

external modem, or make sure that your computer has room for an

internal modem that can be hooked up to an internal serial port.

Modems

The modem is used to transmit electric pulses into tones and then

transmit the tones over the telephone wire, and then transmits tones

back into pulses that go back into the computer.

Compatibility-- There are many ways that modems can send and

receive signals. Although all of them can be effective, you need to

understand all of them, so that your computer can be compatible with

the other person's computer.

At first, AT&T only permitted Bell System modems to be connected

to its phone lines. One modem that was developed by Bell System

was the Bell 212. Its frequencies and timing became an industry

standard for 1200 bps operation, so any modem that uses these

frequencies and the timing is said to be Bell 212-compatible.

Therefore, any modem that you buy for BBSes must be Bell 212-

compatible.

The term Hayes-Compatible is a term that is frequently used to

mean the same thing as Bell-Compatible, but there is a difference.

Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. manufactures a high-quality

modem that has a number of distinct features such as auto dialing,

auto answering, and other things. The ability of a modem to

understand these types of commands makes it Hayes-Compatible.

Most of the time, if a modem is Hayes-Compatible, it will also be

Bell-compatible.

Speed-- You will need to decide how fast a modem you want to buy.

You should take into consideration the speed that the majority of

BBSes use, because you will have to at least match their speeds.

As the speed increases, so does the cost of the modem. You might

like to know, though, that as the years go on, the price comes down.

A modem that cost $300 5 years ago, now will cost you about $75.

You will probably want a 2400-bps modem. It will allow you to send

and receive most files that you will run across.

If you intend to do a lot of file transferring, you will want the 9600-bps

modem. You will find that even though it costs a little more, you will

make up the difference by saving on access time.

As the speed of the modem increases, so does the need for a

"clean" phone line. If you have an older phone line or phone circuit,

then it will be hard for you to use a 2400- or 9600-bps modem. Any

noise that comes across the line will be picked up by the modem,

and you will not get a clear signal. If you think that your phone lines

may have static, or that your phone service is not the best, see if you

can test a modem before you but it.

It would be a waste of money to buy a fast modem and not be able to

use it at top speed.

External Modems

Most modems you will find will be external, meaning that they have a

power source of their own. They sit on the outside of the computer,

and connect with a serial port with a cable that will run from the

modem to the computer.

External modems have a screen on them that has a series of lights

that will flash on and off to show you the status of the modem

(whether it is sending or receiving, etc.).

There are several advantages of external modems. The following is

a general list:

* They will run with almost any computer. All you have to do is

connect the modem with the serial port on the back of the computer

that you want to use it with.

* They are portable. If you want to use the modem with another

computer, all you have to do is unplug the modem, and hook it up to

another computer and you are ready to go.

* The Status Display. Unlike the internal modem, where you can't

see anything going on, you are able to see the display lights to

see what the modem is doing.

*They don't take up computer space. If you need slots in your

computer for other internal devices, then you can have this modem

outside of the computer, and it will not take space.

Internal Modems

Internal modems look just like the inside of your computer. Most

people would say it looks just like a bunch of messed up trash. It

really is very unique, and has a special function. The internal modem

is a printed circuit board that has its own serial port. The main

difference between the internal and external modem is that the

internal doesn't have a status display. Obviously, you don't need one;

you couldn't see it anyway.

The advantages of an internal modem would be:

* No extra space needed. With an external modem, you have to find

space on the desk for it. Most desks already have enough junk on

them as it is. You won't need extra space with an internal

modem. Since they have their own power source, you don't have to

take up an extra plug in your power strip.

* They have their own serial port. If you have an external modem,

then you have to make sure that you have an available serial port

to hold the modem. When you have an internal modem, it comes

with a serial port, so you don't use an extra one.

* Usually, thay are cheaper. Internal modems tend to cost less

for one reason: they don't need an extra power supply. They come

with a serial port, so you don't pay for it.

* They are specialized for one computer. Internal modems are

customized so that they work just for your computer, therefore

being more effective.

If it doesn't make much difference to you, you should probably go

with the external. That way, you don't have to mess with hooking up

the internal modem. You also don't have to guess when trying to

figure out what is wrong with the modem. The external modem has

the status display, so that you can see what your modem is doing.

Modem Features

There are a number of features that come standard with most

modems.

When looking to buy a modem, you should try to get as many of

these features as you possibly can:

Auto-dial (automatic dialing): This is the ability for the modem to

dial a number from your communications program.

Automatic speed sensing (A.K.A. automatic baud-rate sensing):

This allows your modem to detect the speed of the modem that is

sending you something. A modem of this sort will have all speeds

included.

You set the modem on the highest speed, and then when a modem

calls your modem, it will start at the highest, and work its way down

speeds until it connects.

Auto-answer (automatic answering): This is simply the ability of the

modem to answer without having you tell it to. All BBSes have

auto-answer, so that you don't have to be there to receive

information. If youset up your own BBS you will have to have this

feature.

Speaker: This may seem odd, but it is really an essential part of a

modem. This will tell you when the modem gets a dial tone, and

when it connects.

If you do not have a speaker, then the only way to tell if you connect

OK is to pick up the phone and listen.