pci SLOT MODEM/fax????

[Santilli]

Hi
My friend has a very slow dialup internet connection, like 40k a second, maybe. He needs a modem card for internet connection, and FAXES, for a PCI slot.
Anyone have one laying around, or have recommendations for which card to buy?

Thanks

Greg

 

[Santilli]

I forgot. He's running 2003 Server.
Thanks

Greg

 

[ddrueding]

The only ones I've messed with lately (like, in the last 2 years or so) have been USB.

 

[Tannin]

Is there any such thing as a modem that does not do faxes made in ... oh ... the last 5 years?

I'm not saying they are any good mind you - internal modems in particular are a byword for all that is cheap and crappy in computing - but they are cheap, like around $15 to $20 US, less if you hunt around. That's about twice as much as they are worth, but at that sort of price, how can you go wrong?

One thing to watch: 2003 Server just might throw a wobbly at the typically very elderly software they are bundled with.

 

[Mercutio]

I hate Lucent-based Winmodems worse than other kinds, but any modem is going to work.
1. 5kb/sec (40000 bits per second) is a very fast modem connection.
2. Your friend should stop fucking complaining.
3. Very likely, no WinModem will improve on that speed.
4. A real exteneral serial modem might. A US Robotics Courier or a Diamond Supra 56k External.
5. Most modems autonegotiate speeds as the connection's conditions change. In general, most modems negotiate only lower speeds, never higher. High-end externals are aggressive about negotiating upwards as well.
6. There is NO number 6.
7. Windows never displays anything but the initial connection speed.
8. Your friend is a whiny bitch.
9. He'd be better off with ISDN.

 

[ddrueding]

I agree with Merc on all but #2, #6, and #8. They are in reverse order.

 

[ddrueding]

Oh, and no-one is beter off with ISDN. Better to have a major brain injury and not be aware of the internets existence.

 

[Will Rickards]

I have a couple lying around. They are the modemsite.com modems (lucent chipset). If you want one send me a pm with your address. Modemsite's page on buying a modem.

 

[Mercutio]

ISDN works fine. It's faster than dialup and available EVERYWHERE, until cable and DSL. In Chicago, ISDN is billed just like local calls - a certain fee based on the distance between exchanges, usually $.02 a minute or so. That doesn't strike me as unreasonable.
I will admit that dealing with a telco that doesn't have its act together with regard to installion can make it a hassle, but that's true for DSL or leased lines as well.

And FWIW, a 40kbit modem connection is a lot better than anyone should expect. In my experience, 33.6k is usually pushing it.

 

[Santilli]

Funny what you get when you post a message.

This actually came around because I loaded Penicillin on a Comcrap/HPUKE laptop he uses for chronographing bullets, and trajectory, to protect his computer. He surfs with it a bit, but, due to being a 1.4 ghz HP, with a couple old mice driving the harddrive, at what seems to be days per revolution, and not enough ram, the machine crawls.
I gave him a 450mhz P3 with 512mb of ram, thanks to David, with 2003 Server on it, and Photoshop, and, it has no modem in it. That machine, thanks to the raid card, and Seagate Cheetah 15k in it, is considerably faster then his craptop.
XP reports connection rates topping out at 24k per second. Sometimes it's in to 10-14 range. I don't know if a pci card in a P3 is going to really help, but, it's worth a try.
He would like to be able to hitch up the faster computer, and, he would also like the Penicillin install removed from his laptop. I think those are reasonable requests.

Thanks to others suggestions, I could load NOD 32 on the laptop, and the other computer as well.

As for calling someone who has what is close to Lou Gehrig's disease, and puts up with nerve pain on a daily basis that would have all of us screaming, I don't think 'whiny' is an adjective I would use for this gentleman.

Second, he lives, and owns a gunsmithing business way out in the sticks of NORCAL. The ONLY internet option is over old, aging phone lines, and, at super slow speeds. There are NO OTHER internet options.

I guess it's the connection software that shows the speed of the internet connection. Odd they would advertize how slow they are, but, it's there software.

Jack's actually one of the truly gifted gentleman I have the pleasure to call friend. Here's a link to his website, that would also be nice if we could figure out how to improve it a bit.

http://www.jrhgunmaker.com/

You may notice he has designed fantastic big game handgun hunting cartridges, and, is an avid hunter, who tests his cartridge designs on the biggest game animals he can find, and, is going handgun hunting in Africa in 2008.

He's one of the best shots I've ever scene, and, with a 450 Nitro express, elephant gun, double rifle, busted two water
jugs at 20 yards in as fast as most people can pull two shots on a revolver. It was less then a second. Just amazing shooting ability.
"Whiny bitch?" Ahh, no, and, I really wouldn't say that to his face.

Greg

 

[mubs]

I didn't get the whiny part either. All you did was ask about modems. And you never said anything about him complaining.

 

[Santilli]

Sam must have had a bad day, night, or both. Maybe too many customer complaints that day, for him.

