How can you tell if a modem is a hardware modem?

shurato

Platinum Member
Sep 24, 2000
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If the modem is external, is it a hardware modem always? For example, its not a winmodem...none of the processing is done by the CPU. Modem Link <--- is that a hardware based modem? It states it can be run in DOS and is controller based so I'm pretty sure it is...but one can never tell these days. Modems with controllers are hardware modems correct?

Is this modem any good? It's only 60 dollars at best buy. I really want to replace my generic winmodem.

edit: it states its comes with drivers...hardware modems do not need drivers...but I dont know about all the new things with the v.92 protocal. You think its just for that functionality?
 

toadstool

Senior member
Jun 6, 2000
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Hardware modems need drivers too. That's all I buy, and each one has always needed a driver.

On the link you provided , I didn't see anywhere that it is "controller based", but if you have read that somewhere about the modem , then , yes, it's a hardware modem.

Not all external modems are "controller based". I've seen some that are not . (Zoom has a USB "controllerless" external modem, for example).

From what I've read, most ISP's don't support V92 as of yet, so a V92 modem won't be much different from V90 until they do. I don't know about the quality of that modem. I just bought a Zoom "serial" external modem (make sure you have a cable , buy the way, cause if you buy an external modem, a lot of them don't give you the cable, which sucks!) and it seems okay. You might want to look at that. It's #3049. I got it from Best Buy too.

 

spanky

Lifer
Jun 19, 2001
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ehh... i could be wrong, but hardware modems... u have to manually assign resources to it. also with hardware modems, u don't get any "stutters" in windows while dialing up. anyway... thats what i observed.
 

shurato

Platinum Member
Sep 24, 2000
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I thought I read there are some hybrid hardware/winmodems...there was an Intel pci modem that was supposedly hardware but it was actually a hybrid and wasnt a full hardware modem. I guess external serial modems are full hardware modems.

One thing I read that was interesting was that external USR V.92 modems dont support v.44 rates because they say the serial port is limited to 115200 bps and a v.92 v.44 modem should theoretically have a slightly higher throughput. However they will be making their modems with the v.44 support soon or have already done so. Can anyone shed light on this?

I think I will go with the v.92 external creative labs modem blaster because it has those useful call waiting features where you can recieve incoming calls while online or even make calls. I had cable modem for 3 1/2 years and now cant get broadband in my new apt...gotta squeeze all that I can out of this damn dialup line.

 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
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Mar 4, 2000
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Originally posted by: shurato
I had cable modem for 3 1/2 years and now cant get broadband in my new apt...

Wow! I feel for you. It is really hard to digest dialup after having cable. Any chance for it down the road? I think I would put that way high on my apartment requirements list. Good luck!
 

shurato

Platinum Member
Sep 24, 2000
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They dont seem to know...at least the people i've contacted. One guy did say theres a possibility in the year 2003 or 4.... oh well. I still need something to fax with so a modem is somewhat useful I suppose. I went out and bought the modem blaster, it must be a hardware modem because it actually states the minimum requirements is only a 486 and DOS.


EDIT:
OK IMPORTANT QUESTION.... if my isp doesnt support v.92, does that mean I can't use the features of being able to answer a call while on the internet?
 

crapito

Golden Member
Oct 20, 1999
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break it open with a hammer. if circuits and ICs and chips are in there, then it was a hardware modem. if there's a floppy disk sitting inside, it's a software version...

:)
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
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If you look on the box and it says that it supports dos, then there's a 99% chance it's a full fledged hardware modem. Winmodems will typically say Win9X or WinNT REQUIRED.

Not all external modems are hardware. Some zoom modems use the Lucent chipset common on many winmodems.

Just because it comes with a "software disk" it doesn't mean that it's a software modem. USR Sportster modems have been coming with a "software disk" for years, and they are by no means a winmodem.
 

Mark R

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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The easiest way to be sure is to check whether the modem offers either one of these connections:

1) An ISA port
2) A Serial (COM) port

Any modem, with one of the above connections, must be a hardware modem.

If the modem uses a PCI port, then it is likely that it is a software modem. If it has a USB port, then it is certainly a software modem.
 

Peter

Elite Member
Oct 15, 1999
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Wrong about PCI and USB - especially USB modems mostly have their own DSPs. Some don't though. On PCI, one can make all three levels - fully blown hardware modems, controllerless ones that still do the signal processing themselves, and brainless ones that leave the work to the CPU.

The only things that for sure are CPU driven modems are DAA, AMR, CNR, ACR riser modems. These just are codec and line interface, the signal processing being done on the main CPU.

Without knowing the usual suspects in modem chipsets, you really can't tell from the outside.

regards, Peter
 

shurato

Platinum Member
Sep 24, 2000
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I think what he meant was that most pci modems you'll see, more often than not, its going to be a winmodem...and I havent seen a hardware controller based usb modem yet either. Also, from what I read, having the DSP on the modem really doesnt do much at all.
 

tokamak

Golden Member
Nov 26, 1999
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i would guess that that modem is hardware. however, i notice your rig has a t-bird at 1465mre.shz.....ju..i seriously doubt you will notice the difference between a hardware and software modem at that speed. maybe if you were trying to run a software off a p133 or something, but in this day and age of super fast processors, i really dont think it matters that much anymore. just my 2 cents...
 

shurato

Platinum Member
Sep 24, 2000
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My 2nd rig is a Duron 600@800 running dual boot win2k server/98. Thats the computer thats running the modem so i'm not really worried about cpu resources being taken by the modem...I wanted to upgrade the modem anyway because its actually a friends modem im borrowing after he got cable. Plus i wanted to get a call waiting modem so i could recieve calls while online and i figured if i was gonna get a new modem, might as well get the best kind there is so i wanted a controller based modem.

Anyone have an actiontec v.92 controller based call waiting modem? That might be a cheaper alternative to the USR or even the Zoom.