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Date:      Fri, 5 Sep 1997 09:19:54 +0930
From:      Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>
To:        Brian Somers <brian@awfulhak.org>
Cc:        Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>, Nate Williams <nate@mt.sri.com>, Jaye Mathisen <mrcpu@cdsnet.net>, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Anyway to get connect speed with usermode ppp/tun0 device?
Message-ID:  <19970905091954.07644@lemis.com>
In-Reply-To: <199709042256.XAA26318@awfulhak.demon.co.uk>; from Brian Somers on Thu, Sep 04, 1997 at 11:56:28PM %2B0100
References:  <199709040051.KAA00434@word.smith.net.au> <199709042256.XAA26318@awfulhak.demon.co.uk>

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On Thu, Sep 04, 1997 at 11:56:28PM +0100, Brian Somers wrote:
> [.....]
>>> 1.  The line is flaky, and it's causing errors.
>>> 2.  The modem isn't falling back.
>>> 3.  LQR is counting those errors and reporting them.
>>
>> This is all well and good until you add an error-correcting layer to
>> the equation.
>>
>> If 1., then the receiving end will request a retransmission.  If the
>> errors are really bad, then one or both ends will attempt 2.  At any
>> rate, there should be no errors for 3. to detect; the error-correcting
>> protocol is meant to guarantee error-free data transmission.
>
> Ah, but if 1., where the ``line'' means the serial cable between the
> UART & the modem ("It always seems to happen when I switch on the
> radio", or "My ISP had a guy with an electric screwdriver playing
> with their modem rack"), or if we've got sio overflows, or if the other
> side is just sending us crap, *this* is where we see the FCS errors.

That's reasonable, at least in theory.  I don't think it applies to
the case I was reporting, since the only thing I changed was the
dialup connection.  It also means that it wasn't in the local loop.

> The error correction stuff, as you say, will hide this from the LQR
> and application levels.

If it's working.  I think it was here, but there's only so much that
the error correction stuff can handle.

> Interrestingly enough, I guess a modem that "falls forward"
> (increases its data rate) may force sio overflows by essentially
> catching up with the DTR speed (if DTR is set pretty low).

Flow control should take care of that.  You should be able to run the
modem link to a V.34 modem at 9600 bps if you want.

>>>> and might be related to the other hanging things up.
>>>
>>> I don't understand what you're saying here.
>>
>> I'm not sure either; the most common cause of FCS errors on modern PPP
>> links is flow control problems; it's possible that the terminal server
>> you were connected to just dropped its guts, or the modem likewise.
>
> Cosmic rays are common too :-)

No, they did away with those to improve the reliability of 64 kb RAMs.

Greg



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