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What's the best modem?

  • 30-03-2001 1:39pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,210 ✭✭✭


    I got a crap modem with my PC bundle. Want to replace it with one geared up to online gaming - any suggestions?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,537 ✭✭✭SickBoy


    Pace 56 Internal or external, both are class modems. In general a hardware modem is what you want. Software modems(WinModems) are poorer when it comes to latency.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,210 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    What d'ya think of the Diamond Xpress.


  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,389 Mod ✭✭✭✭Lenny


    well I don't think that Diamond are the best ..
    the modem I use is a Elsa Micromodem
    it seems grand for me, and I usually get about 140 ping to games of tf smile.gif


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,478 ✭✭✭tribble


    Get a serial modem!

    I know it sounds ridiculous to buy a modem using an interface thats more than 20 years old but the only hardware modems these days are the serial flavoured ones.

    It's 'cos the serial bus is slow and this forecs the manufactures to shove all the work from the PC to the modem so that the serial cable carries the least amount of data possible.
    The only way to do this is with hardware modems which have dedicated circuts to do this without involoving the PC.

    The best in tests in PCW (or was it PC Pro) were the Creative Modem Blaster (bare bones 56k v.90 external hardware modem) - £80 Compustore, and the 3Com/USR Professional Message modem (built in 2meg fax/message memory + speaker so doesn't even need PC to operate - c. £140 Dixons)



    *************************
    that's all well and good, but where are all the monkeys gone?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by OJ:
    well I don't think that Diamond are the best ..
    the modem I use is a Elsa Micromodem
    it seems grand for me, and I usually get about 140 ping to games of tf smile.gif
    </font>

    Just wondering OJ how much did that modem set u back?



    WhAt are we going to do tonight Brain?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,817 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Is that Micro link one USB???
    Where do u live and how far from the exchange??
    I got a lucent DSP 'Winmodem', get around 200ping on a 28.8 connection. need to get wiring in the house redone totaly
    But now thanks to the new netcdoe in HL i get around 250-350 anymore frown.gif
    So I'm not a happy bunny any more........ SH007 M3H Pl33Z >>>>>>>>>I is not really an 1337 scriptkiddie yet....and hopefully never will be if I want to pass English in Levaing wink.gif
    [VTi]SyxPak

    No-one ever suspects the Duck

    Play Counterstrike.
    Meet interesting people.
    Kill them.
    All of them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,562 ✭✭✭Snaga


    Ive got a 56k Mr Modem.

    Its external and serial and at 4 in the morning gives me pings of 130-140 on a 50 foot phone extension...on no limits too.

    of course before 10pm im usually around 250-300.

    Dont blame HL netcode for just how bad nolimits has become in the past few months during peak times(assuming your on nolims smile.gif

    Snaga


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,709 ✭✭✭Balfa


    Everyone in the industry (people like me) know that USRobotics are and always have been the best. Get a USR external, and you can't go wrong...

    that said, you can't go far wrong with any external serial modem.

    tribble's right about serial being best, but the reason he give is complete tripe wink.gif

    okay.... forkit... now you got me started...

    of the current modems on the market, there are five main types... unfortunately, i know NOTHING about USB modems (except that i wouldn't trust them as far as i could throw my granny), so i'll ignore them in this article. i shall now list the remaining four in order of tastiness...

    1) external serial modem
    2) internal HARDWARE modem
    3) internal DSP software modem
    4) internal HSP software modem

    external: basically, if you want a modem that works, with the same kind of reliabilty as a desert eagle to the head, then get an external serial modem. you plug it in, you turn on your computer, you dial up. that's all there is to it. it's a common misconception that modems need drivers. they don't! (at least hardware ones don't) all the software they need is programmed into the ROM onboard the modem. the computer simply throws raw data at the serial port, and the modem does the rest. most modems come with "drivers", but they're more like just the standard settings that windows should use with them... so in this respect, getting the latest "drivers" can make a difference... but they don't do any of the actual "driving".

    internal hardware: this is the full kaboodle, exactly the same as an external modem, minus the case and flashy lights (mmmm.... flashy lights biggrin.gif), and with the addition of a built in serial port, and all the things normally associated with a serial port (like a UART). unfortunately, most internal hardware modems died along with the ISA modem. i'm sure they exist, but i just don't know of any specific hardware PCI modems at the moment. go check USR's website or something.

    DSP: stands for Digital Signal Processing. yeah, the same thing in soundcards and so on, cos it does the same thing. This converts the digital 1s and 0s from your PC into an analogue waveform so that it can't be sent along your phoneline (this is the fundamental point of a MoDem, or Modulator/Demodulator, and also the reason why cable "modems" and dsl "modems" aren't really modems at all... cos the signal remains digital), and vice versa. now all internal and external hardware modems also feature DSPs, but they're not called "DSP modems". the difference between a hardware modem and a DSP modem is that hardware modems have another chip in them besides the DSP, called the controller. this is what tells the DSP to do. it holds the instructions that the modem carries out in doing what it does. In a DSP modem, this controller is emulated in software. Since its demands on the system are very low, there's not any real problem with this style of modem, especially if your CPU is faster than, say, 200MHz.

    HSP: This is one you should definitely steer clear of... it stands for Host Signal Processor... and what that means is that the Host (your computer itself) emulates not only the controller, but also the DSP... so your CPU has to do all the hard work for the modem... not that 56 kilobits in one second is difficult for a CPU... but the problem arises when one process is monoplising the CPU, and starving other processes from getting their job done.... when this happens, the modem can often be left with no data to send, or with too much receive, and it can't cope and drops the connection. Again, theoretically, on a relatively modest CPU, these modems shouldn't be too bad... but i certainly wouldn't buy one.


    there are really only a handful of modem chipset makers...

