External is the only way to go
Written: Aug 05 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: External. Solid connections that intelligently re-sync when needed.
Cons: Might require firmware upgrades, but that goes with virtually any modem.
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| Furo's Full Review: 3Com U.S. Robotics Faxmodem 56K Analog Modem (81-0... |
Being a computing professional, I often get asked a plethora of questions, one being what kind of modem to buy. I ALWAYS tell people to buy external modems. There are two benefits.
First, you can be sure you're not getting a Winmodem. Winmodems are software controlled modems that have no processing capability of their own. They're also known as software modems or Windows modems. The fact that they do not do their own data processing means that they put a higher load on the system CPU and they are very well known for compatibility problems. If you're a gamer, you definitely don't want a Winmodem. You want an industry-standard modem that won't take away ANY CPU power at all.
The 3Com 56K Faxmodem has proven to be a staple for me and some of my small corporate customers that use dial-in internet service providers. These modems perform admirably with most ISPs and are quite configurable for those that like to tweak things or use them for odd purposes.
The Courier line is more for business customers, but they are expensive, this modem is a fantastic buy for 95% of those that need modems.
The second major reason I suggest external modems is that they can be moved from one computer to the next and you don't have to mess with your PC hardware. A lot of home users are nervous about removing screws and delving inside the holy ground of the home PC. Some manufacturers will even void the warranty if you remove the cover, which I think is totally riduculous, but that's beside the point.
The only drawbacks I can see with using such a modem are that it takes up a little extra space under your desk, and you may lose some features that internal modems might provide, such as speakerphone capability. In my experience, the speakerphone capable winmodems cause more problems than they solve, particularly if you have to reinstall the operating system and all of the requisite drivers. They just never work they way they did when it came out of the box. There are external speakerphone capable modems out there, but that's beyond the scope of this review.
Another potential drawback is that you may need a firmware upgrade to get the best performance from this modem, depending on how old the modem is. It's always a good idea to keep up on this stuff, but not everyone is capable, or willing, to do so. 3Com makes firmware upgrades an easy process, however, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.
-Furo
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Furo
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Member: Randall S. Nieland
Location: Waterloo, Iowa
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Newsletter editor Lockergnome.com and owner of MacAquarium.com
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