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June 2nd, 2004 23:00
USB External Modems Inadequate Voltage?
Hello, Went round and round with US Robotics support about their 5633A V.92 USB external modem. After installation and shut down, cold boot impossible while modem was connected. System just hung, with a blank screen. Shut down, disconnect USB cable at modem, boots up perfectly. According to USR, the Dimension 8200 USB 1.1 ports supply only about 150 mA, while 500 mA is needed to power the modem. I called Creative Labs, and they agreed with USR's conclusion. Both Creative and USR claim there should be a software patch to boost the USB voltage. I searched all of the Dimension downloads, to no avail. What is the best way out of this? I'm willing to buy a powered USB hub, but I'm cheap and would like to avoid it if at all possible. TIA, JJO
BTW, After all this, will I see a performance boost over the lousy "modem" that Dell ships in their $2,000 PC?
BTW, After all this, will I see a performance boost over the lousy "modem" that Dell ships in their $2,000 PC?
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BigBrother
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June 4th, 2004 00:00
Josterberg,
Purchase an external modem which connects to your serial port and has it's own power supply. BTW, 500ma is the max current that a USB port can provide. If your US Robotics modem draws this much power, then you will not be able to have any other USB devices on your system. It is a poor design to have one device use the all of the power which is available on a single port.
Steve
Steve
nilo
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491 Posts
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June 5th, 2004 07:00
Do you think the powered-hub idea would work? Might be cheaper than a new serial modem.
I've had a USR 5686E (serial) for a couple years. Great modem. I find I have to slow it down with init strings to get the best throughput at my location, though.
BigBrother
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June 5th, 2004 18:00
nilo,
A powered hub would probably work just as well. For a communications device, however, using a dedicated port usually provides for the best operation. If several other devices are connected to the USB port or a powered hub, the bandwidth will be divided among the devices. Dial up connections are susceptible to lots of problems and issues. Sharing a port between a dial up connection and other devices can often lead to additional problems.
Steve
josterberg
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June 9th, 2004 23:00
Dave Lyle
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June 10th, 2004 00:00
Yes, serial means one bit at a time.
Note that USB is Universal Serial Bus - one bit at a time.
Message Edited by ddeerrff on 06-09-2004 08:59 PM
nilo
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491 Posts
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June 10th, 2004 05:00
My serial-connected hardware modem is noticeably faster than my PCI Winmodem.