USB (*gasp*) modem?

[Ken D'Ambrosio]

A couple comments:

On Sun, 13 May 2012 11:38:20 -0400 Ben Scott <dragonhawk at gmail.com> wrote

>   One option to consider would be a conventional RS-232 serial modem.

In truth, I hadn't considered this option.  The sheer (potential) simplicity
makes me irked at myself for not thinking of it.

>   If the laptop doesn't have an RS-232 port, one can obtain
> USB<->RS232 adapters for small money.  The later are a
> well-established product with a universal interface (USB serial
> communications class.  

Well... there is one concern I have.  I recall an engineer at a previous
employer (that's Eric to you, Bobby) who had issues with the USB -> RS232
doohickeys; I no longer recall the details, but something, IIRC, about how it
was buffered caused there to be significant delays with *some* adapters.  I
would find that irksome.  OTOH, that was under Windows, and maybe that's not a
concern for Linux?

> +++ATH0

Like that sign-off.  Though, really, I doubt you need to qualify an "ATH"
string with a 0.  And, while I believe the spec calls for one-second pauses
between pluses (to prevent just plain data from escaping you into command
mode), I can't think of an elegant way to show that.  It's amazing that the
brain retains some of that stuff, along with Star/Gemini 10X escape sequences. 
What is that using up that could be used, instead, by something, y'know, useful
in the past decade?

-Ken