PCI Soft Modems

[Mitzi]

Nothing vital but do soft modems take longer than 'real' modems to connect to the internet? I have tried about three different models lately (granted they were all cheap!) but each one takes about 15-30 seconds to get from dialing.....verifying user/name password....logging onto network.

Is this normal?

 

[thorin]

Yes.Since your CPU is doing all the work, there is potential for the modem to have to 'wait' for the CPU.

Thorin

 

[GregMal]

I've got an ISA hardware internal modem running X2 protocal on 1 machine
and a PCI Lucent WinModem on another. I don't notice any difference in connecting
times except for the 2 extra seconds V90 takes to handshake.......
Greg

 

[NeonFlak]

It could possibly be your isp as well....

 

[NFS4]

<< Yes.Since your CPU is doing all the work, there is potential for the modem to have to 'wait' for the CPU.

Thorin >>


[Sarcasm]Oh yeah geez, I bet that 1.4GHz Athlon is just DYING supply ample CPU cycles to that Winmodem. Must be killer for it. [/Sarcasm]

If you have any modern processor, it isn't even batting an eye at that Winmodem. It's probably yawning. But it sounds more to me like the ISP than the modem.

 

[Mem]

Does not seem too long to me,I`ve a hardware modem and my average time to connect is 20-25 secs from clicking the connect button to getting online,and I`ve 3 different ISP companies as well.

 

[Mitzi]

No its not too long, it just seems that my new PCI soft modems seem to take longer to get online than my old ISA modem. Its nothing serious, just something I noticed.

BTW, I have an Athlon 1.4@1.53 so I think its just able to keep up the demand the modem puts on it

Cheers for the replies guys.

 

[thorin]

"[Sarcasm]Oh yeah geez, I bet that 1.4GHz Athlon is just DYING supply ample CPU cycles to that Winmodem. Must be killer for it. [/Sarcasm]"

Actually I was referring to the CPU being busy with tasks pre-empting the CPU being used by the modem. Not the load of the Modem on the CPU. ie: WinAmp running in realtime mode will force a winmodem to pause before it can initialize/pick/dial (which will in turn cause even a 1.4GHz CPU to pause your music etc...)

Thorin