56k modem + Windows Vista

[Grumps]

Hi All

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.
I'm trying to find a simple 56k modem that has a Windows Vista driver. Every
modem I've found so far only states Win98/SE/2000/ME/XP. Would the XP driver
work, or is there a real Vista modem driver out there somewhere?
TIA

 

[kony]

Hi All

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.

The simple answer is don't use Vista until every last piece
of hardware is suported. Even then, it would be crazy, to
use such a crippled POS but if you're a glutton for
punishment...

 

[Grumps]

The simple answer is don't use Vista until every last piece
of hardware is suported. Even then, it would be crazy, to
use such a crippled POS but if you're a glutton for
punishment...

Thanks.
The PC is not yet purchased. It will be a Dell, and they offer Vista or MCE.
I guess MCE would be the prefered choice then.

What makes Vista crippled?

 

[kony]

Thanks.
The PC is not yet purchased. It will be a Dell, and they offer Vista or MCE.
I guess MCE would be the prefered choice then.

What makes Vista crippled?

Everything? It's a beta OS with substantial bugs + DRM.
Even deleting a few files is potentially thwarted by vista
with several minutes wait, which is a sad joke.

In the end, the choice is a Vista aeroglass UI which is less
productive, vs XP which is more desirable in every way
possibe besides MS deceitful advertising.

Don't use Vista untill there is a clear reason to do so that
outweighs the detriments.

 

[Paul]

Hi All

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.
I'm trying to find a simple 56k modem that has a Windows Vista driver. Every
modem I've found so far only states Win98/SE/2000/ME/XP. Would the XP driver
work, or is there a real Vista modem driver out there somewhere?
TIA

Try looking on the support page, for the products you are interested in.
I got lucky on the first try. The magic word Vista is mentioned here.

http://www.usr.com/support/product-template.asp?prod=5610b

The driver is a tiny download, and looks to be mainly an INF file.
This is the header of the file. The rest of the file appears
to modify the registry, so it isn't much of a driver in that
sense. (And that is because this modem is a hardware modem.)

*******
; USR5610.INF, version 6.22.70.03
; Copyright 2000-2006, U.S. Robotics Corporation
; Windows 95,98,2000,XP(32&64),Vista(32&64) INF Support for U.S. Robotics V92 Fax PCI (5610B).
; Modified by U.S. Robotics Corporation PQA-CF on 8/17/2001 1:55PM.
; Modified by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on 3/25/2003 12:03 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.66.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on 8/06/2003 2:47 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.68.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on 8/07/2003 4:48 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.70.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on 11/20/2003 5:11 PM
; Added support for XP x64 OS 5.22.70.01 modified by USR-TS on 08/04/2005 3:25 PM
; Fixed Modem response NO DIALTONE and DIAG by MS PRojects -TS on 10/04/2005 1:16 PM
; Changed .NTx86.5.1 to NT.5.1,NT.5.2 by USR-TS on 05/09/2006 11:20 AM.
; 11/15/2006, 6.22.70.03 added support Vista&fixed SourceDiskName USR-TS
*******

There are some Winmodem type designs, where the driver is
actual code (executable), and it decodes the tones on the phone line.
That is bound to be more complicated, and since that is a real driver,
it might take more work to make a Vista version.

For example, I tried looking for driver support for the USR 5699b,
which is stated to be a Winmodem. And they have a Vista driver for it!
The driver in this case, is 0.9MB in size, so the driver is a lot
larger than the tiny INF file used by the other one. (One thing that
is weird in the following links, is the driver is stored in a "5699c"
folder, even though the product is a 5699b.)

(Download page)
http://www.usr.com/support/product-template.asp?prod=5699b
(Download file)
http://www.usr.com/support/5699c/5699c-files/5699-Vista-x86-v338.zip
(Product page)
http://www.usr.com/products/home/home-product.asp?type=specs&sku=USR5699B

The reviews for that Winmodem don't look that good. It is cheaper, to be sure,
but not many people liked it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16825104137

Some reviews for the 5610B are here. The design appears to be a few years old.
Since the hard part is done in hardware, on the card, it costs more, but
should be less bothered by driver issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Robotics-PERFORMANCE-V-92-56K-MODEM-USR325610B/dp/customer-reviews/B00006HU75

Actually, in some tests I did a couple years back, I got 1% more thruput
on a Winmodem, versus an external USR Courier modem. Which surprised me.
So a Winmodem can in fact, be very good. The hard part, is figuring out
which Winmodems have decent software. You can spend $10 for the Winmodem
many times over, trying to find one with good driver code. But they do
exist.

