Remember the old puzzler, "Which weighs more: a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?" Well, here's the same puzzler with a modern twist: "Which transmits data faster: a 600 baud modem, or a 600 bits-per-second modem?" The answer, of course, is "Both transmit data at the same rate!" But the real answer gets a little
more omplicated. Let me explain.
C IlBaud" is the measure of the rate at which a modem sends and receives information. Below speeds of 600 baud, the baud rate is equal to bits-per-second. Due to the restrictions of telephone equipment, high speed modems may transmit far fewer bits-per-second than their baud rate. For example, a 2400 baud modem may only be sending 1200 bits-per-second.
For traditional reasons, modem speed is still stated in baud. While a hacker should be aware of the difference between baud rate and bits-per-second, the important thing to remember about modem speed is: the faster, the better. Just don't expect a 9600 baud modem to be four times as fast as a 2400 baud modem.
Five years ago, 300 baud moderns were quite popular. Today, 9600 baud modems
are fairly common. Higher speed modems, such as 14,400 baud and 19,900 baud, are now available in fairly inexpensive models. Many of the services you connect to will not be able to accomodate these higher speeds; however, a high-speed modem can always "step down" and connect at a slower speed
when necessary.
Hacking is a hobby that requires little equipment; when it is necessary to buy something, you should try to buy the best available. This doesn't mean you should get what the salesperson or a magazine review says is best. It means, get what is best suited to your needs. You will want your mo-dem to be fast. When I got my first modem, I thought of 140 baud as being the slowpoke. Now I look at the 300 baud crawler I used to use and wonder how I ever managed to stay interested when the words dribble across the screen at such an agonizingly slow pace.
Realize that whatever speed modem you get, it will usually run even slower than advertised. When there is static on the line, the modem is forced to resend data over and over until it has been sent or received correctly. Modems may run at half their listed speed, or even slower if they're in a particularly bad mood. They get even more snailish when you're calling long distance, or you're calling me computer through another through another (to make your call harder to trace back to its source), or if the remote computers are getting heavy usage.
For all of these reasons it's crazy not to get a fast modern. It will make every bit of electronic communication much more enjoyable.
