[plug] Buying a 56K modem

[Niall Young]

> I'm planning on buying a new 56K modem and just wondering if anyone had any
> advice on one suitable for Linux. I'd prefer an external modem but if anyone
> knows of a brand that works well internally I would be interested in giving

My advice is to check with your ISP.  Most modems are fine, but some perform 
better on certain equipment at the ISP's end.  If you're changing ISP's
regularly then you may run into problems.  Generally get a reliable brand
and upgrade to the latest firmware.

At iiNet we recommend external Netcomm RoadsterII, Banksia WaveSP, Maestro
Executive 56k modems as they've proven very reliable connecting to our Cisco 
routers.  The same modems on a Portmaster with another ISP may not be as 
reliable.  KTX/GVC modems should be avoided at all costs, Lightspeed may have 
problems also - some are ok but not all.

Internals under Linux are excellent though, the main problem with internals
is trying to reset it if the OS can't talk to the modem - this is usually
the fault of a Microsoft OS.

Niall.