[wplug] external modem recommendation

[Chester R. Hosey]

On Tue, 2005-06-28 at 23:29 -0400, Zachary Uram wrote:
> US Robotics have worked well in my experience. Built very solid.
> 
> Zach

I've not dealt with external hardware since pre-14.4k days, but I can
strongly recommend any (non-Winmodem) US Robotics hardware you can lay
your hands on. My mantra has always been, "If you're stuck on dialup,
buy US Robotics, and spend at least $80 on it." (I've been meaning to
update that since 3com bought them, but it still stands.)

The price point isn't so much a solid recommendation, more of a way to
make sure you're not duped into buying a Winmodem (I've yet to see a $30
modem that isn't one).

As has been said elsewhere, any serially-connected (RS232, for those
jokers ready to point out what the "S" in "USB" is about) modem should
do quite well. This is because "real" modems have long standardized on a
specific command set, sometimes with nonessential vendor-specific
extensions for additional hackery. Good internal modems will emulate a
serial port with an external modem connected to it, thus supporting the
standard communication methods -- good external modems are those which
attach to a real serial port.

Anecdotally, about six years ago a friend of mine who knew someone at
Stargate managed to have his port timeout completely disabled. He stayed
connected through his Debian-based router's internal US Robotics modem
continually for 29 days without a disconnect. A power failure severed
the connection, and he ended up getting cable access before trying to
beat this record. I've seen HSP micromodems (often $8-$13 on Pricewatch,
and an oft-relabled favorite of several major vendors) that couldn't
hold a connection reliably past an average measured in minutes.

Chet