Which internal modem can I use?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

Hope this is not OT, if you know a better group let me know.

I want to use an old PII computer and wish to install a 56k
internal modem. So I bought a PCI modem at ebay for cheap
and plugged it in. It was no problem to find the correct driver.

However when starting dialing I am reported that the modem
will not work because it requires extended MMX instruction sets,
which is not supported by the CPU.
CPU is an AMD K5.

So I guess that those two hardware components will not work
together.

Now my question is: Are there any 56k modems (either PCI or ISA)
which will work with the AMD K5? Where to get information about
this? And, if so, where to get such a modem for cheap?

Any help appreciated. TIA, Uwe.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Uwe Kotyczka <uwe.kotyczka@web.de> wrote:
> Hope this is not OT, if you know a better group let me know.

> I want to use an old PII computer and wish to install a 56k
> internal modem. So I bought a PCI modem at ebay for cheap
> and plugged it in. It was no problem to find the correct driver.

> However when starting dialing I am reported that the modem
> will not work because it requires extended MMX instruction sets,
> which is not supported by the CPU.
> CPU is an AMD K5.

A "soft-modem" also Winmodem. This is crippled hardware that
cannot do a simple job. The cost savings is small. My personal
suspicion is that Microsoft pays/coerces companies to produce
this type of modem since they are mostly unusable with other
operating systems.

> So I guess that those two hardware components will not work
> together.

> Now my question is: Are there any 56k modems (either PCI or ISA)
> which will work with the AMD K5? Where to get information about
> this? And, if so, where to get such a modem for cheap?

There are such modems. In fact that used to be the norm. ISA is
perfectly fine for such a modem. A good sign that you get a real modem
is if it runs under Linux. Best check with google what people say
about a specific model before buying.

Also an external (serial) modem can only be a real modem and
not one of the crippled MS-only products since there is not enough
bandwidth in the serial bus to do the signal proccessing in the PC.

Arno
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[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

On 20 Oct 2004 03:59:45 -0700, uwe.kotyczka@web.de (Uwe Kotyczka) put
finger to keyboard and composed:

>Hope this is not OT, if you know a better group let me know.

comp.dcom.modems

>I want to use an old PII computer and wish to install a 56k
>internal modem. So I bought a PCI modem at ebay for cheap
>and plugged it in. It was no problem to find the correct driver.
>
>However when starting dialing I am reported that the modem
>will not work because it requires extended MMX instruction sets,
>which is not supported by the CPU.
>CPU is an AMD K5.
>
>So I guess that those two hardware components will not work
>together.
>
>Now my question is: Are there any 56k modems (either PCI or ISA)
>which will work with the AMD K5? Where to get information about
>this? And, if so, where to get such a modem for cheap?
>
>Any help appreciated. TIA, Uwe.

Get yourself a "full hardware" or "controller based" ISA or PCI modem.
Avoid controllerless or "soft" modems. Having said that, PCI hardware
modems are rare. USR's 5610 and Multitech's ZPX are the only examples
that come to mind. OTOH, ISA modems are equally as good and are
plentiful. Best Data's current model 56SF92WB, Conexant ACF3 chipped,
controller based, ISA modem sells for around $20.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc (More info?)

On 21 Oct 2004 03:00:43 GMT, Arno Wagner <me@privacy.net> put finger
to keyboard and composed:

>In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Uwe Kotyczka <uwe.kotyczka@web.de> wrote:

>> Now my question is: Are there any 56k modems (either PCI or ISA)
>> which will work with the AMD K5? Where to get information about
>> this? And, if so, where to get such a modem for cheap?
>
>There are such modems. In fact that used to be the norm. ISA is
>perfectly fine for such a modem. A good sign that you get a real modem
>is if it runs under Linux. Best check with google what people say
>about a specific model before buying.

Linux supports many "soft" and controllerless modems. A better
indicator of a hardware modem is whether it runs under DOS. A
definitive test is to check whether the modem has an
OTPROM/EPROM/EEPROM chip and an SRAM. The former holds the firmware
and usually has a part number such as 27xxxx or 28xxxx or 29xxxx. The
static RAM has a part number such as 61256 or 62256, and is sometimes
hidden underneath the EEPROM. Its function is to provide support for
error correction and data compression (and possibly other things).


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.