>> If you have an old Pentium 100 or slower system, then this should be a
>> concern. BUT.... For modern systems, you will not notice very much
>> difference at all. There will be slight hesitation of 2-4 seconds when
>> initializing the modem and dialing or when disconnecting, but that will
>be
>> all.
>
>I am afraid this is just not the case, as I am involved in tech support
>for an
>ISP, the root of most "I can't connect.." problems is: winmodems.
>
>I don't see how the architecture of the modem can affect an "I can't
>connect..." problem, but since you work with modems on a daily (if not
>hourly) basis, I defer to your experience.

The only Winmodems that I have ever seen problems with are modems that
utlize the PC Tel chipset. These modems or at least the ones that I have
delt with are soft HSP modems and use the CPU for all modem functions. I
have replaced them with generic Rockwell chipset modems both soft and
regular winmodems and had no further problems. I have also used modems using
Cirus Logic and Lucent chipsets with success although I prefer Rockwell
chipset.

I feel as if the "winmodem" gets a bad rap because they are all lumped into
one group. There are PCI winmodems that require only a 486 class system to
function and do not use enough system resources to be noticed even on a
system as slow as a P60. With the cheapest new systems running in the PII
233-266 range, 99.9% of the home users with new systems would notice little
or no difference between a $29 56.6 modem and a $150 56.6 modem. I currently
use a PCI softmodem that sells for around $29 on my K6-2 300Mhz system and a
regular $35dual chip PCI winmodem on my daughters P60. I can brouse the
internet and play games on either system online without any problems.

Like it or not, PCI Winmodems are here for a while and the ISA slot probably
isn't.

Dennis Noble
Computer Parts & Upgrades
http://www.computersalacarte.com

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