which ext is better serial or usb

[chuckieland]

serial external fax modem
or usb external fax modem
which brand is better microcom or wisecom, hawking tech,phoebe

 

[MGMorden]

For a modem I'd go serial. USB modems are often software modems (aka winmodems). The USB interface itself also draws a little more overhead. With a serial port external modem you get a definate hardware modem and the lowest cpu utilization you could want. You also get the cool blinking lights on the box. I used to use an external modem when I was running a 2400 baud modem (that's 2.4 when comparing to a 28.8 or 33.6. ouch 🙂). I eventually just went to internal b/c I didn't like turning on the modem seperatly from the rest of the pc (of coure w/ USB this isn't an issue, so maybe that's a plus for the usb).

 

[TaylorD]

serial is not the way to go in cases where you need to transfer large amounts of data (ie serial connections for MP3 players or digital cameras) but in this case a serial modem should do just fine since it will never exceed the "speed limit" of the serial interface.

using a serial modem will also keep a USB port open for more exciting toys.