I'm kind of sorry to even ask, but in this day of built in modems, it's been so long since I've had an external modem, I've forgot the details on dealing with them.

Greg

 

[Bozo]

I believe I have a US Robotics external modem collecting dust. If I find it, I will ship it to the address on his web site. No charge. :-D
I'll let you know tonight as I'm at work now.


Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

Modems are slow. This is a statement of such pure obviousness as "Water is Wet" and "Fire is hot."

I really don't care what infirmities or life activities your friend has, Santilli. They are not relevant to the fundamental question of what to do about a supposedly slower-than-normal modem, especially not one that is not ACTUALLY slower than normal. On this matter at least, no one has a right to complain.

 

[Santilli]

Thanks Bozo. I'll be going up sometime next week to help put something in that computer.

Sam, I gather you HATE modems, period. It's been 8 years since I've ever had to deal with anything, other then ADSL.
We are lucky. 1.2 mb a second here. Static IEP, that they are just now catching, since the change over to AT&T and SBC, that I've been getting for free. Now it's an extra 8 bucks a month, but that's fine with me.

The last modem I had to deal with was the external mac modems I sold, or gave away, after they collected dust for a long time. That was something like 98. Jack's setup is like going back.

Sorry I hit a nerve.

Thank you everyone, for your posts, and help with this time travel experience for me.

Greg

 

[Splash]

A PCI (internal) fax-modem won't slow down a system as much as an ISA fax-modem, because PCI devices handles hardware interrupts (IRQ) much better than ISA.

You can get basic PCI fax-modems for very little money at any Wurst Buy, Fry'z, etc.

The facsimile part of the fax-modem is still of great use to many who have long since jumped over to a broadband technology for Internet connectivity.

External fax-modems are always more expensive. But, they are pretty useful because they have status LEDs to tell you what's happening as far as transmission activity (or not happening) as well as indicating errors.

 

[Mercutio]

... and just to contine to stress a point: I've never seen data transmission rates improve after a downward negotiation (e.g. V.90 to V.34 speeds then back up to V.90 again) on a PCI piece of shit. I have seen external serial modems do this.

 

[Bozo]

Greg,
Check your PMs

Bozo :joker:

 

[mubs]

Greg,
Check your PMs

Greg's got PMS?

(I'm feeling obnoxious today :twistd

 

[Santilli]

In all this fun, I forgot to celebrate: WELCOME BACK SPLASH!!!!
Gary, wonderful to have you back. Is all well?

sincerely

Greg

 

[mubs]

In all this fun, I forgot to celebrate: WELCOME BACK SPLASH!!!!

Me too. I've been wondering where the "reglars" are - Splash (who's back), Fushigi, JTR, and others (who aren't). I miss them.

 

[ddrueding]

JTR had some personal issues, he said it would take some time but he will be back.

 

[Tea]

Me too. I've been wondering where the "reglars" are.

Yeah! Where's Tea? What the hell is her excuse? Huh? Tell me that.

 

[Tannin]

Errr ... Tea? Are you quite sure you're OK?

 

[Tea]

Of course I'm alright. Everything is just fine. I'm just complaining that I haven't seen Tea on Storage Forum for .....


.... err.... Can you wait a minute please? Just while I work out ....

... er ....


OK, I seem to be a little disoriented just at the moment.

 

[Tea]

I'll be fine in a minute.

 

[Tea]

Look, I'm just trying to get this straight. Tea is the charming and highly intelligent little ape who posts on Storage Forum all the time, right?

 

[Tannin]

Mmmm. Yes.

 

[Tea]

So who am I?

 

[Tea]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Which one of us is the real one?

Me?

Or her?

 

[Tea]

Damn it, I'm not going to have an imaginary ape following me around making posts on Storage Forum using my name!

I won't stand for it!

Unless ... er ... I mean .... what if she is the real one? What happens to me? Do I just dissappear in a puff of smoke or something? Do you know imaginary people go to when other people stop believing in them anymore?

 

[Tannin]

Look, don't bother me now, OK? I'm busy.

(Stupid ape.)

 

[Tea]

Busy? You're busy? Huh!

(Stupid human.)

And don't call me "stupid ape" anymore. I'm sick of it.

 

[Tea]

What? What did you say?

Look, Mr Fungus Nostrils, I know you are only a subsimian who has major trouble figuring out how to walk and fart at the same time, and an inconsiderate old bastard most of the time, but I'm sitting here having a major existential crisis, and all you can say is "stupid ape"!

It's not good enough!

 

[Tea]

Nothing.

 

[Tea]

Not a drop.

 

[Tea]

Look, I haven't been drinking, OK?

 

[Tea]

Smoking marajuana and popping pills? Nope.

Er.... do you think it would help? How many should I take?

 

[Tea]

Hey look!

There's that other one!

She's been posting on Storage Forum again!

 

[Tea]

What colour pills should I start with?