In response to "Eric Yaeger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
Sure, a 56K modem will run on a 486, probably just as fast as on a fast Pentium
or Athlon. There is a disclaimer that, due to FCC regulations, a 56K modem
won't do a full 56K, more like 53K, but still much faster than 33.6K. Writing
to a 1.44 MB diskette is much faster than 56K, so 486 CPU is not a limiting
factor for a 56K modem. I have Cx486DX2-S at 66 MHz. But I wonder if CPU speed
might be a limiting factor with cable or DSL. I'm inclined to think no, by
comparing to hard-drive speeds.
I had a Newcom 14.4K modem, bought through my now-defunct computer dealer in
1995 as an upgrade to a 2400 bps modem. That kept dropping connections in
fall 1997, both under Linux (minicom) and OS/2 Warp 4 (Hyperaccess full retail
package). My computer dealer wanted $25 just to look at the problem, which was
much more than an obsolete 14.4K modem would be worth. So I ordered a
Diamond SupraExpress 56i through CDW (http://www.cdw.com) and installed it
myself. Modem program that came with the Newcom 14.4K modem was DOS version of
Comit, which didn't support Zmodem, and typing / brought up the menu, which
severely limited its use on BBSes. So I couldn't do anything much in DOS with
this modem, except for Compuserve with DOSCIM, which worked. I didn't have any
DOS-based Internet software at that time. I am not at all sorry that computer
dealer went out of business!
