[Sderby] Modems

[David Bottrill]

Hi Sam,

Sam Styles said:
> Hi all,
> My first post to this great list which Ive been reading for months now.
> Ive
> just recently dumped w**dows and wholey gone to linux. Slackware 10
> updated
> with the 2.6 kernel and KDE 3.2 to be precise.
> Ive been having a bit of trouble with my modem, i.e. it didnt work. 3
> modems
> later (all out of spare machines, not bought) and Im still offline. I
> understand now why - all this winmodem bother. Ive been looking for
> drivers
> for the ambient one I have and there arnt any drivers for the 2.6 kernel
> yet. Im planning on getting the two other from home tonight and checking
> for
> drivers for them (they are both connexant) so fingers crossed.
> Anyway, If im not sucessful I will be looking for a 56k hardware modem and
> wondered if anyone had any suggestions and comments on what they use.
> Internal or external, price is the key. Plus the ability for it to
> actually
> work!

If you look for a modem that says it uses "hardware" usually these are
based on Rockwell chips (just look for the word Rockwell on the biggest
chip". Unlike the Winmodems that use the Connexant chips that perform most
of the signal processing on the computer using specialist driver software,
hardware modems perform all of the modulation and de-modulation of the
modem tones using the chips on the modem board. Theoretically hardware
modems should be more expensive, however theses days you can pick up a
hardware modem for £20 or so, hence price is barely an issue.

Alternatively if you buy and external modem then that will be hardware by
it's very nature and hence shouldn't be a problem.

David

-- 
David Bottrill

david at bottrill.org
www.bottrill.org
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