Hello unclerichard,

Thursday, August 30, 2001, 10:44:25 PM, you wrote:

u> What are the pros and cons of external versus internal modem in terms of
u> speed, reliability, and durability?

Heh. I don't think there are many advantages or disadvantages under
those supplied categories. They're equally speedy, reliable, and
durable. (Yeah, maybe under PCI you can squeeze an extra bps out of
it, but... anything noticeable?)

Some things to consider:

1. Cost. Internals are generally less expensive.

2. Diagnostics. No lights on an internal modem.

3. Space. Internal modems take up less space.

4. Logistics. Internal modems are less easy to access if there's a
problem.

5. Brand. Get USR or Zoom or Xircom or something with longevity and
experience behind it.

6. Ports. Do you have an available serial port on your PC? If not,
what about USB? Can you find USB modem Linux drivers?

7. Flash upgrades. It's not as important as it once was, but if you
don't get a v.92 modem, you at least want a v.90 that's flash
upgradeable to v.92. (Psst... I hear there's a bug in USR v.92s. Watch
out: http://808hi.com/56k/v92bug.htm)

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Mike...

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