At 10:04 AM 2/7/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I'm looking to upgrade my modem from a 28.8 to a 56K.  Can anyone provide me
>with the advantages/disadvantages of a modem using a PCI bus vs the ISA bus.
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.
>
>Ted Neitz
>[log in to unmask]

Yes, if you are running Windows 9x or NT, you will likely find the PCI modems
to be a cheap and reliable alternative to "regular" modems.  You must keep in
mind, however, that PCI modems are "Winmodems" and hence will only work in
Windows 9x and NT.  Some do have drivers for Windows 3.xx also.  These modems
will not work in DOS, Linux or most other operating systems.

Most ISA modems these days are also "Winmodems" and the above applies as well.
But you can find ISA modems that are not Winmodems and will work in any OS.
You must look at the box.  If it says Windows required than it is a Winmodem.

If you are looking for a speed comparison between ISA and PCI, in my opinion
you will see no benefit to the PCI architecture.  The speed of an ISA bus is
MUCH faster than the modem is capable of anyway, so PCI is overkill.

Another benefit to PCI is that many manufacturers are eliminating the ISA bus
all together.  In the future, PCI will be the only way to go without some type
of ISA adapter card.

HTH


Eric

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