Using 'WinModems' - a No-Win Situation?

By Hervey Allen (hervey@oregon.uoregon.edu)

Because they're so inexpensive, so-called "WinModems" have recently become very popular.

While the name "WinModem" is specific to the US Robotics/3Com brand, it's become the vernacular for all internal, host-based modems (i.e., modems that use software and a machine's CPU to emulate a standard modem's hardware).

Unfortunately for most users, however, WinModems are far from trouble-free. Reported problems include modems that

• disappear from the System Control Panel
  
  
• don't connect
  
  
• connect to some providers but not others
  
  
• drop connections after a short period of time
  
  
• are incompatible with some mother-boards or the machine's Basic Input Output System, or BIOS
  
  
• perform poorly
  
  
• break when you upgrade your Windows Dial-Up Networking software (e.g., when you upgrade from version1.2 to 1.3)
  
  
• require complex setup steps, such as editing the registry and moving slots
  
  
• hog processor resources--sometimes to the point where the mouse skips when the modem is in use

Troubleshooting

Fixing internal modem problems is a dicey business. For one thing, if they fail, there are no connection lights to clue you in as to what's going on. And there are other drawbacks as well: WinModems can cause resource conflicts in older operating systems, and if they hang, you must reboot your machine to reset the modem (whereas external modems may be turned on and off independently).

What to do if your modem 'disappears'

If you're using a WinModem and are unlucky enough to have it vanish from the System Control Panel, here's a likely solution:

1. Go to the hidden c:\windows\inf directory. To see this directory, you may need to go to the View menu, choose "Folder Options...," click the "View" tab if one is present, and then check the option "show all files."
   
   
2. Search for the WinModem modem model number as a text string in each ".inf" file in this directory.
   
   
3. Rename the files that you suspect reference your WinModem. Don't use the ".inf" extension in the newly named file.
   
   
4. Go to the manufacturer's web site and find the latest driver/software files.
   
   
5. Reboot your machine (the modem should reappear in the Control Panel).
   
   
6. Install the modem's software from disk (important!). Each modem has a different method for installing its software.
   Be sure to read the manufacturer's ReadMe files to see how this should be done for your particular modem's brand and model.

Another possible solution is to pull the modem from its PCI slot and move it. In some cases, this will cause the modem to reappear in the Control Panel.

Summary

Our take on WinModems is that if you are computer savvy you can probably deal with problems that arise. If your CPU is fast enough, you probably won't notice a reduction in performance, and these modems are cheap--and even fast, in some cases.

If, however, you're an average user who doesn't want to be bothered with some of the potential headaches outlined above, you'd be better off choosing an external modem. For a trouble-free modem experience, we still recommend the US Robotics/3Com external 56K V.90 Sportster.

Questions?

If you have further questions or problems regarding WinModems, contact Hervey Allen (346-4412; hervey@oregon.uoregon.edu).