What Is Hayes Smartmodem?

The Hayes Smartmodem was a game-changer. It was the first smart modem to handle the traffic of an online user network, which was considered staggering. It allowed thousands of users to connect through online bulletin boards (BBS) and online user networks (Usenets) such as CompuServe. Before the Smartmodem, modems were expensive and very slow, so it was a significant step in the right direction when it came out in 1981. When Dennis Hayes and Dale Heatherington looked for a modem to connect their computers, they found that the options were pretty sad. Connecting to the internet using a modem was slow and expensive because it took place via analog lines at 300 bps, far below the reading speed. The user had to dial a designated number on their telephone and then place the handset into ports on top of the modem to connect. These fellows believed that there must be a superior method. They developed the Smartmodem, an intelligent modem powered by a Z8 microprocessor and communicated with the computer via the RS-232 serial port standard. It could be programmed to make and answer calls through simple string controls on the serial port (for example, "ATDT 555-1212"). It was sold for $299 and quickly became the industry norm. You know what they say if you're not on the internet, you're not alive and with all the fantastic stuff you can do online these days, it's no wonder why we're all so attached to our computers and smartphones. But did you know that your computer needs a modem? It needs TWO modems: one for sending data (modulating) and one for receiving data (demodulation). These two modems have to work together perfectly to ensure your data gets where it needs to go—and this is where Hayes Smartmodems come into play.Almost every significant ISP in North America uses Hayes Smartmodems because they are so good at what they do!