Sep 18, 2003 12:27 PM
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(Updated Sep 18, 2003 12:29 PM)
Today with the set standards of V.90 purchasing a modem is a much less confusing task & sometimes considered easy.
Before purchasing a modem take the following into consideration. Today with the popularity of the Internet & multimedia over the Internet broadband is becoming widely available. If available in your area you may want to consider purchasing a broadband solution such as DSL available through a phone or third party company, Cable available through your local cable provider, Satellite available through a third party or through a large ISP such as MSN or AOL.
If a broadband connection is not available in your area the following is information about purchasing a computer modem.
STANDARDS
Originally when the 56k connection was introduced there was not a set standard between 2 major modem manufactures causing there to be 2 different technologies, X2 & KFlex. Each of these technologies allowed for a modem to connect to higher speeds however only if the Internet Provider supported the technology. Because of the difficulties & issues with these 2 different technologies 1 technology emerged out of the 2 called V.90. This technology will allow users of any brand of modem to connect at higher speeds. Today all modems(purchased new) are V.90 & this is no longer a concern.
INTERFACE
Interface can be important when considering purchasing a modem. It is important that your computer has the available connections & resources when purchasing a modem.
PCI / ISA(Internal)
PCI/ISA modems are modems which are found in most computers today. These modems are installed internally into the computer with an available connection on the back of the modem for the phone line.
When purchasing this type of modem it is important that you verify your computer has the available connection for this modem within the computer(PCI or ISA). In addition verify that your computer has the available resources. You can sometimes see difficulties installing a modem if a serial device such as a Serial mouse or Serial PDA is connected to the computer.
Serial(External)
A serial modem connects to the serial port located on the back of the computer. These modems are generally easy to install however can cost more then an internal modem as you pay additional money for the plastic cover.
When purchasing this type of modem it is important that you verify your computer has an available serial connection on the back of the computer, devices such as a serial mouse may already be utilizing your serial port. Some computers may have 2 serial ports, if this is the case & only 1 serial port is currently being utilize, verify that the second port can be enabled or is already enabled in CMOS.
PC Card(PCMCIA)
Solution used with portable computers PC Card modems are fairly cheap & relatively easy to install in the computer.
If a modem is already present in your portable computer however you wish to upgrade or the internal modem has gone bad it is important that you verify the pre-existing modem can be disabled before installing the new modem.
USB
A new solution USB allows a user to install up to 127 devices on the computer & is available for PC & Mac. Before purchasing this solution verify that your computer has a USB connection. If no USB connection is available an additional card will need to be installed in the computer.
CONNECTION
The connection can differ depending upon the type of modem purchased with the computer.
Internal / External / USB modem
Today all modems have a RJ-11 connection which is a standard phone connection on the modem. If important to you, verify that the modem has 2 available RJ-11 connections. One of these connections will connect the modem to the phone & the other can be used for a office phone. This can be very useful for home or office computer that may need a phone next to it.
PC Card modem
When purchasing a PC Card modem the connection can be a very important factor consideration. Below I have listed the pros & cons of each of these connection types.
Dongle – A commonly found solution for PC Card modems, however a very burdensome solution. The Dongle is an additional cord that connects from the PC Card to a small opening for a RJ-11 connection. While a good thought we find that these connections get lost often. The pro of this solution is a very sturdy connection & a solution that will allow only a Type II slot to be used allowing & additional slot free for another card.
Standard – Standard connection like a desktop modem allows for a phone line to be connected directly to the modem. This solution allows for no additional cables. The con to this solution is that these cards will generally occupy your complete PCMCIA slot, although Xircom offers a solution that will not.
Xjack – An excellent solution for Portable computers the Xjack by 3COM allows users a similar connection to the standard connection without the use of any additional accessories or lost space. The con to this solution is that the Xjack can be damaged very easy.
OTHER INFO
I've used external & internal modems & prefer using Internal. The 1st external modem I bought started malfunctioning after 1yr. The 2nd external modem(Creative ModemBlaster) I bought started malfunctioning in a month. I don't know the reason for this malfunctioning, even my hardware engineer couldn't find the fault. Then I tried an internal modem. Its been more than 2yrs. & my internal modem is still working properly.
INTERNET AVAILABILITY
Unfortunately even today not every location in the world has the available to connect to the Internet. If you live in a rural area verify that you will be able to connect to the Internet before purchasing a modem.
PRICE RANGE
The price range of a modem is generally ranged by the speed of the modem, if the modem is external / internal & the type of the modem.
Internal modem US$80.00 and below
External modem US$100.00 to US$150.00
USB modem US$140.00 to US$200.00
PC-Card modem US$50.00 to US$200.00
READY TO BUY
Now the choice is yours on selecting a modem that best fits your requirements!
