Modem Blaster external 56k Creative, any good?

canton_kid · Post by **canton_kid** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 12:00 am

I just bought a creative modem blaster 56k external serial port modem. Anyone tried one yet?
I will try installing this modem tommorrow most likely, just to darn tired tonight. At least for now, in a couple hours I'll probably be wide awake again!

I wanted my modem lights back so I can actaully SEE what is going on with my connection!
I keep getting those little bugs from somewhere that flash the little modem Icons in windows all the time when the modem should be idle. If I 'don't happen to be looking at the hidden tray, then I don't see it happening for who knows how long after it starts! I hate that! With modem lights I should see data moving anytime it is!

Also often I have problems where it seems the internal modem or ISp just stops responding. Lights flash once or a few times, but no page change. Sometimes it sits dead for awhile, then kicks in and runs great for awhile. Sometimes it sits dead for a long time, then the little been disconnected box pops up asking if I want to reconnect! I think it is offline then and windows just didn't see the drop carrier for awhile.

The ISP said I could have a conflict with a network card, anyone else think so? I run great for hours then just popup with problems, then they go away and it runs great again. Well, never great, 37333, on a 56k modem is about best! Another reason I decided to try external hardware modem. Junk rural phone lines don't help, but I am hopping for a little better with the new modem.

I haven't opend the box yet. $37 at wallmart and includes serial cable! Think it will be better than the USR win modems sitting on my shelf, or the Supra Max pci voice/data/fax I am using now?

I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back to serial port or not, but this was the only external I could get locally. I also wanted to be sure it was hardware modem!

Not sure which system I am installing this modem on, but it will be Win 98 SE, XP 1700, 256mb ram.
Most likely the new IWILL XP333 will get the external, and I'll pull the pci modem and put it in the Biostar since the harddrive there has the fax voice software setup. Never set that up on this system yet.

Anyone having any tipes, tricks, or other info they care to share for this setup, it's welcome! I'd like to push 40k with this new modem at least

Well better go to bed now before I wake up again.

Canton_kid

nexus_7 · Post by **nexus_7** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 9:09 am

speedguide.net

The creative modems are usually pretty good.

Greg

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 9:40 am

It's a hardware modem, which is good. Probably a Rockwell chipset which is also good.

canton_kid · Post by **canton_kid** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 11:45 am

Well, I woke up, but my Iwill system did not

Don't know what happened, made a couple changes last night, rebooted, all worked fine.

This morning no Video! Fans run, heard CD or hardrive or both spin up, but no video signal! I pulled the ATI card and installed a generic AGP card, disconnected harddrive, still no video signal.

Monitor just powers up and gets the standard on screen setup menu it normally gets but nothing else.

So for now the new Creative modem is still unopened, and the PCI modem is back in the Biostar system so I can get online.

Funny thing is I am using my second (voice) phoneline. This line always shows low connects in windows, like now 26400, compared to the 37333 it shows for the other phone line. But pages are loading as fast or faster it seems so far. But I only did email and here so far.

I get the Iwill system working I'll setup that creative modem and try both pone lines and see what happens. With external lights I can read the line a little better than using windows. At least I could in the old slower days!

canton_kid

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 2:11 pm

High connect speed is meaningless if you have a lot of packet loss.

Many cheap modems will try to connect at a faster speed than the line conditions will permit. The better modems adapt to bad line conditions better.

Better to connect at 28K with zero packet loss than at 52K with 25% packet loss.

canton_kid · Post by **canton_kid** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:06 pm

I will have to do some studying on this modem and see how to read and tweek it.

I got the Iwill system back up, cleared bios with the jumper, then video came back. Don't know what I turned off to lose video last night, but that was a pain! I also had NO beep when booting, before clearing bios. But that is all I did to get it back up, clear it. ThenI had to go in and make a few minor adjustments, like date and such.

Anyway, about this modem, it is on the Iwill system now. Seems quick as the other, but windows is telling me I have only a 24,000bps conection! Course windows just reports the agreed handshack, not actual speed as it changes with line conditions and such.

Modem lights don't work as I remember from the old BBS days with 2400 and 28.8.

SD/RD is always on, I think they used to flash when receiving/sending data, not burn constant!
AA, is on. I think Auto Answer used to be off when online, but on when offline waiting for incomming calls!
Pw/tr/oh are all on and should be.
CD/HS/Mr are off? Cd flicks once in awhile, or when transfering data. HS? High Speed? Should be on if connected at high speed, but not sure what that is considered for this modem. MR, Modem ready?

I'll have to do some reading! As most things, NO MANUAL! On cd PDF file, or online, but know printed book! Cheepy so and so companies! For the prices they charge and the volume they do, they could include a $1 book! Nope, just a quick start guide, one printed folded page. No INit strings, nothing! No details about leds.
Wife was on system for a while, so I couldn't read the PDF yet.

Anyway, online with the creatve external, and like it better than the PCI I was using! I think!

canton_kid