Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 02:52:07 -0500 (CDT) From: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> To: David Kelly <dkelly@hiwaay.net> Cc: Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>, questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Modem suggestions? Message-ID: <14617.5415.934333.922344@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <200005100013.TAA05656@nospam.hiwaay.net> References: <mwm@mired.org> <14616.30194.100579.921217@guru.mired.org> <200005100013.TAA05656@nospam.hiwaay.net>
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David Kelly writes: > Mike Meyer writes: > > I've just moved to a local with no broadband network support, and find > > myself needing a modem. For now, I've hijacked one of the motherboard > > serial ports and borrowed a modem, but this is temporary. I'd like a > > solution that avoids putting more ISA devices in the system, but it's > > not clear what will - or won't - work with 4.0-RELEASE. > > The options seem to be (in order of preference): > None of your preferences included another plain old external modem like > you are apparently using right now. You hijacked a serial port? What's > it being used for otherwise? Ever think of adding another serial port? Actually, the *last* two options were just that, in that I was asking for recommendations for a PCI (prefered) or ISA I/O card. Can you recommend a PCI I/O card? Preferably with both parallel and serial ports? > Having had modems since 1200 baud full duplex was exotic the most > important thing I've learned is that a modem is a throw-away disposable > sacrificial component. It has no business inside the computer where it > can do damage to other components when (not if, but when) it blows up. Well, my first modem was a 300 baud acoustically coupled box; the first one sold by someone other than AT&T, as it happened. In all that time, I've never seen a modem to die in in a violent manner - either one I owned, or one my employers (one of whom - UCB - had a modem bank of over 100 of the things). In any case, up until recently, I would have agreed with you. At this point, not having the modem use up a power outlet (and two external expansion brackets for an I/O card, right?) is worth considering. Not behind performance, though. Which is why the choices are PCI modem; USB modem(*); PCI serial card; ISA modem; ISA serial card. Though if I'm going to add a serial card, I'd prefer both serial and parallel ports. > Notice the last 4 are on a card which is capable of correctly sharing > one IRQ for all of its ports. The card is a long discontinued STB Those last few words are the critical problem. Finding ISA cards - either serial or modems - these days is a PITA. That I have to sort out WinModems makes me curse the hardware manufacturers and the MS monopoly. That most of what left won't work on FreeBSD isn't their fault, though. Because of that, if I can't find a PCI modem that works, I'm liable to buy the USB modem and hack on the USB modem driver. That's a nice, high-performance option that uses hardware I already have, and helps FreeBSD keep up with modern hardware. Thanx, <mike To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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