Do U use an EXT modem?

[Larry Rink]

What baud rate do you get with your external modem?

I'm asking because I was wondering if an external running thru a com port is much slower than an internal...

Any comments are appreciated.

Larry

[kshim5]

The only differences that i know of is that the external modems use less systems resources such as an IRQ while an internal modem must be asigned its own IRQ. and not to mention the external modem costs a little more than an internal modem. If you plan to use a modem with linux use an external modem, more than likely it will be compatible with windows and linux.

Actiontec makes some good external modems the one i use havent failed me since i switched to cable this year.

http://store.yahoo.com/digitally-unique/exv921201.html

[DerekKraan]

I use an external modem. It is connected to the ethernet port. I get very good speeds. As good as you'd expect from a network that's connected to the net.

[dalek]

I use a external modem and get the same speed as my old internal modem. I don't think a dial-up modem can out pace the serial port. Speed should not be affected.

Linux and external modems go together very well. Very easy to use. Just point your dialer to /dev/ttyS0 or /dev/ttyS1 and click connect.

I use actiontec to by the way. All $40.00 worth.

:D :D

[Ryochan7]

I bought an external modem for my computer when I first installed Linux, even though I have had no use for it. I bought a Best Data External Modem Model No. 56SX-92 (connects to a serial port). It was fairly simple to set up, despite my lack of knowledge of Linux. It wasn't cheap, though ($50).

Here is a link to the modem I choose and the place I bought it from.

http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&catoid=-10265&qp=0&bookmark=bookmark_6&oid=48801

[banzaikai]

Howdy.

First off, whether you use an internal of external, you're going to need an IRQ. It's just that if one's already assigned to a COM (ttySx) port, then use it. If you need an IRQ for an internal, you can usually disable the COM port(s) to free one up.

Which leads us to speed. The communication rate between modem and computer on either modem is still plenty fast compared to what goes over the phone line. The difference is in how much the system gets loaded by the modem processing. With an external, the 16550 UART does most of the work, and can buffer some data, so as not to overwork the CPU. With CPU speeds up past 200MHz, this isn't as much an issue anymore. Most internal modems are actually DSP chips that behave as a "real" modem , and the system does all the work that the modem/UART/buffer would be doing. This takes time, even with advanced DSP chips. And everyone has their own way of doing it (hence the "Winmodem" debacle). By emulating all the hardware with software, it makes the modems cheaper.

Lastly, cost. Yes, an external is much more than the internal, but you get a power supply, case, cable (sometimes), and all those neat lights on the modem to tell you at a glance what's happening. For me, it's worth it to be able to carry my modem over to a friend's house and plug in. Another advantage with an external modem is that a while back, there was a virus/worm/trojan that would trun off your modem speaker, dial a long-distance number, and re-connect you, thus charging you up the wazoo. An external's lights will warn you of this immediately (my external has the added advantage of having a loud relay).

Hope this helps...

banzai "Newcom 56eflx" kai

[mrBen]

External modems are now almost as cheap as internal. I picked up my external for about £20.

With Linux, you probably won't see much diff between the 2, because you'll be needing a hardware modem whichever it is. However, you would probably notice the difference between a software modem and a hardware modem if you do a lot of other stuff in the background, given that software modems use CPU time.

I used to find that my Linux net connection over a 28.8k modem was just as quick (and sometimes quicker) than my 56k software modem under Windows.