Okay, so if you're not >underage you probably remember

>>58536337

Does it even need explaining?

A 256 byte message takes ~60ms to transmit at 4KB/s, vs 1ms at 256KB/s.

File: USR56k.jpg (165KB, 1200x504px) Image search: [Google]

165KB, 1200x504px

>>58536337
>not using a US Robotics v.everything with x2 firmware upgrade

>>58536337
Surely I son't remember.
It never went higher than 33.6 kbps

I still don't understand if I really was responsible for ruining a few of these modems due to leaving the phone line in them or 'using the computer too much'.
Can someone tell me if they were really easy to blow?

My dad used to blame me for that.
But know, my dad used to pay the repair guy an important sum (at the time) to format his pc once it caught a virus or was 'too slow'. He also thought that mozilla was a godzilla game and no matter how much I argued, I still got grounded for that.

And it makes me puzzled specially because I remember deleting the modem interface by mistake, not being able to connect afterwards and then going to my room, first to avoiding the computer so I couldn't be blamed for shit once more, and then because I was desperate that my fame of 'breaking things' once again was proving itself true. That was perhaps the first time I felt like killing myself. I must've been 10~12.

I think the repair guy knew he was a talkative idiot and decided to hum just enough for my dad's confirmation bias to take place and convince himself that he had to spend money.
I think that because that still happens and it is more trouble to try and convince him otherwise than let him spend stupid money because that sweet 'I'm buying good, durable things' self-gratification is just too good.

Or maybe I am being mean and the repair guy was a lying cunt.

Can anyone tell me if these modems were really so fragile?

>>58537115
I never broke a modem. Then again, I never bought shit modems, either. UsRobotics from 14.4k to 56k.

>>58537179
were motorola (OP's picture for example) shit?

>there are people out there who still use 56k

Don't miss those times. I had to go to internet cafes to download stuff. I used to fap to the thought of having inet porn available.

My ping for games was always excellent with dialup.

>>58537256
They were not bad. Had various dial up modems through 90's and none that ever failed me.

the real question is why did dial up have 4kbps limit?

>>58537265
There are people who are far enough out from civilization that their choices are expensive, slow latency satellite; or dialup

>>58537349
When I lived in England, I could join a TFC server anywhere in the country and get 30ms max, it was sweet.

Then one time I connect to a server in like, New York, and it was still only 90ms. Any other American server was 150ms+. Not sure how that happened, but it was cool.

File: 1456295877239.png (544KB, 952x677px) Image search: [Google]

544KB, 952x677px

>>58536782
>lived in post-socialistic country
>the few phone cables were THAT shitty back then

I had and might still have a full hardware modem that I paid $60 for just so I wouldn't have to deal with trying to make the cheap $10 winmodems work in Linux. Even glued a tiny copper heatsink on the biggest chip on the board because it got warmer than the ambient air around it. Shit was cash. Consistent 300ms ping from just about anywhere. I could even play Eve Online through dial up in the days when the Raven and Scorpion didn't look like shit.
>>58537115
Winmodems like OP's pic, which are mostly software with an RJ11 connector were either DOA or solid as a rock. Real modems are also damn near impossible to break. You could fry one by attempting to hook it up to an electrical outlet instead of a phone line. Totally never did that. But since internet back in the day was retardedly inconsistent and there was such a huge knowledge gap in computer tech the repair guy might have used any problem as an excuse to sell another modem.

>>58537532
Phone line capacity.

>>58537532
iirc the FCC, at least here in the US, limits it to 52kbps because of voltage issues beyond that.

File: Obama-Laugh.jpg (1MB, 3528x2449px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 3528x2449px

The only thing I remember was the time I tried to hook a phone cable from the main line through the roof, so i forgot the tools and tried to remove the cable wrap with my teeth, suddenly I heard an incomming call; wet roof, bare feet, i'll always remember how much precious was a 56K dial-up connection.

>>58536746
>US Robotics
I fucking loved these modems. Rock solid and still working. I have one installed on an older pc incase le cable goes out.

>>58538342
I love their PDAs.
I still use my Palm Pro daily.

>>58538342
Picked one up and got chinked on a null modem to USB converter cable. Going to use it to get my dreamcast online again.

>>58538524
I got one of the Palm Pilots right as the cunts were bought out by 3com, I was so hoping to have it labed USRobitics but no, it was fucking 3com. Twats.

>>58536746
Fucking GOAT hardware anon.. 14.4k bps v32bis for life

>>58537802
Actually it's because of spectral efficiency. Modulation techniques can only get you so close to the ideal maximum of 64Kbps.