Re: USB Or Serial Modem?
- From: "Jonny" <spamyourself@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:40:48 -0500
"E. Barry Bruyea" <damnsummerhas gone@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:on26h25cv8ud0l9k3fkn10e2iu8l9ud1pi@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:53:17 -0400, "Pop`"
<nodoby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
E. Barry Bruyea wrote:
I'm going to purchase a new modem and have to decide whether to get
one of the USB externals or stick to the PCI internal modems. Any
comments as to which is better? (I live in a rural area where High
Speed is not yet available, so it looks like I'm stuck with dial-up
for the foreseeable future.)
Internal Modem: Uses processor cycles, and so is a resource on the
operating system.
Not easy to tell what it's doing. Cheaper than externals.
Technologically speaking, there is little difference between the
operability/reliability of external vs internal. Less clutter on a
desktop.
Always on and ready to use.
I've also noticed that internals don't seem tohave the full
programmability of externals for some reason (register set et al).
External modem: Has its own processor and logic; does not use many system
resources.
Diagnostic lights are very handy (IMO). I like to know when there's
data
moving in or out or at all with a simple glance and that's not possible
with
an internal unless you have the tack bar not hidden, and then the info is
minimal. Has a power switch, so I'm POSITIVE nothing can activate it if I
don't want it to (virus, etc., when I'm not around). Diagnostic lights
also
give you status or ready to send, carrier detected, things like that -
very
handy when there are problems. Modem no work? Well, let's see, it has a
carrier, to the ISP is up, but - hey, no ready to send light; hmmm , etc..
Costs a little more, but ... worth it IMO. May also have an external
power pack which can be a nuisance/annoyance, whater you want to call it.
In my dialup days I suffered with an internal modem for a long time and
loved it when I got back to an external modem. I'm on ADSL now with a
VersaLink gateway with all it diagnostic lites and I love it!
My two cents, anyway.
Pop`
I appreciate the info, but you've made no mention of USB. As there
are external modems available in both Serial & USB, I'd like to know
if the USB is inferior/superior.
Have never seen or heard of a USB/external serial port connector external
phone line modem. Would not surprise me if such exists.
Just a little reading in this newsgroup for a week or so may dissuade you
from using USB. Apparently, to me anyway, USB is still in a learning phase
for both user and software and hardware engineers. If there's nuances,
nobody is telling anyone what those are. Com/serial ports have been around
since the IBM based PC was made well over a decade. They don't break.
There is no difference in pass through data speed realized by the PC between
USB and a com/serial port. You're not carrying around a PC, so there's no
problem with an external device doing modem duties.
Key point, you will need a modem serial cable for the serial connected port
at the PC's com port. This in NOT a printer (null modem) serial cable.
Typical USR external modems DO NOT come with these cables. Typical response
from your typical big house PC supply joint employee when asking for one of
these cables is a look of utter dismay and total emptiness. IE - blank
stare. The larger stores usually have them in stock, available on the
internet as well.
Serially connected phone connected modems work in msdos, previous versions
of windows, and XP. In windows, you have to have the proper driver to
access it. Comes with the modem packaged product, and the makers website.
Its really a communications protocol package, not a driver package like in
an internal modem. Much less complicated to the PC end. No competition as
the modem is the only thing using the bus. No conflicts can exist.
USB models require a standard USB cable usually part of the package, a
driver package for the windows version you are using, much less expensive.
Very, seemingly, straightforward. Careful regarding the latter when
shopping for one of these. Careful around hubs, may not work. Be sure the
USB port you intend to use indeed works etc. etc. etc. regarding USB.
http://www.usr.com/products/analog/p-56k-menu.asp#
--
Jonny
.
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