U.S. Robotics 005686-03 56K V.90 External Fax Modem

Average customer rating: 4.5

The BEST MODEM of its day
The most solid 56k connection you will get.
Best modem I have
FASTEST AND BEST
Outstanding modem

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Getting Granny Online

U.S. Robotics 005686-03 56K V.90 External Fax Modem

Manufacturer: US Robotics
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B00001RMEB

Related Categories:

External Modems

External Modems

Product Description

The World Wide Web offers businesses and families a range of resources no one could imagine only a few years ago. But to see the detailed graphics and lifelike motion built into today's most advanced sites, or to hear near-CD quality sound, computer users need the fastest downloads possible over analog phone lines. Now the 56K Faxmodem gives users faster downloads for a more exciting, rewarding online experience. The ITU has now decided on an international 56K standard: V.90. U.S. Robotics is the first V.90-compliant modem brand available. So U.S. Robotics modem users can now get all the Internet they want from any service provider offering either V.90 or x2 technology. The modem adds even more value to users' Internet experience: the Connections CD-ROM software collection comes with every modem. It's jam-packed with all the communications, fax and Internet access software you need; complete and sample programs for work, home and entertainment; special offers and 3Com support information. The Connections interface makes exploring and using its features quick and easy. No other modem comes with a software selection so comprehensive, useful and convenient.

Amazon.com Review

Many people swear by external modems, claiming they offer faster, smoother connections than their internal counterparts. Although we've found in the past that internal and external modems tend to perform similarly, after testing the 3Com 56K Faxmodem we are inclined to agree. It offered rock-steady connections that software-based internal modems can't match and outperformed most of the internal modems we've tested in terms of speed.

The hardware has features that competing products lack, like seven status lights, a volume dial on the side, and an on/off switch. 3Com has printed a list on the bottom of the modem showing what the status-light abbreviations mean (like "CD" for carrier detect). A row of DIP switches on the back might intimidate novices, but they're preconfigured, and the settings are also listed on the bottom of the modem.

The included software nicely complements the hardware. Extras like fax software and PKZIP (for compressing large files before sending over the Net) are nice, and the configuration software is excellent. Installation in Windows 98 was practically automatic. All we really needed to do was connect the modem to the PC and plug it in. The software took care of all the behind-the-scenes dirty work.

Our performance tests indicated that the 56K Faxmodem's internal hardware makes for terrific speed. It consistently matched or exceeded the connection speeds, transfer rates, and latency reported by other external modems we've tested.

If you're purchasing a modem based solely on price, take into account the fact this product doesn't come with the requisite RS232 serial cable. Most users will need to purchase a special cable with a 25-pin connector on one end for the modem and a 9-pin connector on the other end to interface with a PC serial port. Aside from this oversight, the U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem is a quality product worthy of your attention. --T. Byrl Baker

Fast, solid connections

Doesn't use the computer's CPU

Excellent software package

Plenty of status lights

Quality construction </ul>

No serial cable included

Relatively expensive </ul>

Amazon.com Product Description

The Web offers businesses and families a range of resources no one could imagine only a few years ago. But to see the detailed graphics and lifelike motion built into today's most advanced sites, or to hear near-CD-quality sound, computer users need the fastest downloads possible over analog phone lines. Now the V.90 U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem gives users faster downloads for a more exciting, rewarding online experience.

The ITU has decided on an international 56K standard--V.90. U.S. Robotics is the first V.90-compliant modem brand available. So U.S. Robotics modem users can now get all the Internet they want from any service provider offering either V.90 or x2 technology. The V.90 U.S. Robotics 56K modem adds even more value to users' Internet experience--the Connections CD-ROM software collection comes with every U.S. Robotics modem. It's jam-packed with all the communications, fax, and Internet access software you need. It has complete and sample programs for work, home, and entertainment; special offers; and 3Com support information. The Connections interface makes exploring and using the Faxmodem's features quick and easy.

Customer Reviews:

The BEST MODEM of its day.......2003-08-02

Can't believe that upgrading my generic 56k modem to this showed a performance gain of up to 250%. Yes, 2.5x!! The generic modem, which most of have nowadays is pathetic. The connection speed is greater and the hardware chip set is phenomenal.

The most solid 56k connection you will get........2003-03-11

Sure, you can buy an internal modem, but you will not get the kind of bandwidth that an external modem can give you. Not everybody is on Cable or DSL, and not everybody needs that kind of bandwidth. Dial-up connections to the internet are dependent on the quality of your local phone lines. I can get a solid 53.3Kbps connection and you'd be surprised at how fast I can surf and do the common things we do online. Sure, Cable and DSL are great, but do you need to spend [a lot] a month to download your 4k e-mails and read CNN.com?

Best modem I have.......2002-02-27

I made the mistake of upgrading my other modem to the new V.92 standard and it would no longer connect to my ISP so I bought this one. I get great speed, for where I live (15 miles from anywhere) and can use it with the multiple operating systems I have on my computer. Just don't upgrade to the new standard until your ISP does. :)

FASTEST AND BEST.......2002-02-17

I have used this model for a year and I have yet to get disconnected from my ISP. I also switched to XP and it picked the modem right up--I didn't have to install any software! Before I got the Robotics 5686-03 external (also called Sportster model 0701), I got disconnected several times a day. I think the people who are having problems with this modem are probably newbies messing with things that should be left alone. This is a hardware modem and it doesn't need a software program to run like the ...winmodems do--just a driver that is already built into windows. Just turn your computer off, plug it in and turn your computer on--what's so hard about that? As far as tech support, you shouldn't need it, but when I emailed US Robotics they emailed me back in 24 hrs. and answered my question--I suggest email rather than the telephone. Also, buying a serial cable is no big deal.... I wouldn't want the modems that come with them. In short, this was the easiest modem I ever installed and it has given me totally solid connections and the fastest downloads I ever saw. I am very satisfied. Get this one and your modem problems are over!

Outstanding modem.......2002-01-31

I have never had a single disconnect when using this modem under Linux. I can't say the same for the other OS I used to use. This is a great modem.

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