Basic modem Info

The introduction of modems brought a whole new way to communicate throughout the world.  From fax machines to credit card verification equipment, the methods we use to transfer information are endless.  Your personal computer fits this bill also.  Your modem may be either mounted inside your PC (internal type) or outside (external type); either type performs the same function for you, the customer.  We won't bore you with the technical details of how a modem functions.  We will, however, express the importance of a good quality modem and how having it installed properly is critical to having a problem free connection. 

There are a lot of modems on the market, costing anywhere from $25.00 to $200.00.  As a modem user,  you should go with a name brand V.90 modem.  Try to stay away from X2 and Flex type modems or Win-type modems.  A Win modem uses some of your PC's processing power to manage the modem's operation thereby robbing you of some processor speed.  Whereas, a hardware modem manages all the communications itself.

Your modem should be installed properly with the latest modem driver available for it.   a driver is a piece of software that marries your hardware device to your operating system.  So when you go to upgrade your modem driver you will need to know the modem type and model no.  and your operating system (i.e.Win/95, Win/98, etc.)  You can get driver upgrades from several sources.  One might be the manufactures website another might be 56k.com a website specifically for modem drivers.

By upgrading your modem driver each time one comes out, you will insure that your hardware will work well while online.