The Modem

I don’t want to go into much detail here on how modems work, because all you basically need to know is: the faster - the better. Whoever has surfed the World Wide Web will know what I am talking about. All Internet Access and Service Providers today provide V90 access, so for the sake of your telephone bill, get the fastest you can lay your hands on.

Modems (Modulator/Demodulator) are available as internal, as well as external devices. External modems are slightly more expensive (because of the housing, the cable, the power supply, etc.) but are generally more reliable. There are still internal modems around that cause conflicts. Remember that a modem is a serial device. If you connect your external modem to one of your comms ports, you don't actually use up a new interrupt. But if you use an internal modem, it will create a new virtual port that is shared with one of your comms ports. Without any further depth: comms ports don't like sharing! Having said that, you might be perfectly alright with an internal modem, but once you are short on interrupts, the fun might start.

If you opt for an internal modem make sure you get a hardware modem. The difference between software and hardware modems is that software modems don't actually have the components installed that are needed to handle the modulations, but instead use Windows and your own CPU to do all the hard work. As a result, software modems require a lot more system resources and are not suitable for less powerful machines. With a price difference of only a few pounds, it really does not make sense to go for a software modem, so give your CPU a break. And if you're thinking of connecting to the Internet using Linux, don't even think of buying a software modem, because it won't work!

Once DSL and Cable modems have arrived in the UK, I will handle them as well, and in more detail. For now, let's hope that Oftel keeps the thumb on BT...