[lug] Modems for LINUX

[David Lovering]

Dave:

    Regarding your note -

    Unless you invest in an RJ11 phone-line surge arrestor and replace it every 6-8 months, an internal
    modem is essentially nothing more than a lightning rod attached directly to your motherboard.
    During the summer months I see something like a dozen systems at NIST blown-up or fried with
    internal modems due to this cause -- never an external modem.

    The other advantage of an external modem (particularly with Linux) is that its indicators can tell you
    whether the serial driver is asserting the necessary lines to the device, and vice-versa with respect
    to your system.  Easily 3/4 of all the KPPP/EZPPP problems I've come across are attributable to
    this single cause.  Sometimes this can be tweaked by making changes to the various EPROM variables
    in the AT-command space and then burning them in as defaults, and sometimes not.

    If you do get a new modem try getting one that is absolutely 100% V.90 all the way -- not an "upgradeable"
    version where you have to download new firmware.  In particular, if it says K56flex on the product ANYWHERE,
    please DO NOT BUY IT!  I don't care how inexpensive it is -- it is that way for a reason!

    Some brands suck big time -- Zoom and Supra are on the top of the list, but others are not terribly fabulous
    either.  I've got a USR/3COM Sportster V.90 external on my power-PC running Linux, and it runs like a champ.
    There are so many lousy brands out there it would take an encyclopedia to list them all.

    -- Dave Lovering
    -----Original Message-----
    From: David Willcox <acesouth at frii.com>
    To: LINUX User group <lug at lug.boulder.co.us>
    Date: Monday, November 15, 1999 3:34 PM
    Subject: [lug] Modems for LINUX
    
    
    Hi Guys,
    
    Need some help with selecting Modem for Linux 6.0 or 6.1. Should I go Internel
    or Externel , if Internel do I select one for an open 16-bit slot or do you think I could go with a PCI Internel? If so what type would you suggest ?
    
    Thanks ahead,
    
    Dave Willcox :-)

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