modems

[jgss2404]

hello. i have a usr 56k winmodem and i was wondering since the winmodem is software based or so i'm told what would be the perfect modem to buy? also i plan on keeping this one for a few months and i was wondering since my motherboard has 1 serial and 2 parallel ports would it be ok to install my modem i have now on com 1? currently it's installed on com3 which is what a usr technician told me it's suppose to be installed on. i use sisoft sandra and it said that windows couldn't detect my modem since it's on com3 and i only have two parallel ports. the problem i'm having is that when i run diagnostic on my modem it doesn't show the irq or address or uart for it and my isp told me that it should say something or i'll have problems while being on the internet. also i run windows 98 and i've been told that my winmodem isn't compatiable with my version of windows, is this true?

[kwai]

i also have a usr winmodem and it is software based (that's not necessarily a bad thing). this modem is great if you're not going to be doing any game playing on it -- it even has a higher download rate than a modem i just got with a hardware controller. yes, you could probably install it on com1, but actually com2 is prefered for modems (especially if you have a serial mouse). you might have to go into your motherboard bios and disable the com ports (if nothing else is using them) so that the modem can use its own uart. as far as i know, win98 is no different than win95 in this respect and the winmodem is designed to only work with windows (win-modem, get it).

what i couldn't understand from you message was, does your modem work at all? it sounds like its working fine and i don't care what the diagnostics say if it works. dont fix it if it aint broken.

[oldbe]

AMAN AND AMAN! I tinker too much, if you have a life don't fix what ain't broke!

[Eli]

My LT Winmodem automatically installed to com 3, irq 10. Your computer probably has more serial ports, they just aren't active. Sisoft sandra also cannot properly detect my winmodem, but I think that is simply because it IS a winmodem. By the way, I'm also running W98, with no real problems. Why not just try it and see? Try the internet connection wizard. If it connects all right, then you've got nothing to worry about. Good luck, eh?

[CMonster]

If you plan to use any other operating system such as Linux (which I am using now) you will be out of luck with a "winmodem" until someone writes a driver to make it a "Linmodem" or whatever. 3 out of 4 people I know who have tried these cheap soft modems are dissatisfied for one reason or another.

I have stuck with the "real" thing, and couldn't be more pleased with my Diamond Supra Express 56K V90 and my Creative Modem Blaster Flash56II V90 and K56flex (both come with a 2MB buffer). I updated the V90 firmware in the Diamond and its performance increased considerably, but the Creative "burns rubber" right out of the box.

Yeah, it cost $79 ($20 more than the Creative's "soft" modem of a similar name), but to me it was $20 well spent.

I know that someone will tell me that you can get a 56K Winmodem for $19.99 but to some degree it is usually true - you get what you pay for.

George

[bighammer]

I have both the Diamond{2} SPi and i and both of DSIs Creative Modem Blasters; want a cranker out of the box?...better than USR for sure.
CMonster, have you been looking over my shoulder?
LOL