Paul

 

[Grumps]

Try looking on the support page, for the products you are interested in.
I got lucky on the first try. The magic word Vista is mentioned here.

http://www.usr.com/support/product-template.asp?prod=5610b

The driver is a tiny download, and looks to be mainly an INF file.
This is the header of the file. The rest of the file appears
to modify the registry, so it isn't much of a driver in that
sense. (And that is because this modem is a hardware modem.)

*******
; USR5610.INF, version 6.22.70.03
; Copyright 2000-2006, U.S. Robotics Corporation
; Windows 95,98,2000,XP(32&64),Vista(32&64) INF Support for U.S. Robotics
V92 Fax PCI (5610B).
; Modified by U.S. Robotics Corporation PQA-CF on 8/17/2001 1:55PM.
; Modified by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on 3/25/2003 12:03 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.66.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on
8/06/2003 2:47 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.68.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on
8/07/2003 4:48 PM
; Updated DriverVer 5.22.70.00 by U.S. Robotics Corporation -TS on
11/20/2003 5:11 PM
; Added support for XP x64 OS 5.22.70.01 modified by USR-TS on 08/04/2005
3:25 PM
; Fixed Modem response NO DIALTONE and DIAG by MS PRojects -TS on
10/04/2005 1:16 PM
; Changed .NTx86.5.1 to NT.5.1,NT.5.2 by USR-TS on 05/09/2006 11:20 AM.
; 11/15/2006, 6.22.70.03 added support Vista&fixed SourceDiskName USR-TS
*******

There are some Winmodem type designs, where the driver is
actual code (executable), and it decodes the tones on the phone line.
That is bound to be more complicated, and since that is a real driver,
it might take more work to make a Vista version.

For example, I tried looking for driver support for the USR 5699b,
which is stated to be a Winmodem. And they have a Vista driver for it!
The driver in this case, is 0.9MB in size, so the driver is a lot
larger than the tiny INF file used by the other one. (One thing that
is weird in the following links, is the driver is stored in a "5699c"
folder, even though the product is a 5699b.)

(Download page)
http://www.usr.com/support/product-template.asp?prod=5699b
(Download file)
http://www.usr.com/support/5699c/5699c-files/5699-Vista-x86-v338.zip
(Product page)
http://www.usr.com/products/home/home-product.asp?type=specs&sku=USR5699B

The reviews for that Winmodem don't look that good. It is cheaper, to be
sure,
but not many people liked it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16825104137

Some reviews for the 5610B are here. The design appears to be a few years
old.
Since the hard part is done in hardware, on the card, it costs more, but
should be less bothered by driver issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Robotics-PERFORMANCE-V-92-56K-MODEM-USR325610B/dp/customer-reviews/B00006HU75

Actually, in some tests I did a couple years back, I got 1% more thruput
on a Winmodem, versus an external USR Courier modem. Which surprised me.
So a Winmodem can in fact, be very good. The hard part, is figuring out
which Winmodems have decent software. You can spend $10 for the Winmodem
many times over, trying to find one with good driver code. But they do
exist.

Thank you for a comprehensive reply.
In the UK, my favourite suppliers seem to have several modems at £5/$10,
then a gap and the next modems come in at £20+. Of course, all of the
cheaper modems don't say Vista; so it'll have to be more investigation on
the manufacturers' web sites. Or just go for the Dell modem (£20).

However, as Kony mentioned, it may be better to ignore Vista an go with MCE;
then I can use any $10 device.
Thanks again.

 

[Grumps]

Everything? It's a beta OS with substantial bugs + DRM.
Even deleting a few files is potentially thwarted by vista
with several minutes wait, which is a sad joke.

In the end, the choice is a Vista aeroglass UI which is less
productive, vs XP which is more desirable in every way
possibe besides MS deceitful advertising.

Don't use Vista untill there is a clear reason to do so that
outweighs the detriments.

Thanks.

 

[GT]

Hi All

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.
I'm trying to find a simple 56k modem that has a Windows Vista driver.
Every modem I've found so far only states Win98/SE/2000/ME/XP. Would the
XP driver work, or is there a real Vista modem driver out there somewhere?

You'll probably find that any modem will be supported by either XP or Vista.
56k Modems are ancient technology as far as PCs are concerened. I don't
think there are any new modem chipsets around, so I would expect any modem
to work out of the box, possibly even auto-detected without driver disks
being required.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, I would expect the cheapest models to work best
as they probably use basic, common components that will have the broadest
support.

Watch out for your connectors though - a new Dell probably won't have a
serial (old 9-pin type) port, so check what ports are available if you are
looking at external modems. Another thing to check is whether the Dell comes
with a modem build-in. Most laptops have one built-in, so if you are looking
at a laptop, then your modem search is over.