    USR make their chips, and their modems, and that's that. (much like Ferrari F1 and their engines).

    Rockwell (now known as Connexant) make chipsets (both hardware and software) for more modems than anyone else. at least they did a coupla years ago. now with all these HSP modems included in the family's new PC, things may have changed.

    Lucent (LT) also make chipsets. again both hardware and software. their "LT winmodem" is a hugely popular chipset these days.

    PCTel made the first popular HSP modems. kill kill kill. then kill some more. don't go near 'em.

    Motorola, once renowned for top quality modems, turned to the dark side with their "SM56" HSP modem. again. shoot it til it stops moving, then shoot it some more.

    There are a few more chipset makers, but you're unlikely to come across them. and i'm too tired to continue, so goodnight.

    as always, making statements without backing them up is dumb. so here are my links for more information on the subject:

    www.modemhelp.org
    www.56k.com

    have fun buyings modems, folks! they won't be around much longer smile.gif

    gotta learn how to write short posts ;)


  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,389 Mod ✭✭✭✭Lenny


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by [SKT]Raven:
    Just wondering OJ how much did that modem set u back?

    </font>

    £110
    but I got it for £90 a discount off it smile.gif
    also I am on NTL so i connect at a full 56k though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    I have a Lucent chipset DSP PCI software modem. It is a piece of sh|t, stay well clear of it. (866mhz cpu here).

    - Munch


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,817 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    hey Munach, i got z\a lucent Dsp too, its not THat bad.......

    I sis ****ed writing this so excuse any mistakes in tyoing...heheheh

    No-one ever suspects the Duck

    Play Counterstrike.
    Meet interesting people.
    Kill them.
    All of them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,817 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    hey Munach, i got z\a lucent Dsp too, its not THat bad.......

    I sis ****ed writing this so excuse any mistakes in tyoing...heheheh

    No-one ever suspects the Duck

    Play Counterstrike.
    Meet interesting people.
    Kill them.
    All of them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    I have a modem built by pc pro, tis a rockwell based one. Tis good.


    John



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by OJ:
    £110
    but I got it for £90 a discount off it smile.gif
    also I am on NTL so i connect at a full 56k though.
    </font>


    Cool Ill die the day I see myself connecting at the full 56k on IOL nolims, 49,333bps used to be my regular conn speed now im lucky if i get 45,333!



    WhAt are we going to do tonight Brain?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,709 ✭✭✭Balfa


    stephen and syxpak.... instead of saying it's crap, or good, why not let us know -why- it's crap or good... that way you're actually being useful wink.gif

    and raven, exact same for me.. i used to always get either 49,333 or 49,666 and now i usually get 45,333... but the thing is, 45 ain't bad.... it's pretty good, and 49 is brilliant... it is 100% impossible to get exactly 56,000, for a number of reasons... firstly, v.90 is heavily dependant on the distance between you and your local exhance, secondly, and more importantly, phonelines are actually limited by law to 53k. anyone who claims to get higher than that is bull****ting. the highest i've ever seen was 52,000, to AOL, in england.

    gotta learn how to write short posts ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,210 ✭✭✭Tazz T


    Thanks for the help everyone. For your information I settled on the Diamond Supraexpress. Knocked about 100 off the ping - mind you it was really sh*t to start with at about 350.

    Who knows a good Irish server playing Q3 1.17 I can try it out on.


  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,389 Mod ✭✭✭✭Lenny


    mines a v.92 smile.gif


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    V.92 and for 90 quid very cool!

    Also just wondering no nice people have a spare external modem theyd love to sell to a stereotypically poor student?!!?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,007 ✭✭✭Moriarty


    Raven - i have a nice internal ISA hardware modem sitting on the desk beside me, and ill give it to you for a bargain of £70 :P


    Moriarty
    moriarty@gamersfm.com


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    hmmm 70 quid eh and its internal! but lemme see would it gove me a better performance then me already installed daimond suprabolox lol pci one?!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,007 ✭✭✭Moriarty


    most certainly smile.gif
    It gives me a nice 130-150 ping most nights, when i used it. Dont need it anymore though, got isdn.. decided to sell the modem after it laying around for a while smile.gif


    Moriarty
    moriarty@gamersfm.com


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    Ill get back to ya ok as at the moment i only have 50 and have to pay me landlord tomorrow so ill see what i can bribe out of peeps etc.as i siad ill get back to ya ill see what happens

    [This message has been edited by [SKT]Raven (edited 02-04-2001).]


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,007 ✭✭✭Moriarty


    Okey, ill hold onto it for a week or so for you.


    Moriarty
    moriarty@gamersfm.com


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    Ok thx ill be able ot give u a better answer by tomorrow/thursday mrn ill post it back up here


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Balfa:
    stephen and syxpak.... instead of saying it's crap, or good, why not let us know -why- it's crap or good... that way you're actually being useful wink.gif</font>

    Well okay then... Generally connect speeds are sh|t - it won't go higher than 37333 bps unless i use some init strings to force it higher, and even then if i connect any faster than 41333 bps the connection is generally very lossy and unrealiable.

    Pings in games with this modem (on Irish servers) are generally manky - with a variety of ISP's. I never download faster than 4kb/sec (I presume that's got to do with the low connect speeds). With my old ISA modem (no isa slots in this machine) I used to get a sweet connection and download at up to 5kb/sec... boo frown.gif

    - Munch


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭[SKT]Raven


    Very true, I also noticed strange as it is when i connect at around the 45 mark my ping is around 200-250 when i connect at the 49 its like 270-350!! wtf!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,148 ✭✭✭Ronan|Raven


    Im afraid i cant take that modem sorry unfortunatly something sprung up and i now find myself very very broke.

    What are we going to do tonight Brain?


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