 

[Grumps]

You'll probably find that any modem will be supported by either XP or
Vista. 56k Modems are ancient technology as far as PCs are concerened. I
don't think there are any new modem chipsets around, so I would expect any
modem to work out of the box, possibly even auto-detected without driver
disks being required.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, I would expect the cheapest models to work
best as they probably use basic, common components that will have the
broadest support.

Watch out for your connectors though - a new Dell probably won't have a
serial (old 9-pin type) port, so check what ports are available if you are
looking at external modems. Another thing to check is whether the Dell
comes with a modem build-in. Most laptops have one built-in, so if you are
looking at a laptop, then your modem search is over.

Thanks. It's going to be a Dell tower which doesn't have a serial port. They
will gladly supply a modem for about £20.

 

[Pecos]

Hi All

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.
I'm trying to find a simple 56k modem that has a Windows Vista driver.
Every modem I've found so far only states Win98/SE/2000/ME/XP. Would
the XP driver work, or is there a real Vista modem driver out there
somewhere? TIA

I am using a Hiro 56K V.92 PCI Modem S/W W/O Voice Intel 537EP Chip 56
KBs Modem that cost $10 U.S. I don't think the same model is still
available, but any modem using the Intel 537EP chipset will work in both
Vista 32 and 64 bit.

It's a bit tricky to get configured though. You will have to download
the XP 32 or 64 bit drivers from the Intel website (rather difficult to
do without a working modem)
http://tinyurl.com/26eywr

Then install the drivers from the Device Manager in the Control Panel. I
would be glad to detail how to do this if anyone is interested.

 

[GT]

Thanks. It's going to be a Dell tower which doesn't have a serial port.
They will gladly supply a modem for about £20.

I would go with the Dell option - they will install it (and drivers) and
make sure it is all working and you won't invalidate your warranty when you
open the case on your new PC!

 

[kony]

I would go with the Dell option - they will install it (and drivers) and
make sure it is all working and you won't invalidate your warranty when you
open the case on your new PC!

Is it really worthwhile to send the system to Dell or at
least have to disconnect it and drive it to a service
center? They're not likely to send out a technician to
install a modem for £20 are they? I don't know what a
typical modem costs there, but considering it's Vista and a
modern PC has plenty of spare processing cycles, a typical
$10 USD (no ideal what it'd cost there) should suffice.

The warranty may not be worth much, not a big deal to void
if only for a short period. A modem just isn't a hard
enough part to get working that such measures should be
necessary.

Finally, to find a modem that has Vista support, pick out a
few modems and note the chipset used. Go to that chipset
manufacturer's website and when one is found that has a
Vista driver, download it. As another poster already
mentioned quite a few modems are likely to be natively
supported already. Hopefully if this is the case the
chipset manufacturer will also have a note stating this on
their driver download page.

 

[Grumps]

Is it really worthwhile to send the system to Dell or at
least have to disconnect it and drive it to a service
center? They're not likely to send out a technician to
install a modem for £20 are they? I don't know what a
typical modem costs there, but considering it's Vista and a
modern PC has plenty of spare processing cycles, a typical
$10 USD (no ideal what it'd cost there) should suffice.

I ended up ordering a Dell + WinXP, but not their modem (£20). I'm adding a
$10/£5 modem from another source which should work fine.

The warranty may not be worth much, not a big deal to void
if only for a short period. A modem just isn't a hard
enough part to get working that such measures should be
necessary.

I've never read the details of the Dell warranty. In the UK it's a 12 month
collect-and-return, but I'm not sure what adding cards does to this.

 

[Plato]

Simple question that I haven't found an answer to yet.
I'm trying to find a simple 56k modem that has a Windows Vista driver. Every
modem I've found so far only states Win98/SE/2000/ME/XP. Would the XP driver
work, or is there a real Vista modem driver out there somewhere?

The XP driver may or may not work. It may even cripple Vista. Best bet
is to make sure you have the right drivers first for the new OS you want
to use.

 

[CBFalconer]

CBFalconer wrote:
.... snip ...

....

I read them all. Wow. Do you have any references to benchmarks
such as were run on a machine with first XP, then Linux and
running Quake and Doom, which have versions for both OS's? Or
maybe comparisons between XP and Vista?
No.

I mean for things like frame rate, video and audio quality. I
ask, because although I don't use Windows personally, I have a
friend who does and he, being a super-gamer, says his games run
well on Vista. I'd really like to find out the degree to which
all the DRM degrades performance in a demonstrable way on a
specific app.

Thanks

You're welcome. The purpose is to warn people. I run Ubuntu & W98
only.